Mental Health Counselor

Position Summary

The Mental Health Counselor provides quality mental health and substance abuse treatment services to patients in accordance with all established philosophy.

FUNCTIONAL DEMANDS

• Ability to pass all required health and other screening tests.
• May be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
• On-call duty may be required (available to work on short notice) as per site requirement.

ORGANIZATIONAL EXPECTATIONS

• Provides a positive and professional representation of CFG Health Systems, LLC.
• Keeps patient information confidential and respects patient’s right to privacy.
• Promotes a culture of safety for patients and employees through proper identification, reporting documentation, and prevention.
• Maintains competency and knowledge of current standards of practice, trends, and developments in related scope of job role or practice.
• Adheres to infection control policies and protocols.
• Participates in ongoing quality improvement activities.
• Completes required orientation and trainings directed by facility.
• Follows facility and OSHA safety rules and procedures while on assignment.
• Follows facility and CFG Health Systems Occurrence Protocol.
• Adheres to PREA regulations.
• Punctual and dependable for assigned/confirmed shifts.
• Maintains security clearance for the assigned facility.
• Identifies and utilizes appropriate channels of communication with supervising staff.

Position Responsibilities

• Performs and documents mental health and substance abuse evaluations patients of the assigned correctional facility consistent with the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) standards of care, American Psychological Association (APA), applicable state corrections standards, American Correctional Association (ACA) and Performance Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS) as appropriate.
• Develops treatment plans based on individual needs to include, but not limited to housing location, medication referral, brief counseling, and referrals for ongoing mental health or substance abuse treatment.
• Conducts an initial clinical assessment within ten (10) days on all individuals who are identified as “high-risk”.
• Reports reactions to treatments and medications, as well as changes in the patients’ emotional or physical condition.
• Provides brief individual or group counseling when clinically appropriate.
• Affords assistance in the monitoring of patients on suicide watch or special housing status.
• Collaborates with the Multidisciplinary Mental Health Treatment Team in order to determine a patient's appropriate level of mental health care to include discharge planning.
• Records all care information concisely, accurately and completely, in a timely manner, in the appropriate format and on the appropriate forms.
• Maintains daily and monthly statistics in collecting documentation of services for audits and participates in the Continuous Quality Improvement process (CQI).
• Promotes a therapeutic environment to ensure inmates are treated in a professional, ethical and tactful manner.
• Performs other position-related duties as assigned, depending on assignment setting.
• Attends scheduled in-service programs and staff meetings as scheduled.

Qualifications

• Minimum Education: Graduate from an accredited school facility with a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology, social work, or related mental health field. Master’s Degree preferred.
• Minimum Work Experience: At least one year of professional experience, in-group and individual therapy, crisis intervention and psychological evaluation and substance abuse treatment experience. Previous correctional health care environment preferred.

Required Skills

• Strong critical thinking and assessment skills.
• Ability to make decisions independently.
• Assertive, empathetic and able to provide care objectively.
• Strong interpersonal communication and customer service skills.
• Basic computer skills.
• Ability to function independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to command the respect and confidence of patients and staff; and philosophically committed to the objectives of the facility.
• Maintains an active Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.