Counselor II

Position Overview

Western State Hospital is seeking a full-time Counselor II to develop and implement person-centered treatment and discharge plans in collaboration with consumers and other interdisciplinary treatment team members and serve as a link between community agencies and others supporting consumer recovery.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct timely social work assessments and identify discharge needs, completing required documentation within established timeframes and in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team.
• Develop and implement individualized treatment and discharge plans, integrating recovery-oriented principles and coordinating closely with consumers, families, CSBs, and the full treatment team.
• Provide psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) interventions, meeting minimum service requirements and supporting consumers’ clinical readiness for discharge through weekly team participation.
• Collaborate with Community Services Boards and external agencies, maintaining strong partnerships to support recovery needs, discharge planning, and adherence to DBHDS discharge protocols.
• Engage families and natural supports, with consumer consent, through education, involvement in treatment and discharge planning, and participation in family meetings to reinforce recovery goals.
• Maintain high-quality documentation, producing clear, concise, recovery-focused clinical notes that meet Joint Commission, CMS, and departmental standards for accuracy and timeliness.
• Communicate effectively with staff, consumers, and families, demonstrating professionalism, openness, responsiveness, and constructive problem-solving to strengthen team cohesion and service quality.
• Participate in departmental, interagency, and hospital-wide meetings, contributing to service planning, committee work, collaboration efforts, and mission-driven initiatives.
• Engage in continuous learning and professional development, completing required continuing education, annual mandatory training, and seeking opportunities to enhance clinical and recovery-oriented skills.
• Promote a culture of safety and professionalism, promptly reporting safety concerns, adhering to hospital safety standards, and maintaining ethical, respectful, and recovery-aligned social work practice.

Qualifications

• MSW, or MSSW required (graduation from a CSWE accredited undergraduate or graduate social work program)
• Professional work experience with adults with serious mental illness
• Experience in discharge planning
• Bilingual
• Veteran or veteran spouse

Additional Considerations

Experience in discharge planning, bilingual, Veteran or veteran spouse.

Minimum Qualifications

• MSW, or MSSW required (graduation from a CSWE accredited undergraduate or graduate social work program)
• Professional work experience with adults with serious mental illness

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

Application Requirements

• Applications and résumés for this position are accepted electronically through the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Electronic Recruitment System only.
• Interview decisions will be based solely on the information provided in your electronic application and/or résumé.
• Please ensure you clearly and specifically detail all relevant work experience; we will not make assumptions about your qualifications.

Background Investigation

• All applicants are subject to an extensive background investigation and a pre-employment drug screening.
• This investigation may include fingerprint checks (State Police, FBI), local agency checks, Department of Social Services/Child Protective Services checks, employment verification, and verification of education relevant to the position.

Equal Opportunity

The Commonwealth of Virginia is committed to conducting all aspects of human resource management without regard to race (or traits historically associated with race, including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, political affiliation, disability, genetic information, and pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations are available to individuals with disabilities during the application and/or interview process in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Contact Information

Name: Samantha Leep
Phone: 540-332-8306
Email: samantha.leep@dbhds.virginia.gov