Social Worker / Counselor - Youth Health & Wellness

Grand Traverse County is a team of passionate and incredible people who are committed to providing responsive, effective quality service to our up-north community. We strive to be a leader in innovative, effective, collaborative, and sustainable county government.

We offer stable work environments and competitive salaries to both full- time and part-time employees. Understanding the many challenges facing today’s professionals and families, we offer a competitive compensation package including an impressive list of benefits and time off.

Job Description

The Child and Adolescent Health Clinic is seeking a Licensed Master's Social Worker or Licensed Professional Counselor to join our dedicated team in delivering comprehensive mental health services to adolescents.

The primary responsibility of this position is to provide professional mental health counseling and supportive services to young people and their families. The Youth Health Counselor works with individuals experiencing emotional, behavioral, or health‑related challenges that require integrated human service support.

Counselors assigned to the Child and Adolescent Health Clinic will primarily serve patients ages 10–21. The ideal candidate is a compassionate and committed professional who demonstrates strong interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and a genuine passion for empowering adolescents.

This employee is an essential member of a multidisciplinary team and contributes to ensuring the clinic meets all required service and performance objectives. Counselors must meet all minimum qualifications and conditions of employment and be able to successfully perform the essential duties of the role, with or without reasonable accommodation.

This position may involve irregular work hours and requires the ability to travel using the employee’s personal vehicle.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (may include but are not limited to the following):

Provides clinical services of mental health including: social, emotional, physical and mental impairments, general health status, and financial concerns; diagnosis; treatment planning; and psychotherapy. Knows to make referrals when client is beyond the scope of practice.

Provides crisis intervention counseling as needed.

Provide services to individuals, their families, and in group therapy as needed. May also provide educational presentations to groups about mental health.

• Acts as a health advocate for individuals, families and the community.
• Demonstrates knowledge of community resources and makes referrals to community agencies.
• Prepares, updates, and maintains clinical and billing records to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Complies with privacy and security laws (HIPAA), Federal, State, and Agency policies, and procedures.
• Collaborates with other providers, multi-disciplinary teams, peer reviews, and community agencies to ensure coordination of care.
• Supports immunization recommendations.

Participates in continuing education programs and self-directed education to keep skills and knowledge current.

Demonstrates appropriate communication skills in addressing co-workers, community members and partners, and clients.

• Demonstrates basic computer skills and willingness to adapt to new software programs as indicated.
• Demonstrates dependable and reliable attendance patterns.
• Participates in trainings, drills, investigations, and team responses to public health emergencies and bioterrorism events.
• Participates in Community Health Outreach activities and events.
• All other duties as assigned or delegated

• EDUCATION, FORMAL TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE (minimum requirements)
• Master's degree in social work or counseling from an accredited institution required
• Minimum three to five years providing counseling, therapy, and crisis intervention services

Minimum one to two years of experience working with adolescents, preferably in a community based or school linked/based clinic

Certifications, Licenses

• Licensed Master Social Worker-Clinical or Licensed Professional Counselor.
• Limited Licenses will be considered
• Must be Licensed in the state of Michigan

Requires a valid driver's license and personal vehicle insurance and must maintain eligibility to drive as per the County's Vehicle policy.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT (minimum requirements - legal or contractual preemployment obligations and/or requirements, such as drug testing, background check, etc.)

A background check may be required initially and periodically for an individual hired, transferred, reclassified, promoted, or currently working in this job.

Appointment to or continued employment in this job is contingent upon a satisfactory background check which may include but is not limited to: confirmation of a person's’ identity; review of criminal conviction records; verification of educational degree, license, or certificate required for the position; review of Department of Motor Vehicles records; Department of Justice fingerprint scan; and/or drug and alcohol testing as required and allowable by law.

A satisfactory background check is defined as the absence of a criminal history record which bears a demonstrable relationship to the applicant's or employee's suitability to perform the required duties and responsibilities of the position.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Work involves evaluating the relevance and importance of theories, concepts, and principles to develop different approaches or tactical plans to fit specific circumstances where guidelines may not exist but are flexible and open to considerable interpretation.

Analytic skills are needed to interpret and apply guidelines.

Errors at this level could cause serious, but short-term consequences involving significant financial impact or cost, reduced service to the public, and/or strong negative citizen reaction requiring intervention from a higher- level manager and could impact others outside of the department. This job is not part of a series. This job is not part of a series.

Physical Demands, Work Environment, and Other Requirements

• Work is performed in an office, home, or school environment.
• May be required to reach with hands and arms; sit; stand; talk and hear; use hands to finger, handle, or feel.
• May occasionally be required to lift/move up to 50 pounds.
• May be exposed to infectious diseases and/or criminal suspects or prison inmates

Organizational Key Competencies

All Grand Traverse County Health Department employees are expected to provide professional preventative health services in a compassionate, efficient, progressive, comprehensive, and holistic manner.

Additionally, all Grand Traverse County employees are expected to demonstrate a commitment to the following values:

• Serve with Integrity

• Be Innovative

• Be Accountable

• Engage the Team

• Provide Service

• Be Transparent

Competencies

Position specific Key Competencies for Public Health Professionals, also known as Core Competencies, are a consensus set of skills for the broad practice of public health, as defined by the 10 Essential Public Health Services:

• Analytical/Assessment Skills
• Describes factors affecting the health of the community
• Explains how community health assessments use information about health status, factors influencing health, assets, and resources
• Use quantitative and qualitative data
• Describes assets and resources that can be used for improving the health of the community
• Describes how evidence (e. g., data, findings reported in peer-reviewed literature, evidenced based practices) is used in decision making
• Make evidenced-based decisions using data and other information
• Apply ethical principles on the use of data and information

Advocate for the Use of Evidence

Uses information technology in accessing, collecting, analyzing, using, maintaining, and disseminating data and information

• Policy Development/Program Planning Skills
• Contributes to community health improvement planning
• Contributes to implementation of organizational strategic plan
• Contributes to the development of program goals and objectives
• Identifies current trends affecting the health of the community
• Implements policies, programs, and services
• Explains the importance of evaluations for improving policies, programs, and service
• Applies strategies for continuous quality improvement

Communication Skills

• Identifies the literacy of populations served (e. g., ability to obtain, interpret, and use health and other information, social media literacy)
• Communicates in writing and orally with linguistic and cultural proficiency
• Solicits input from individuals and organizations for improving the health of a community
• Conveys data and information to professionals and the public using a variety of approaches
• Communicates information to influence behavior and improve health

Describes the roles of governmental public health, health care, and other partners in improving the health of a community

Cultural Competency Skills

• Describes the concept of diversity as it applies to individuals, populations, and the community served
• Recognizes and addresses the diversity in individuals and populations when developing, implementing, and evaluating policies, programs, and services that affect the health of the community
• Describes the effects of policies, programs, and services on different populations in the community

Community Dimensions of Practice Skills

• Describes the programs and services provided by governmental and nongovernmental organizations to improve the health of a community recognizes, suggests, and supports relationships that affect and are needed to support health in the community
• Provides input for developing, implementing, evaluating, and improving policies, programs, and services
• Uses assets and resources to improve health in a community
• Informs the public about policies, programs, and resources that improve health in a community
• May collaborate in community-based participatory research

Public Health Sciences Skills

Be able to describe prominent event