Mental Health Primary Therapist

JOB SUMMARY:
The Primary Therapist is responsible for performing a wide variety of patient care activities as directed by the Executive Director. He/she will be responsible for patient caseload and will provide group, individual, and family therapy. The Primary Therapist will conduct psychosocial and biopsychosocial assessments. The Primary Therapist has primary responsibility for maintaining communication with the family, referral source and other service providers as needed.

CORE FUNCTIONS:

1. Group Facilitation

2. Individual Counseling

3. Crisis Intervention

4. Documentation

5. Treatment Planning

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Crisis Intervention - (Relapse, Protocols)

• Documentation - (48 hours, communicate schedules, family weekly calls, UR concurrent reviews complete by deadlines provided by supervisor)

• Treatment Planning - status updates, touching the treatment plan with client signatures

• Attends and participates in daily, weekly or monthly Staff meetings as scheduled by supervisor and director.

• Accept and utilize supervision and address problems noted by supervisor

• Demonstrates adherence to JCAHO standards, federal, state, and local regulations, licensing, and accrediting agencies.

• Leads in the execution of the organization's mission and vision

• Maintains compliance with Ongoing Training, HIPAA regulations, Joint Commission policies, as well as state-specific requirements

• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s Degree in social work, psychology or related human services field required.

• A minimum of 1 year of mental health counseling experience is required.

• LCSW or LSW required

• CPR Certified preferred

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Phone Use: Requires significant use of a cellular phone, necessitating fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and the ability to view screens for extended periods.

• Sedentary Work: Primarily involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for brief periods.

• Computer Use: Requires significant use of a computer and office equipment, necessitating fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and the ability to view computer monitors for extended periods.

• Lifting Requirements: Occasionally required to lift and/or move items weighing up to 20 pounds.

• Repetitive Motion: May involve repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers due to extensive writing and typing.

• Vision Requirements: Must be able to read documents and view information on computer screens; may also require the ability to adjust focus.

• Hearing and Speaking: Must be able to communicate effectively with coworkers and clients, both in person and via electronic communication tools.

• Vehicle Use: Requires focus and vision requirements for safe driving of clients 

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Clinical Setting: Work is primarily conducted in a clinical outpatient setting designed for therapy sessions, group meetings, and client consultations.

• Interaction with Clients: Frequent direct interaction with clients who are dealing with substance abuse and related behavioral health issues. This includes individual and group therapy sessions.

• Emotional Demands: The environment can be emotionally demanding due to regular exposure to clients dealing with complex and often severe emotional, behavioral, and psychological issues.

• Confidentiality: A high level of discretion and adherence to all confidentiality requirements and regulations is required, respecting the privacy of clients at all times.

• Multi-disciplinary Team Collaboration: Requires close and collaborative work with other health care professionals, including psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, and administrative staff.

• Schedule Flexibility: May require flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, to accommodate the scheduling needs of clients.

• Crisis Situations: Must be prepared to handle acute behavioral health crises professionally and ethically, sometimes with support from other team members.

• Medical Testing Environment: Works in an environment where blood and urine samples are collected for drug screening purposes. Although not directly involved in the collection process, must be comfortable working in close proximity to medical testing procedures. The risk associated with these activities is very low, managed through strict adherence to health and safety protocols.