Mental Health Court Therapist

Brief Description

POSITION TITLE: Mental Health Court Therapist

This specialized role focuses on individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) who have been diverted from the traditional legal process into a court-monitored treatment program. The primary objective is to reduce recidivism by addressing the underlying mental health and substance use issues that contribute to legal involvement.

Special Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Ability to evaluate situations and adopt an effective course of action, to delegate responsibilities, organizes and presents facts effectively.
• Ability to evaluate situations and adopt an effective course of action, to delegate responsibilities, organizes and presents facts effectively.
• Ability to diagnose, intervene, and effectively discharge persons in need of mental health services. Knowledge of and ability to apply Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in practice.
• Ability to establish working relationships with clinical, administrative, and support staff in order to develop professionalism and coordination within the team.
• Able to establish and maintain an effective working relationship with fellow employees, clients and the public.
• Ability to communicate clearly to interact with staff, clients, administration, and the community both in person and on the telephone.
• Ability to maintain strictest confidentiality guidelines for interactions regarding client information.
• Ability to work well under pressure meeting deadlines with efficiency and consistency while maintaining a balance between good physical and mental health and the job requirements.
• Must provide own transportation.
  
  

Example Of Position Responsibilities

• Will provide an array or select clinical behavioral health care services to adults, children and families, as needed and assigned in line with education, training and or experience to clients at Counseling and Recovery Services of Oklahoma.
• Participate in the planning and promotion of community mental health service programs.
• Meet established productivity expectations, when applicable.
• Direct psychotherapy, assessments or treatment plans, involving a minimum of 10 hours per week individual, group, or family therapy.
• Maintain current clinical case records and other required documentation in a manner to meet established requirements.
• Attend staff meetings as well as clinical meetings when scheduled a minimum of one day per month.
• Will provide on-going treatment to clients.
• Will complete appropriate documentation and development treatment plans.
• Participate in clinical staffing.
• Participate in Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement activities as required.
• Responsible for OMHIS/ECHO reporting of any clients directly assigned to his/her care.
• Confer with medical staff on problems related to clients in his/her care.
• Confer with medical staff on appropriate cases.
• Keep all paperwork up-to-date and turn in any required paperwork/reports in a timely fashion.
• Support and promote a service environment for individuals in need of behavioral health and/or co-occurring services that is recovery focused, welcoming, and attentive to the needs of individuals who may have experienced trauma in their lives.
• Perform a basic screening to determine whether COD might exist and be able to refer the consumer for a formal diagnostic assessment for co-occurring disorders.
• Be able to engage the client in such a way as to enhance and facilitate future interaction.
• Have the skills to de-escalate consumers who are agitated, anxious, angry, or in other vulnerable emotional states.
• Manage a crisis involving a consumer, including a threat of suicide or harm to others.
• Refer a consumer to the appropriate mental health or substance abuse treatment facility when needed and follow up to ensure the client receives needed care.
• Have knowledge of psychotropic medications and their actions.
• Use integrated models of assessment, intervention, and recovery for person having both substance-related and mental disorders.
• Collaboratively develop and implement an integrated treatment plan based on thorough assessment that addresses both/all disorders and establishes sequenced goals based on urgent needs, considering the stage of recovery and level of engagement.
• Use the current edition of criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (American Psychiatric Association 2000) to assess substance-related disorders and other mental health disorders.
• Provide and/or participate in ongoing in-service training, as needed.
  
  

OTHER DUTIES: Perform other duties as assigned by the Program Director, Clinical Director and/or Executive.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Possession of a master’s degree in clinical counseling, social work, or other mental health related field from an accredited graduate school. Must possess a current, unrestricted license to practice (LPC, LMFT, or LCSW) or be actively registered as a candidate for licensure under approved clinical supervisor.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to move from location to location, bending, stooping, lifting 25 pounds, communicate clearly, prepare written communications, present information to other employees, process complex information within established procedures/programs, enter data to various programs. Must be able to climb stairs and access non-handicapped equipped residences/facilities.