Habilitation Counselor

Overview

Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC), established in 1971, offers a full continuum of evidence-based behavioral health and addiction services for children, adolescents, adults, and seniors throughout New Jersey. UBHC's 1,060 experienced behavioral health professionals and support staff are dedicated to treatment, prevention, and education. UBHC, one of the largest providers of behavioral health care in the country, has a budget of $260 million and has 15 sites throughout New Jersey. Services are readily accessible and include: inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization, screening, crisis stabilization, family/caregiver support, community outreach and case management, supportive housing, supported employment, prevention and consultation, employee assistance programs, and a licensed therapeutic school from preschool through high school. Specialty services include the New Jersey suicide prevention helpline and peer help lines for police, veterans, active military, teachers, mothers of special needs children and child protective service workers. In FY2016, UBHC treated 16,199 consumers, had 24,502 admissions, and touched the lives of 19,441 individual callers through peer support.

Responsibilities

• As part of the children’s mobile response and stabilization team, actively participates in ensuring the telephone calls/mobile response requests are handled in an effective and “consumer friendly” manner.
• Affects telephone service requests/referrals and provides mobile response in accordance with prescribed children’s mobile response and stabilization procedures.
• Provides face-to-face interventions in the community including, but not limited to, families’ homes, schools, group homes, foster homes, shelters, and the detention center.
• Organizes transition and discharge forms for crisis services, connecting to ongoing services and family support groups.
• Acquires familiarity with agencies in Essex County that provide services to children, adolescents, and their families that can provide crisis stabilization services and providing ongoing support/resources for the family.
• Completes appropriate documentation and utilization review.
• Conforms to unit policies relating to functional needs of the children’s mobile response and stabilization program.
• Actively and constructively contributes to the efficiency and productivity of unit operations.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Experience working with children, adolescents, and their families in crisis situations.
• Knowledge of crisis stabilization approaches and techniques.
• Ability to communicate effectively with clients, families, and other professionals.
• Valid NJ Driver’s License and reliable transportation.