ACT Team Clinician

Access, Inc.; City of Mount Vernon (NY); On-site; USD 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

ACCES Employment in Mount Vernon, NY seeks a Licensed Clinician to join the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team. You will provide psychotherapy, psychoeducation, family counseling, and support to individuals with serious mental illness, managing a caseload and coordinating with the interdisciplinary team.

The role emphasizes recovery-oriented, trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, and collaboration with community partners.

Qualifications

• Licensed clinician with LMSW or comparable license.
• Ability to work independently while part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Experience with ACT or community mental health services.
• Proficiency in documentation and reporting requirements.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a caseload of 12-15 participants and provide case management.
• Perform intake interviews and assess treatment suitability.
• Develop bio-psycho-social assessments and treatment plans.
• Provide individual, group, and family counseling as indicated by treatment plan.
• Coordinate care with the interdisciplinary team and community resources.
• Provide supervision to interns as assigned.
• Attend interdisciplinary team meetings.
• Provide crisis intervention and on-call support.

Skills

Trauma-informed care

Crisis management

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Strong communication

Documentation skills

Education

LMSW, MHC-LP, LMFT, LCAT, LCSW or LMHC license

Tools

Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems

Job description

Location: Mt. Vernon, NY

Salary: $80,000 (LMSW, LCSW, LMHC, LMFT)

Hours: M-F 9 am to 5 pm (35 hours)

OVERVIEW OF PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Licensed Clinician will function as the Family Specialist on our Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team. This position will provide psychotherapy, psycho-education, and support to individuals living with serious mental illness. This position maintains a caseload, delivers individual and group counseling, participates in treatment planning, and coordinates care with the interdisciplinary team and other community partners and resources. The Family Specialist will provide family counseling and coaching to family members in support of program participants’ self-identified recovery goals.

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), is an evidenced-based practice that uses a person-centered and recovery-based approach to offer treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to individuals that have been diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI). Typically, individuals served by ACT have a treatment history that includes multiple psychiatric hospitalizations, risk of harm to self or others, and lack of success in traditional outpatient services. Many of these individuals are also living with co-occurring substance use disorders and medical conditions, and ACT utilizes a harm reduction approach to support them in reaching their self-identified recovery goals.

ACT services are provided by a mobile, multi-disciplinary team who meet at the program participant’s residence and in mutually agreed upon settings in the community where the participant feels comfortable. ACT supports recovery through a highly individualized approach that provides participants with the tools to obtain and maintain housing, employment, relationships, wellness, and relief from symptoms and medication side effects. The nature and intensity of ACT services are developed through the person-centered service planning process and adjusted through the process of daily team meetings and frequent contacts with participants and their collaterals.

The goal of ACT services is to assist individuals to achieve their personally meaningful goals and life roles. ACT integrates the principles of trauma-informed care and cultural competence, addressing the impact of discrimination/stigma, and inter-system collaboration into its service philosophy.

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS:

• Maintain a caseload of 12-15 participants and provide case management services. This can fluctuate based on staffing, supervision requirements, and other team needs.
• Perform intake interviews and evaluate appropriateness for treatment.
• Complete bio-psycho-social assessments and treatment plans, and other required reporting (e.g. AOT, CAIRS) within required timeframes.
• Establish collaborative, supportive relationships with participants to promote engagement in recovery and work toward life-goals.
• Utilize trauma-informed and evidence-based approaches to provide individual, group, and family counseling as indicated by treatment plan.
• Provide family-focused counseling, psychoeducation, support, and connection to resources for program participants and their families as indicated by treatment plan.
• Serve as resource for the interdisciplinary team on clinical and family-systems issues and community resources.
• Complete timely and accurate progress notes for all participant and collateral contacts in compliance with all relevant regulations, laws, and agency policies and protocols.
• Complete discharge summaries and documentation in accordance with agency policy and regulatory standards.
• Provide supervision to interns as assigned.
• Attend and actively participate in interdisciplinary team meetings.
• Make appropriate referrals to outside providers and community resources as needed.
• Provide crisis intervention and support during emergencies. Participate in on-call rotation.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONAL / ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT

• Stay current on agency and clinic policies, as well as State and Federal requirements related to family services.
• Participate in individual and group supervision as scheduled.
• Respect and support interdisciplinary team decisions regarding patient care.
• Participate in staff training and professional development activities.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS AND ATTRIBUTES:

• LMSW, MHC-LP, LMFT, LCAT, LCSW or LMHC,
• Ability to work independently while functioning as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Strong skills in boundary-setting, limit-setting, and crisis management.
• Excellent communication, writing, and organizational skills.
• Knowledge of co-occurring disorders, evidence-based practices, and recovery supports.
• Ability to use electronic health record systems for documentation and other electronic systems for communication (e.g. email, Teams, Zoom, etc.)
• Valid drivers license

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to perform the job's essential functions successfully. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions of the position, which are reviewed in each case.

• Ability to sit, stand, and walk for periods of time throughout the workday.
• Ability to work in a variety of community-based settings, including shelters, soup kitchens, streets, and housing locations.
• Ability to travel throughout the community and provide transportation to individuals as required.
• Ability to use a computer, telephone, and other office equipment for extended periods.
• Ability to occasionally lift and carry materials weighing 15 pounds or more.

IND2024