MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL

Washtenaw County Health Department; Michigan; On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Washtenaw County Health Department seeks a Mental Health Professional to work with adults with mental illness, coordinating services and delivering evidence-based interventions within a continuous support team. Responsibilities include clinical assessments, developing and updating Person-Centered Plans, and documenting progress in the health record.

The role emphasizes recovery-oriented care, crisis management, and collaboration with natural supports, healthcare providers, and the community to

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work or psychology.
• Ability to diagnose and plan as part of clinical assessment.
• Knowledge of recovery-oriented services.
• Competency in crisis assessment and intervention.
• Experience in multidisciplinary team collaboration.
• Cultural sensitivity in service delivery.

Responsibilities

• Completes psycho-social assessments and DSM-V diagnosis.
• Develops and maintains Person-Centered Plans of Service.
• Coordinates and monitors consumer services per PCP.
• Delivers evidence-based interventions and individual/group therapy.
• Documents consumer progress in the electronic health record.
• Assists in crisis management and safety planning.

Skills

DSM-V knowledge

Crisis assessment/intervention

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Cultural competency

Person-centered planning

Recovery-oriented practice

Education

Master's degree in social work or psychology

LLMSW/LLP certification (preferred)

Tools

Electronic Health Record (EHR) system

Job description

INTERNAL UNION APPLICANTS WILL BE GIVEN FIRST CONSIDERATION FOR UNION POSITIONS

Under the supervision of a qualified professional Health Services Supervisor is responsible for working directly with consumers, natural supports and other service providers to achieve specific treatment/support outcomes for adult consumers with mental illness. The Mental Health Professional, as a member of a continuous support team, is responsible for completing clinical assessment, developing and maintaining Person Centered Plans of Service, coordinating and monitoring consumer services, directly assisting consumers in achieving desired outcomes and documenting consumer progress. In addition, the Mental Health Professional delivers evidence based practice interventions and individual and/or group therapy interventions as a member of the continuous support team structure.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Core functions of Mental Health Professional within the context of the Continuous Support Team:

Assessment and Person Centered Planning:

• Completes comprehensive psycho-social assessment and diagnose using the multi-axis model of the DSM-V.
• Completes comprehensive psycho-social assessment for cases where funding and reimbursement guidelines require a qualified Masters prepared clinician.
• Participates in the development and maintenance of current comprehensive Person-Centered Plan for all consumers assigned to the team.
• Completes Person-Centered Planning reviews as required.

Fostering recovery, self determination and improved quality of life:

• Develops supportive relationship with consumers assigned to the team, to assure that the Person-Centered Planning process is consumer driven.
• Coordinates and collaborates with a consumer's network of care, including primary healthcare, family and natural supports.
• Monitors and coordinates service delivery to consumers/families as specified in the Person-Centered Plan (PCP).
• Works with consumers within the team to promote the outcomes specified in PCP.
• Manages consumer crises whether directly or indirectly by accessing needed services.
• Assist consumers in resolving interpersonal conflicts in their environment.
• Assist consumers with the development of critical life skills through the use of advanced methods of psychotherapeutic interventions.
• Provides supportive counseling and cognitive and/or behavioral therapeutic interventions in both individual and group settings.
• Develops an understanding of the core elements of the recovery model in order to assist consumers in each stage of recovery.

Resources/Collaboration and Advocacy:

• Assist consumers in identifying and linking to needed services and entitlement available in the community.
• Assists in systems advocacy to secure needed services and resources either internal or external to the Community Mental Health system.
• Provides support and education regarding mental illness and stigma associated to mental illness.
• Inform consumers regarding their rights and navigation the mental health system.

Record Keeping:

• Documents consumer activity in relation to the outcomes specified in the consumer's Person-Centered Plan.
• Maintains complete and detailed records consistent with agency standards, procedures and requirements of third party funding and accreditation sources.
• Keeps timely and accurate clinical records in the electronic health record system, including scheduled appointments, PCP and PCP updates, progress notes, etc.

Organizational Development:

• Fosters and promotes the organization's mission, vision and values.
• Participates actively in performance improvement activities.

Other duties may be assigned by the Health Services Supervisor dependent on program needs.

EMPLOYMENT QUALIFICATIONS

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES

Upon Hire, Applicant has basic required competencies which include:

• Knowledge of the use of DSM-V.
• Knowledge and ability to diagnose in assessment and treatment planning.
• Knowledge of common signs and symptoms specific to the target population assigned.
• Knowledge of common mental health conditions, substance abuse conditions and mental health treatments/supports interventions.
• Knowledge of behavioral and cognitive techniques and psychotherapeutic treatment interventions.
• Ability to effectively assess and intervene during crisis situations, including suicidality.
• Ability to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team and provide advanced levels of knowledge consistent with post graduate training.
• Knowledge of available community resources.
• Ability to utilize sound judgment and practice autonomous decision making, seeking supervision as needed.
• Ability to represent the agency to the community, natural supports and other interested persons in a manner that fosters understanding of the mental health needs of consumers, and the goals and mission of the organization.
• Ability to assess the safety for consumers and self as a professional service provider.
• Cultural sensitivity and awareness of the role of culture in the delivery of services.
• Delivery of culturally competent services including the ability to transform knowledge and cultural awareness into interventions that support and sustain healthy client system functioning within the appropriate cultural context.

Within the first six months of hire, employee will be expected to demonstrate:

• Knowledge about currents trends in the field of mental health.
• Knowledge of Michigan Mental Health Code including Recipient Rights and Grievance and Appeals.
• Expanded knowledge of community resources.
• Team leadership capabilities, as evidenced by clinical leadership and preparation of written and verbal reporting regarding agency issues.
• Ability to provide supervision of student interns in training and volunteers by assigning cases, reviewing work and interpreting agency policy and procedures.
• Ability to work both autonomously and as a member of a multidisciplinary team and to make use of supervision in the development of skills and competent practice.
• Ability to incorporate Person Centered Planning principles into practice.
• Ability to recommend services for Person Centered Planning, including the recommendation to deny, reduce, suspend or terminate services.
• Ability to communicate effectively with consumers, family members, natural supports, and community agencies.
• Ability to effectively prioritize work.
• Increased ability to foster recovery and skill building for consumers with mental illness.
• Increased understanding and competence in the use of evidenced based best practices, behavioral and cognitive therapeutic interventions, and emerging practices for the treatment of consumers with mental illness.
• Knowledge of learning organization principles.
• Willingness to actively engage in the professional development process.
• Knowledge of how to access agency policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of evaluation/assessment of particular service needs.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Service Authorization Process.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Service Eligibility Criteria and Medicaid covered Services.
• Demonstrated skill of CSTS services and supports and other contractual services.
• Demonstrated skill in the ability to provide clinical documentation according to agency policy. Seeks supervisory support direction for clarification as needed.
• Demonstrate proficiency with using computers adequate enough to use electronic medical record and mobile technology.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Supervisor.

Beyond six months:

Employee will continue to participate in on-going professional development activities, maintain all required professional development, and will be able to demonstrate increased competence in the skills required for the position. In addition, the employee will maintain current professional license and renew license prior to expiration date.

Employee will continue to demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and use of evidence based best practices for adult mental health populations. In addition, the employee will provide individual and group delivery of these practices within the continuous support team structure.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Duties require sufficient mobility to work in a normal office setting and use standard office equipment including computer, vision to read printed materials and a computer monitor, and hearing and speech sufficient to communicate in person and over the telephone.

These requirements may be accommodated for otherwise qualified individuals requiring and requesting such accommodations.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Minimum requirements are that applicants have a valid Michigan Driver's License and meet any requirements by funders for transportation of consumers; a Master's degree in social work or psychology, plus one of the following:

• Limited Licensed Master's in Social Work (LLMSW) State of Michigan certification, LMSW preferred.
• Limited Licensed Master's in Clinical or Behavioral Psychology (LLP) State of Michigan certification
• Other qualified health professional licensure as required to provide services and able to receive Medicaid and/or Medicare reimbursement and other third party reimbursement for mental health and/developmental disability services.

This class description intends to identify the major duties and requirements of the job and should not be interpreted as all inclusive. Incumbents may be requested to perform job-related duties other than those outlined above and may be required to specific job-related knowledge for successful job performance.