Intensive Services Therapist

SUMMARY 

Intensive Services Therapists provide Intensive in-home mental health treatment to children and families within the context of a Child and Family Team that includes Assessing, Treatment Planning, Diagnosing, and Safety Planning. The Therapist works in collaboration with the child, Parents/Guardians, foster parents, informal supports, Child and Family Specialist, Parent Partners, Facilitators, Department of Children and Family Services, Los Angeles County Probation and the Department of Mental Health. The Therapist monitors Child Safety and are available after-hours for mental health crises on a 24/7 basis for assigned clients.

 ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Supports and promotes the mission of the Agency: Foothill Family empowers children and families on their journey to achieve personal success.
• Works with the different members of the Child and Family Team, convenes the Team and ensures the continuity of care and that all identified services are documented and provided as agreed upon by the team.
• Acts as a Lead Clinician for all Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) funded families assigned to their caseload.
• Conducts initial diagnostic or multidisciplinary assessments with clients and makes clinical recommendations based on assessment outcomes.
• Serves as the contact point for assigned families, service providers and the community and provides Intensive Care Coordination (ICC) for all EPSDT funded families assigned to their Child and Family Team only as needed. 
• Completes all required documentation, including charts, reports, client files and billing, within 24 hours of service delivery and in accordance with Agency policies. 
• Ensures documentation meets quality assurance, compliance, scope of practice and billing requirements independent of supervisory review. 
• Keeps abreast of all legal and ethical standards.
• Actively engages families in the treatment planning process as defined by meeting the family where they are at and with what they want to work on.  
• Works collaboratively with the rest of the treatment team to develop and implement treatment plans.  
• Monitors progress towards goals, updates goals at least every six months, or as needed, and reassesses the case annually, completing all required documentation according to the timelines set for each intensive program. 
• Drives or arranges transportation for clients, as appropriate and necessary, to ensure service needs are met.
• Drives to clients’ home, school, community or Agency offices to provide field-based services to clients and families as assigned and based on the families’ needs and availability.
• Provides trauma-informed care and focuses on building Protective Factors of Parental Resilience, Social Connections, Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development, Concrete Support in Times of Need, and Social and Emotional Competence of Children.
• Ensures all outcome measures (i.e., OMA, CANS, YOQs, etc.) specific to each intensive program are completed.
• Monitors children and families to ensure child safety and is available 24/7 for crisis response.  
• Provides care or services to minors or comes into contact with minors as part of their job duties.
• Provides services relating to the administration of public funds or benefits, including eligibility for public funds or public benefits.
• Actively identifies risk factors for child abuse or neglect, develops treatment plans to lower the risk to children and report any cases of suspected child abuse or neglect as required by California child abuse reporting law.        
• Maintains current professional licensure
• Attends in-person meetings and events at various locations within the Los Angeles County and surrounding areas.
• Works in close harmony with management teams accepting direction and implementing policies and procedures reflective of this direction.
• Displays sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomics characteristics.
• Performs work in a safe manner at all times and ensures that other individuals do not put themselves or others at risk.
• Follows all Agency guidelines on confidentiality, reporting of child abuse and neglect, and recording in case records.
• Follows all policies, procedures and legal mandates including HIPAA, client confidentiality, releases of information, protected health information (PHI) and client files.
• Ensures performance and behaviors support the Agency’s performance quality improvement (PQI) goals and objectives.
• Reports to work on time and maintains reliable and regular attendance.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

 POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Marriage Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor or registration with State of California and an active intern number as an Associate Clinical Social Worker, Associate Marriage Family Therapist or Associate Professional Clinical Counselor.
• LPS designated or able to obtain and maintain LPS designation within 18 months of mental health work experience or upon licensure, whichever is sooner.
• Master’s degree from accredited social work, marriage and family therapy, or psychology program. 
• Experience providing services to diverse populations.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule with 24/7 crisis response availability and an interest in working in various environments in order to best meet the family’s needs.
• Experience in providing child abuse treatment. 
• Experience in providing treatment to children with serious emotional problems combined with an interest in identifying creative treatment options.
• Experience in providing direct service to individuals, families and groups. 
• Ability to be an excellent representative of the Agency to the community.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to effectively use the DSM V and make appropriate diagnoses while balancing it with a family and strengths-based focus.
• Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to work cooperatively as a team member.
• Valid CA Driver’s License and maintains insurability on the Agency’s auto liability policy (including a minimum of 2 years driving experience) and maintains the California state required auto insurance liability limits.
• Bilingual skills in Spanish required.

 PHYSICAL DEMANDS  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.