Mental Health Professional I – LECOM Institute for Behavioral Health

LECOM Institute for Behavioral Health, an equal opportunity employer, is currently seeking a compassionate, dedicated mental health professional adept at establishing positive, trusting rapport with individuals and facilitating effective person-centered mental health supports and interventions. Join the region’s largest and fastest growing behavioral health care system and make a difference today!

SUMMARY:  The Mental Health Professional I (MHP I) provides trauma-informed and resilience-oriented mental health therapy and supports to individuals, families, and/or groups. The MHP I conducts mental health intakes and assessments, diagnoses mental health disorders, and develops personalized treatment plans for individuals to address and manage their mental health concerns. This position requires the ability to provide intensive case coordination and therapeutic services to patients with an emotional disturbance or mental illness. The position requires the ability to design crisis safety plans and direct treatment through the LECOM Health network and other community partners. The MHP I works as an extension of the Outpatient Psychiatric treatment team with the core job duties being completed at one of the satellite offices of the clinic and/or other LECOM Health entities.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Mental Health Therapy

· Provide individual, family, and/or group therapy as assigned by Supervisor.

· Maintain responsibility for an assigned caseload of individuals addressing mental health concerns.

· Provide both face-to-face and telehealth services to individuals.

· Support the family’s or other supports’ efforts to stabilize the identified individual receiving services.

· Collaborate with other healthcare professionals to develop treatment plans for people with mental health conditions.

· Assist individuals receiving care and their treatment teams with implementing, monitoring, and reevaluating crisis and safety plans.

Intake & Assessment

· Complete biopsychosocial assessments of patients as part of an intake interview to identify possible factors contributing to individual’s overall physical and psychological health.

· Assesses strengths and therapeutic needs of patient and family.

· Assesses treatment adherence, tolerability, and clinical response using validated rating scales.

· Help to triage patient need and coordinate assessing the need for sooner appointments with the treating provider and/or to be the liaison between the patient and the provider agency to relay information.

· Assist patients with identifying safety plans and crisis plans.

· Coordinate with the treatment team to monitor progress toward goals and outcomes.

· Oversee the completion of all required paperwork and documentation in the patient’s chart within established departmental timeframes.

Case Management

· Provide case management which would include, but not be limited to coordination of treatment with other service providers, assistance to families in locating needed resources, and patient advocacy.

· Outreach and engagement of patients after visits.

· Track referrals to completion and contact patients who have not yet followed up with recommended community resources.

· Help patients to link to community resources such as: drug and alcohol services, BCM, transportation services, physical health resources, education, etc.

· Coordinate with other service providers such as therapist and primary care.

· Work collaboratively with the treatment team and serve as the liaison between patients and medical staff.

· Develop and/or complete written patient documentation/letters as medically necessary and in coordination with approval from the Medical Director.

Documentation & Supervision

· Complete timely clinical documentation in the health record regarding all contact with the individual receiving services.

· Ensure all relevant and collateral record documents are uploaded for patient based upon dialogue with patient, family, and other collaborating providers.

· Ensure all incident reports are completed timely and reviewed with Supervisor.

· Participate in case review and interdisciplinary team meetings with psychiatrist.

· Receive clinical supervision and maintain supervision log.

Other Duties:

· Implement all relevant policies and procedures.

· Attend all meetings, clinical supervisions, and training sessions across any of the Licensed Outpatient Clinic settings.

· Understand and adhere to the professional policies and standards in the Millcreek Community Hospital Employee Handbook.

· Act as a Goodwill ambassador for LECOM Health by promoting awareness to the patient of all physicians and services LECOM Health provides.

· Adhere to obligations under clinic’s Duty to Warn policy.

· All other duties as assigned.

Skills/Knowledge:

· MHP I qualifications meets one of the following:

o Has a graduate degree from a college or university that is accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in a generally recognized clinical discipline in which the degree program includes a clinical practicum.

o Has an equivalent degree from a foreign college or university that has been evaluated by the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) or the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). The Department will accept a general equivalency report from the listed evaluator agencies to verify a foreign degree or its equivalency.

· Licensed as LCSW or LPC preferred

· Possesses knowledge of Erie County mental health resources and mental health level of care determination.

· Skilled in therapeutic interventions.

· Must be able to obtain Act 33/34 and FBI clearances upon hire.

· Must complete Mandated Reporter training within 30 days of hire.

· Must complete crisis management and de-escalation training.

· Exceptional customer service and phone etiquette.

· Ability to maintain effective and organized systems.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

· Frequent standing/walking/sitting

· Occasionally lifting items of light to medium weight (up to 25lbs).

· Occasionally lifting supplies and/or equipment

· Occasional reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling, crouching

· Primarily medical office space, subject to many interruptions and occasionally hostile and emotionally upset individuals