Mental Health Therapist

Responsibilities

The Mental Health Therapist assigned to the Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychiatry clinics provides assessment, and crisis intervention and treatment to complex patients in mental health crisis who are at risk in a variety of outreach settings, including group homes, shelters, patients’ homes, and other sites across Monroe County.

Collaborates with hospital and other community institutions and groups relative to the psychosocial needs of the patient and family. Through psychosocial assessment, crisis intervention, resource consultation, and brief treatment, psychosocial risk may be minimized and Emergency Department utilization decreased.

Essential Functions:

• Responsible for clinical intake, assessment, planning and carrying out of psychiatric crisis intervention in the community.
• Responsible for clinical decision-making regarding appropriate level of care and referrals.
• Provides clinical leadership to team in field.
• Exercises ingenuity and considerable independent judgment with respect to assessment and treatment of psychiatric patients in the field.
• Provides clinical leadership to other members of the Child & Adolescent multidisciplinary team in the clinic.
• Exercises considerable independent judgment with respect to assessment and treatment of psychiatric patients in outreach settings.
• Involves family, natural supports and other mental health treatment providers as part of assessment process and care coordination.
• Responsible for follow-up contact with Therapists and Physicians.
• Responsible for assessing safety of scene prior to leaving home base and accessing law enforcement services as needed to ensure safety of team in the field.
• Promotes and ensures continued staff education around multicultural factors which affect care and treatment of patients.
• Participates in education and training to promote professional growth and development.
• Attends staff meetings and didactics.
• Documents treatment in patient's chart in compliance with Division, Department and Hospital policy.
• Ensures that proper treatment and referral protocols are followed with respect to child abuse, domestic violence, consultation with specialty clinics, and referral both within and outside of SMH.
• Participates on a rotational basis as a member of an on-call group for evening and weekend hours.
• Responds as necessary after hours to crises in the community.
• Maintains current knowledge of mental hygiene law and its usage.

Requirements

Minimum Education & Experience:

• Master’s Degree from a Counsel of Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) accredited program with major course work in mental health counseling required.
• 3 years of clinical experience, at least one of which must include emergency, crisis or outreach work; or an equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.

Skills and Abilities

• Training in strategic family therapy or crisis intervention preferred.

Licenses and Certifications

• Must possess a valid New York State Driver's license and a satisfactory driving record strongly preferred.
• NYS licensure as a mental health practitioner (e.g., Mental Health Counselor, Creative Arts Therapist) upon hire required or If licensure has not been obtained upon employment, an active limited permit or submitted application to the NYS Department of Education upon hire required and NYS licensure as a mental health practitioner (e.g., Mental Health Counselor, Creative Arts Therapist) within 36 months of hire required.
• If working on the ACT or Mobile Crisis teams NYS licensure as a mental health practitioner within 48 months of hire required.