Mental Health Therapist III

002 Sea Mar Community Health Center; Aberdeen City; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Sea Mar Community Health Centers is seeking a Mental Health Therapist to conduct diagnostic assessments and coordinate with psychiatric services. The role involves individual counseling, crisis stabilization, suicide risk assessment, and developing treatment plans in collaboration with the care team.

The position emphasizes adherence to program policies, documentation, and coordination with other departments to support comprehensive, client-centered care.

Responsibilities

• Provides diagnostic assessments for each patient during the program.
• Gathers information regarding past mental health services to inform treatment plan development.
• Provides individual counseling and crisis stabilization; leads groups.
• Coordinates with psychiatrists to monitor medications and treatment plans.

Job description

Sea Mar Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) founded in 1978, is a community-based organization committed to providing quality, comprehensive health, human, housing, educational and cultural services to diverse communities, specializing in service to Latinos in Washington State.

Sea Mar proudly serves all persons without regard to race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, or sexual orientation, and regardless of ability to pay for services.

Sea Mar's network of services includes more than 90 medical, dental, and behavioral health clinics and a wide variety of nutritional, social, and educational services.

We are recruiting for the following position:

Sea Mar is a mandatory COVID-19 and flu vaccine organization

The Mental Health Therapist provides diagnostic assessments, referrals for psychiatric services, case management in coordination with other teams or parties involved in treatment. In addition, the Mental Health Therapist provides individual counseling, crisis stabilization, suicide risk assessment and treatment plans, and leads groups.

Assistance to the Program Manager in program development, policy and procedure development, compliance with WACs and RCWs, and other administrative tasks performed are as directed. This job description does not suggest or imply that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. The person in this position will be required to follow other instructions and to perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Duties and Responsibilities

As a mission-driven organization, the core values of, and the services offered at Sea Mar are based on the belief that everyone deserves to be respectfully treated in a way that preserves dignity and enhances self-worth. Sea Mar is an advocate for its clients and aims to achieve industry-leading, client-centered, culturally-aware services.

Sea Mar employees serve as an extension of this mission and demonstrate their commitment to an excellent client experience by:

• Understanding and empathizing with client needs
• Surpassing client expectations
• Demonstrating a high level of integrity
• Exhibiting compassion and commitment
• Advocating for social justice
• Taking pride in individual work as well as that of the team
• Continually learning to stay current with industry standards, best practices and technology

As a Sea Mar employee, the individual in this position commits to adherence to these values to their utmost ability and endeavors to strengthen and embody this mission daily.

Job Description

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

ADMINISTRATIVE

• Assists in insuring agency compliance with WAC's, RCW's, and other pertinent laws, regulations, and contracts.
• Assists in developing and implementing policies and procedures as directed by the Program Manager.
• Educates staff regarding the process for mental health service referrals and regarding "psycho educational topics (suicide risk assessment, behavior modification, etc.) as directed by the Program Manager."
• Maintains documentation of mental health services, and follow through in patient charts.

CLINICAL DUTIES

• Provides diagnostic assessments for each patient during the program. Documents outcomes, justifies diagnoses, and communicates with the primary Chemical Dependency Counselor regarding outcomes and recommendations.
• Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span.
• Able to identify and categorize each patient's age-specific grouping of needs, such as those for infant, adolescent, or geriatric patients.
• Refers patients to psychiatric services as appropriate. Gathers record materials and background information as needed by the community mental health center (See Policies and Procedures). Attends session with the psychiatric service provider to insure accuracy of presentation and that identified needs are addressed. Provides monitoring regarding the effects of medications, and feedback to the psychiatrist regarding effects/side effects.
• Provides consultation to Sea Mar staff regarding mental health and behavioral issues; and develops treatment plans with staff to address emotional needs and behavioral problems identified for patients.
• Provides individual counseling, in coordination with other system as needed.
• Provides suicide risk assessment and develop treatment plans to address suicidal ideation or gestures. Uses case management as needed to provide follow through and build community support as follow through. Provides other crisis stabilization as needed.
• Gathers information regarding past mental health services to be used in the individual's treatment plan development. Provides mental health services referrals to patients prior to or following admission, and exchanges information with outside service providers.
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