What are the responsibilities and job description for the Clinician / AOT position at The Centers?
Clinician will use Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) in the practice of providing community-based mental health treatment under civil court commitment, as a means of: (1) motivating an adult with mental illness who struggles with voluntary treatment adherence to engage fully with their treatment plan; and (2) focusing the attention of treatment providers on the need to work diligently to keep the person engaged in effective treatment. (3) monitor and oversee court orders, extensions of court orders and filing in patient records.
- Identify individuals within the service area who appear to be persistently non-adherent with needed treatment for their mental illness and meet criteria for AOT under state law
- Ensure that whenever such individuals are identified, the mental health system itself takes the initiative to gather the required evidence and petition the court for AOT, rather than rely on community members to do so (although community members should not be impeded from initiating an AOT petition or investigation where permitted by state law)
- Safeguard the due process rights of participants at all stages of AOT proceedings
- Maintain clear lines of communication between the court and the treatment team, such that the court receives the clinical information it needs to exercise its authority appropriately and the treatment team is able to leverage the court’s powers as needed
- Provide evidence-based treatment services focused on engagement, motivation for change, and helping the participant maintain stability and safety in the community
- Continually evaluate the appropriateness of the participant’s treatment plan throughout the AOT period, and make adjustments as warranted
- Employ specific protocols to respond in the event that an AOT participant falters in maintaining treatment engagement
- Evaluate each AOT participant at the end of the commitment period to determine whether it is appropriate to seek renewal of the commitment or allow the participant to transition to voluntary care
- Ensure that upon transitioning out of the program, each participant remains connected to the treatment services they continue to need to maintain stability and safety
- Conducts therapy groups for clients to meet established treatment goals
- Provides effective therapy services to patients as delineated in the treatment plan
- The intensity of service provided is consistent with the patient’s acuity. The treatment plan reflects changes in acuity
- Provides individual therapy, family therapy and other services a outlined in the treatment plan
- Develops and modifies an individualized treatment plan for each assigned patient and addresses the patient’s identified needs.
- Ensures that the treatment plan is carried out as intended. Modifies the treatment plan as feedback about the clients needs and strengths is made available
- Conducts intakes/assessments
