Mental Health Practitioner Partial Hospitalization

About the Role

Provides quality psychotherapy and education to children, families, and adults in the appropriate specialty/departmental needs. Diagnoses and treats patients independently. Establishes and maintains professional working relationships with hospital staff, physicians, community agencies, and professionals. Enhances the organization's visibility and reputation through professional presentations, interviews, and services.

Responsibilities

• Provides quality psychotherapy and education to children, families, and adults in assigned clinics.
• Meets assigned number of hours of direct client contact per week, including during absences.
• Performs services in a timely and high-quality manner as recognized by physicians, referral sources, and evaluators.
• Conducts psychosocial assessments, treatment planning, and treatment procedures tailored to patient needs.
• Maintains adequate documentation of intake information, treatment plans, and contacts with patients, referral sources, and community resources.
• Completes progress notes within five days of client contact; immediately for patients expressing self-injurious behavior or thoughts.
• Completes intake summaries within two treatment sessions, including appropriate diagnoses and treatment plans.
• Provides written documentation of contact with teachers, attorneys, family members, and others within five days.
• Establishes and maintains professional working relationships with hospital staff, physicians, and community agencies.
• Completes letters and summaries regarding patient care for referral sources or agencies within five days of client contact.
• Conducts interactions with staff and physicians in a courteous and respectful manner.
• Responds promptly and appropriately to phone calls and requests for information.
• Provides on-call coverage in rotation with mental health staff, complying with on-call protocols and procedures.
• Responds within 10 minutes to pages and presents at the hospital within 30 minutes for mental status evaluations.
• Performs on-call duties professionally and ensures necessary follow-up for calls received.
• Participates in department staff meetings, peer supervision meetings, and supervisory sessions, offering constructive insight.
• Supports the working team through participation in department events.
• Ensures maximum reimbursement for services provided by submitting complete superbills immediately following patient sessions.
• Obtains authorization/notification from insurance providers for emergency visits and follow-up care.
• Secures authorization as needed for continuation of services.
• Provides non-clinical services, including professional presentations, media interviews, and committee participation on behalf of the department.
• Delivers quality presentations to the community or healthcare system staff that highlight the department’s focus positively.
• Participates in hospital and/or community teams and committees as requested.
• Provides clinical supervision or classes for staff members, students, or interns as requested.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university in social work, counseling, or a related field.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience as a licensed mental health practitioner in a child or adolescent environment.
• Experience in an outpatient mental health setting.

Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of psychological principles, child and adolescent development, inter-relational dynamics, individual and group behavior, and behavior modification techniques.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to communicate effectively with patients, families, physicians, and other clinical professionals.
• Ability to concentrate and pay close attention to detail when providing therapy, observing patient response, scoring tests, and documenting progress.
• Readiness to respond to the hospital at odd hours for on-call services.
• Demonstrates knowledge and skill in providing age-appropriate care to children, adolescents, adults, and families.

Licenses and Certifications

• Eligible for Independent Mental Health Practitioner or Provisional Mental Health Practitioner in the state of Nebraska.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Heart Association (required upon hire).
• Safety-Care Specialist certification (required within 60 days of hire).