Co-Therapist In-Home

Children's Outpatient Services provides treatment for children and adolescents and their families and is intended to improve and maintain a child’s or an adolescent’s stability in the community.

Treatment focuses on problem resolution, symptom reduction, stabilization and/or prevention of movement to a higher level of care. Services include individual, family and group therapy, medication evaluation and management, case management, in home intervention, case consultation and summer day treatment services.

The type of treatment is highly variable and depends upon the individual’s existing symptoms and developmental level.

Responsibilities

Case Managers working on the in-home team are responsible for providing linkage to community resources, delivering and arranging necessary transportation, monitoring consumers to ensure placement in the least restrictive environment, and assisting the program therapist in providing outreach therapy services.

Essential Functions

Demonstrates the ability to assess and reevaluate the consumer needs utilizing strength and needs assessment (CANS)

• Provides appropriate linkage to community resources
• Monitors consumers to secure placement in the least restrictive environment
• Provides ongoing monitoring of consumers’ progress and needs as assessed in the CANS
• Provides support on behalf of the consumers in order to secure community resources and needed services
• Effectively collaborates and consults with staff members and outside sources in the delivery and arrangement of case management services
• Evaluates and assists in consumer discharge planning
• Effectively demonstrates the application of child/adolescent specific competencies
• Delivers or arranges clinically necessary transportation
• Acts as co-therapist as needed, assisting program therapist in providing outreach therapy services
• Provides crisis intervention and management (with 24 hour availability)
• Seeks clinical supervision and consultation as needed
• Accepts and employs suggestions for improvement
• Actively works to enhance case management skills
• Documents in a timely fashion per AltaPointe policy
• Documents appropriate, complete, and comprehensive CANS assessments
• Documents measurable and specific goals in the individualized service plan
• Documents in a clear and concise manner, types of consumer problems, treatment goals addressed and services provided
• Documents case disposition, case closings, follow-up and referrals
• Documents legibly
• Treats consumers with care, dignity and compassion
• Respects consumer’s privacy and confidentiality
• Is pleasant and cooperative with others
• Assists consumers and visitors as needed
• Personal values don’t inhibit ability to relate and care for others
• Is sensitive to the consumer’s needs, expectations and individual differences
• Is gentle and calm to consumers and families
• Effectively manages caseload based on consumer needs
• Meets AltaPointe productivity standards
• Actively participates in Performance Improvement activities
• Actively participates in AltaPointe committees as required
• Completes assigned tasks in a timely manner
• Follows AltaPointe policies and procedures
• Attends to required in-service training and other workshops

Physical Requirements

Frequent standing, sitting, and walking which are in bursts of 5 to 10 minutes.

There are times when this can be extended to pacing with the consumer (time could be undetermined) and at times sitting and standing can be extended with the employee having the ability to change positions as permitted by the observance and behavior of the consumer at that time.

• Occasional forward bending from the hips while kneeling to reach to the side.
• Occasional need to be able to assume a full squat/lunge from a standing position.

Occasional need to maintain back extension while being on stomach with one’s own body weight on hips and legs. This position is maintained for several minutes.

• Occasionally, be able to put one’s own body weight on one knee and one elbow on the same side of one’s body.
• Occasionally, be able to kneel and reach to same side toward the floor.
• Lift up to 10 pounds occasionally during shift.
• Strong grasp is needed to use keys to open doors throughout the facility, and to maintain constant contact with a consumer during a takedown procedure or with other hold techniques.
• Pushing/pulling force up to 25 pounds occasionally during a shift

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in a mental health discipline and certification of case management and in home intervention training by Alabama State Department of Mental Health within (6) months of employment. Must be at least age 23, maintain a valid verifiable driver license and maintain a clear driving record.

• Knowledge in child/adolescent specialty, outlined below, to be attained within (6) six months of employment:
• Knowledge of psychiatric disorders in the child/adolescent population
• Basic knowledge of growth and development of child/adolescent consumers as related to all intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of their development
• Knowledge of developmental disabilities and mental retardation in the child/adolescent population
• Basic knowledge of behavior management and parenting issues

Knowledge of Cultural Diversity

• Knowledge of behavior management, crisis intervention and interventions common to acute psychotic consumers, as well as, to non-violent crisis intervention practice
• Knowledge of effects of physical/sexual/emotional abuse and neglect issues
• Knowledge of available community resources as applied to child/adolescent