Behavioral Health Counselor, Inpatient, Full Time Days

Master's of Social Work, Counseling, or Marriage and Family Therapy required. Full or provisional licensure in Social Work or Counseling required.

Responsibilities

• Patient Assessment
  • Completes and documents an accurate clinical assessment which concludes with the identification of key findings that support the need for treatment and the level of care placement.
  • Quickly assesses patient's needs, verbally confirms these, and clearly communicates benefits of appropriate treatment program.
  • Determines the severity of the patient's psychosocial stressors and level of functioning by utilizing GAF Scales.
  • Responds quickly and with empathy to all assessments or requests for program/treatment information.
  • Determines when to consult with a physician/psychiatrist regarding the assessment findings and disposition.
• Patient Family Focus
  • Involves family members by providing education regarding treatment and aftercare support including intervention assistance through appropriate referrals.
  • Works with family members in ways that help them recognize their own dynamics of co-dependency and denial which contribute to enabling/exacerbating the patient's drinking/using behaviors/psychiatric symptoms.
  • Obtains a family history from a family member which corroborates the patient's substance abuse history/psychiatric symptoms and identifies the family member's own recovery needs.
• Patient Admissions
  • Facilitates each admission by obtaining the physician's authorization according to the physician assignment procedure.
  • Completes all pre-admission financial/insurance verifications in accordance with Hospital Admitting Department policies and procedures.
  • Determines financial viability for treatment with the assistance of the admissions personnel.
  • Maintains knowledge of hospital payment policies and practice to include third party payor reimbursement practices, Medicaid, and Medicare reimbursement requirements.
• Communication
  • Consistently provides direction and information to patients, physicians, families, visitors, and staff in a concise, informative, positive, and courteous manner.
• Customer Focus
  • Ensures excellent customer service to patients including excellent communication, treating them in a caring manner, being timely regarding treatment, and being professional in their care.
  • Consistently demonstrates behaviors that meet or exceed hospital's standards when interacting with customers.
  • Establishes and maintains a therapeutic relationship with patients/family members.
• Teamwork
  • Promotes a positive work environment with co-workers and other customers.
  • Attends and participates in required department and hospital meetings and in-services.
• Referrals
  • Makes efficacious referrals to community resources for ongoing treatment of patients and family members.
• Professionalism
  • Upholds a professional working relationship at all times and adheres to department rules.
  • Practices teamwork and adheres to Standards of Behavior.

Skills & Qualifications

• Excellent decision-making skills
• Good judgment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to quickly assess patient's needs and verbally confirm these
• Capable of communicating clearly the benefits of appropriate treatment programs
• Knowledge of developmental stages of people from age six years to greater than 65 years preferred
• Broad knowledge base of DSM IV diagnoses and treatment modalities required
• Computer skills preferred