Primary Care Counselor/Therapist

				Overview:

Full and Part-Time positions available! Sign-On Bonus Up to $20,000!!

Are you passionate about supporting mental health and making a meaningful impact? As a Primary Care Counselor/Therapist, you'll provide compassionate care to adults and children in a dynamic outpatient setting within our Primary Medical Care locations located in and around Springfield, IL. This position will have a "home base" location, but may require floating to other clinics based on coverage needs. 

What You'll Do:

* Deliver brief therapy sessions tailored to individual needs.
* Conduct assessments and develop personalized treatment plans.
* Monitor progress and adjust treatments to help patients achieve their goals.
* Collaborate with medical staff to provide holistic, integrated care.
* Maintain accurate records and stay current with best practices in mental health.

Join us in a role where your expertise will contribute to improving lives while meeting high standards of care set by our governing board and accrediting bodies. If you're ready to make a real difference, we'd love to hear from you!

For questions about this position, please reach out to Fox.Kaitlynn@mhsil.com. 

Responsibilities:

Direct Clinical Services

* Conduct assessments of patient, including completion of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression scale and General Anxiety Screening (GAD-7).
* Develop initial comprehensive assessment data including patient presenting problems, mental status, relevant psychiatric, medical and developmental histories to make decisions regarding diagnosis (per DSM-V), treatment objectives and ongoing treatment plans and/or to provide information and make appropriate referrals to other treatment resources in the community.
* Provide 25 hours of billable services per week to patients.
* Consult with patient and primary care provider about treatment options and preferences; coordinate initiation of treatment plan.
* Monitor patient closely for changes in severity of symptoms and medication side effects. Educate patients about medication and side effects as needed. Encourage treatment adherence.
* Use behavioral activation techniques with patient as an adjunct to other treatments.
* Provide evidence-based, brief structured psychotherapy (PST-PC).
* Participate in regular caseload supervision with treatment team, focusing on patients improving adequately (e.g., less than 50% reduction in symptoms after 8-12 weeks in treatment).
* Coordinate communication between patient and primary care physician and consulting psychiatrist; provide recommendations for change in treatment plan.
* Document all encounters according to policies and procedures.
* Implement crisis or pre-crisis intervention procedures with potentially suicidal, homicidal, or severely disabled patients. Where appropriate referrals will be made to consulting psychiatrists or inpatient psychiatric facilities to prevent further destabilization.
* Interview collateral contacts, previous and current treatment professionals, and significant others, to further establish a database for assessment and ongoing treatment plan as needed.
* Clarify priority problems, goals for change, and session limits according to agency policy to assist patients in developing appropriate expectations for treatment in relationship to the agency. Use a variety of psychotherapeutic treatment approaches and interventions to change targeted behaviors and stabilize adaptive behaviors with individuals, couples and families.
* Manage the termination process and discharge planning to enhance patients' abilities to retain treatment changes and/or use other available support services.
* May organize, plan and participate in therapy groups for patients and/or their families, as assigned.

Patient Information System

* Establish appropriate professional files, including: comprehensive assessments, progress notes, treatment objectives and plans, previous treatment records, patients' consent to current treatment and for exchange of information.
* Complete required administrative forms. Collect necessary information for billing and fee collection for both community mental health and private pay patients.
* Provide necessary patient information to other agencies or health care providers to coordinate services to identified patients.
* May prepare necessary documents/reports for DCFS as needed.

Training Activities/Professional Growth

* Supervisor and employee mutually identify professional goals that will enhance job related skills.
* Participate in ongoing agency meetings, committees and special projects to enhance professional expertise.
* Complete mandatory education requirements by specified deadlines.
* Participate in required staff meetings and in-services to keep abreast of agency policy and administrative procedures, meet requirements for continuing education, and upgrade professional knowledge.

Consultation/Networking

* Engage in appropriate team work functions (such as mutual support, clarification of office responsibilities and procedures) according to best professional judgment and agency policy to provide a professional working environment and effective service delivery.
* Develop cooperative relationships outside the agency with family, physicians, public officials or interested agencies to provide for the development of mental health services in the community.

Job Relationships

* Demonstrate through initiative and apparent effort involvement in clinical supervision.
* Communicate directly with supervisor for clarification of administrative policy, program evaluation to promote a professional working environment and effective service delivery system.
* Adhere to MHS/MBH Behavioral Standards

Other Job Responsibilities

* Ability to accommodate evening/weekend hours.
* Perform other duties as required by agency needs.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job.  Incumbents may be requested to perform tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Qualifications:

Education:

* Minimum Master's in Social Work, Psychology, or Counseling required, preferably in social services field
* Minimum age of 21

Licensure/Certification/Registry:

* LCPC or LCSW required

Experience:

* Behavioral health experience preferred.

Other Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

* Other Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
Must have computer and keyboarding skills required by position. Must have valid IL driver's license, reliable transportation, and proof of automobile insurance.  Must pass background checks and drug screen.
			

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Memorial Health System