Mental Health Therapist - School Based Health Center
Salary Range: $79,350 to $126,170 Annually (Annualized salary is prorated by FTE)
FTE: 0.50
Would you like to have a career that makes a daily difference in people's lives? Do you want to be part of a caring, respectful, diverse community? If you answered yes to these questions, keep reading!
HealthPoint is a community-based, community-supported and community-governed network of non-profit health centers dedicated to providing expert, high-quality care to all who need it, regardless of circumstances. Founded in 1971, we believe that the quality of your health care should not depend on how much money you make, what language you speak or what your health is, because everyone deserves great care.
Position Summary:
The Mental Health Therapist is responsible for delivering integrated mental and behavioral health care in collaboration with an integrated primary care team. The Mental Health Therapist provides mental health and substance use evidenced based assessment and intervention services as a traditional mental health provider utilizing the collaborative care model approach to support access for patients in need.
Compensation is dependent on skills and experience.
Your contribution to the team includes:
- Assist primary health care providers in recognizing and treating mental health and substance use conditions within the school-based health primary care setting.
- Assessment and triage: Conduct initial patient visit of 50 minutes or less, evaluate level of functioning, determine risk level (including assessing for suicide/homicide risk and providing crisis intervention), assist with diagnosis and provide evidence-based interventions to HealthPoint patients, collaborate, consult with medical colleagues and Behavioral Health Consultants as needed to provide team-based approach to patients, and provide patient follow-up visits that are flexible to population health needs (tendency to be shorter visits around 30 minutes).
- Responsible for maintaining a caseload of patients that require regular visits for mental health intervention, monitoring and support, and would benefit from early engagement behavioral health services according to the Collaborative Care Model. The goal of the collaborative care model is to provide mental health services in primary care while also making sure access to new patients is also accessible. Thus, the Mental Health Therapist will need to manage a caseload of patients with ongoing mental health or substance use needs while also ensuring access to new patients.
- Provide mental health care and substance abuse screening, psychoeducation, brief counseling, or psychotherapy using evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation and motivational interviewing, and other relevant services to promote improvement in medical and mental health.
- Document services rendered in patient electronic records and other databases such as the web-based Medical & Mental Health Integration Tracking System (MHITS) as required by grants that HealthPoint's behavioral health department is participating in.
- Track patient caseload to ensure patients that might need outreach are identified and follow-up is initiated. Use other tracking systems as needed to support grant work and funding related to the behavioral health department.
- Provide, assist, facilitate, and coordinate ongoing care with outside referrals to outpatient specialty mental health clinics, organizations, or providers in the community if it is decided patient would benefit from mental health and/or substance use care outside of our primary care system.
- When necessary, conduct regularly scheduled consultation with a consulting psychiatric provider as provided through grant work, community partnerships with outside mental health agencies, or without psychiatric consultations hotlines that benefit patient care and team-based care needs.
- Facilitate program workflows and improvements at clinics in order to achieve program quality and performance aims.
Must have's you'll need to be successful:
- Master's degree in Social Work, Counseling, or related field is required; and one to three years related experience working with underserved populations and/or high-risk groups; and/or significant training in integrated care through Master's level program or prior experience working in primary care providing mental health services.
- At time of hire, provider must have a current credential as a Licensed Social Worker or Licensed Social Worker Associate; Licensed Mental Health Counselor or Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate.
- Licensed Associate practitioners will be supervised by an approved supervisor, with the expectation that full licensure (Licensed social worker, licensed mental health counselor, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) will be obtained, in accordance with WA Department of Health requirements within 6 months of hire.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively in a team setting.
- Comfort with the fast pace of primary care.
- Ability to effectively communicate with primary medical care providers about mental health issues treatment.
- Ability to effectively engage patients in a therapeutic relationship.
- Experience with screening and assessment for common mental/substance use disorders.
- Working knowledge of differential diagnosis of common mental/substance use disorders.
- Working knowledge of evidence-based psychosocial treatments for common mental disorders.
- Working knowledge and experience with brief, structured counseling techniques (e.g. Motivational Interviewing, Behavioral Activation).
- Basic knowledge of psychopharmacology for common mental disorders.
- Knowledge of psychological assessment, DSM V, and chemical dependency.
HealthPoint is committed to offering all employees a competitive compensation package, including benefits and several other perks.
At HealthPoint, youll find more than a job - youll find meaningful work that strengthens the health of the communities we serve across King County. Were proud to invest in our employees by offering a comprehensive benefits package that supports your health, financial well-being, work-life balance, and professional growth.
Benefits-eligible employees enjoy:
- Comprehensive health coverage - Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents, plus HSA and FSA options.
- Financial wellbeing - Employer-paid life insurance, AD&D, disability coverage, and a 401(k)-retirement plan with employer match.
- Time to recharge - Generous Paid Time Off (PTO), Extended Illness Time Away, eight (8) paid holidays, three (3) floating holidays, Compassion Time Away, and Opportunity Time Off for extended personal time away to rest and recharge.
- Well-being resources - Employee Assistance Program (EAP), employee wellness program, and access to voluntary benefits including supplemental life, critical illness, accident, identity theft, and pet insurance.
- Career development - Professional development, ongoing learning, and opportunities for career growth within a mission-driven organization.
Immunization Requirements
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required prior to starting at HealthPoint. HealthPoint does not accept the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as proof of vaccination. Individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine must provide documentation of an alternate COVID-19 vaccine or vaccine series.
As a condition of employment, all new hires must provide proof of required immunizations and/or immunity for:
- COVID-19
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
- Varicella
- Annual Influenza
- TB QuantiFERON Gold titer draw
Employees working in a HealthPoint clinic must also provide proof of:
- Tdap vaccination (within the last 10 years)
- Hepatitis B vaccination (for clinical positions with potential exposure to blood or bloodborne pathogens)
Documentation must be provided before your start date. If you are unable to provide documentation, HealthPoint can provide required vaccinations or immunity titers at no cost.
To learn more about HealthPoint, go to www.healthpointchc.org! #practiceyourpassion
It is the policy of HealthPoint to afford equal opportunity for employment to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, national origin, marital status, military status, sexual orientation, because of sensory, physical, or mental disability, genetic information, gender identity or any other factor protected by local, state or federal law, and to prohibit harassment or retaliation based on any of these factors.