Clinical Coordinator

Basic Purpose

Under the general direction of the Chief Mental Health Officer (CMHO), responsible for the development, supervision, and management of a correctional mental health care system for a designated region or area and provide advanced level professional correctional mental health services in the diagnosis and/or treatment of inmates in state correctional facilities.

Typical Functions

• Provides supervision, clinical services, and monitors the provision of mental health services to the assigned inmate population in an ethical manner while following agency policy and relevant professional community standards of practice and serves as the primary mental health consultant/liaison to administrative, medical, support and correctional staff.  
• Supervises clinical and support mental health services staff as designated by the chief mental health officer. This includes peer reviews of qualified mental health professionals and consultation with mental health, medical, and facility administrative staff on challenging cases.  
• Develops and implements quality assurance procedures as approved by the chief mental health officer. Evaluates mental health service delivery needs and makes recommendations for needed changes to include staffing, supplies, and programming. Assigns mental health caseloads to clinical staff, prioritizing based on the level of service needs in the inmate population.  
• Provides and supervises a wide range of correctional mental health services including evaluations, counseling, psychotherapy, and programs with special inmate populations, e.g., inmates with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, those with a history of co-occurring substance abuse disorders, elderly inmates, and those with complex emotional, cognitive, and physical/medical disorders. Also provides and supervises crisis and suicide prevention and intervention.  
• Provides and supervises comprehensive discharge planning which may include applications for Social Security Administration benefits, Medicaid benefits, housing assistance, follow up mental health appointments in the community, coordination with programs developed by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and/or the Department of Human Services and its divisions, and transportation home. 
• With approval by the chief mental health officer, may prepare reports for use by departmental staff, the Pardon and Parole Board, and community agencies in compliance with all departmental, state, and federal laws and regulations concerning protected health information.
• Develops, supervises, and assists in creating training programs for staff in the recognition and handling of problems involving behavior disorders or the psychological, social, or personality adjustments of inmates. Conducts, coordinates, or supervises in-service training programs for staff members and other professionals in those training programs; provides necessary training regarding department-wide policies.  
• With approval by the chief mental health officer, participates in and supervises psychological research projects to evaluate objectives, methods, and results of mental health interventions.  
• Supervise students who have been approved via agency processes to complete practicum and internship experiences in the fulfillment of advanced degrees related to mental health therapeutic services.   
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, And Competencies

Knowledge of correctional mental health theory and evidenced-based practices for a diverse inmate population including inmates with mental illness, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, inmates with a history of co-occurring substance abuse disorders, elderly inmates, and those with complex emotional, cognitive, and physical/medical disorders; of statistical methods and research design; of issues of discharging inmates and the problems of the continuity of mental health care of discharging inmates reentering the community; of correctional security and mental health practices. Within the correctional setting, have knowledge and experience in methods of crisis and suicide prevention and intervention; individual and group counseling and psychotherapy; diagnosis and treatment planning; behavior management techniques; and testing and assessment methods with interpretation of results. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships, to supervise and direct the work of others, to serve as a consultant and/or function in an administrative capacity, to work with community groups and agencies in developing correctional mental health programs and services, to exercise professional judgment in analyzing situations and making decisions. Possess advanced clinical skills with the ability to supervise and teach professional staff and students. 

Education And Experience

Minimum Qualifications: Licensed or licensed eligible in Oklahoma as mental health professional with a doctorate degree in psychology (Ph.D., Psy.D., or Ed.D.) with a specialty in clinical or counseling psychology or related field and five (5) years professional experience in a mental health setting, including two (2) years of correctional experience.  

Additional Job Description

Mental Health Administration/Northeast Oklahoma Community Corrections Center