Mental Health Counselor - YCCS

Job Responsibilities & Essential Functions

• Provide a comfortable youth and family friendly environment conducive to recovery and stabilization
• Assist in the development of treatment planning that specifies goals and actions to address the medical, social, therapeutic, educational, and other strengths and needs of youth
• Participate in the development and implementation of behavioral plans and crisis/safety plans
• Assist in facilitating youth admissions and discharges
• Facilitate/co-facilitate recreational groups and wellness activities including physical exercise, nutrition, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness
• Provide opportunities for and supervision as appropriate for phone/virtual interaction between youth, guardians, and approved contacts while youth is at the program
• During waking hours perform 15 min checks of youth while in their bedrooms
• During sleeping hours perform 30 min checks of all youth
• Utilize Massachusetts Behavioral Health Access (MABHA) website to update daily capacity as instructed, use website to locate other services for youth in assisting with aftercare planning and referrals
• Interact therapeutically with youth and maintain visual supervision/monitoring of youth as indicated
• Utilize verbal de-escalation skills, planned ignoring and redirection to encourage youth to utilize self-soothing skills and increase ability to self-regulate
• Utilize physical intervention as a last resort and within the agency guidelines
• Work effectively and professionally with youths and collaterals, such as family members, state agency personnel, other agencies, and professionals
• Perform basic household duties and meal preparation
• Work collaboratively within Acute Care Services staff to cross train and provide coverage as needed
• Maintain regular and timely attendance
• Move readily from task to task as well as move quickly in responding to emergencies
• Promote high staff morale and team atmosphere within department
• Adhere to the agency’s policy regarding confidentiality
• Promote high staff morale and team atmosphere within department
• Adhere to the agency’s policy regarding confidentiality
• Strong problem solving and decision-making abilities
• Promote high staff morale and team atmosphere within department
• Adhere to the agency’s policy regarding confidentiality
• Cross-trained in the policies, procedures and working with adults on ACCS to assist as needed with programmatic needs

Physical Demands

• Employee may be required to physically manage youths, if necessary, using methods and techniques approved and certified through the YCCS Program
• All YCCS employees need to complete the program’s de-escalation and physical management certification training
• All 24-hour/Acute Care Services staff are considered essential
• Essential staff are defined as personnel who are expected to report to work as scheduled, regardless of holidays and/or during any emergency situation and/or agency closing (i.e. inclement weather) to ensure the ongoing operations of the program
• Due to the type of work and client needs, this position may need to work beyond a forty-hour work week
• Additionally, essential staff may be required to remain on shift or work an additional shift until relief staff are available
• For overnight positions, staff are required to stay awake for the entirety of their shift