Mental Health Therapist

Job Summary:

This is a community-based position that serves residents of the Pueblo of San Felipe. The incumbent provides a range of psychological assessment, diagnostic and therapeutic services for individuals, groups, and families as directed.

In addition to providing direct clinical services, the incumbent will serve as a clinical leader within the Behavioral Health Program, ensuring that treatment recommendations for families under child welfare services are clinically sound, culturally informed, and well-coordinated with tribal and community partners.

Essential Duties

• Provides individual, group, and/or family outpatient mental health therapy/counseling to clients and families as appropriate to the position; prepares assessments, treatment plans, discharge plans and follow-up care programs; provides therapeutic crisis intervention and emergency services as applicable.
• Collects information about clients through assessment, observation, case history, and screenings as applicable; evaluates information to identify causes of presenting problems and make clinical recommendations as appropriate to client’s needs.
• Provides clinical oversight for youth and welfare services and leads clinical consultation and case management efforts to coordinate appropriate therapeutic and mental health interventions for children, parents, and families. Includes reviewing cases, guiding treatment planning, and issuing clinical recommendations for child welfare cases.
• Participates in direct engagement with youth, families, and clients through attending home visits, school team meetings, treatment team meetings to gather historical/ current information that helps drive clinical interventions.
• Provides mentorship and training to providers and multidisciplinary teams including formal training sessions and workshops, shadowing opportunities, guidance with complex cases, and mental health interventions. This would include ongoing supervision to Family Support Worker and CPSW positions, including those funded through the GLS grant.
• Completes clinical reviews for child welfare families, gathering data on social, emotional, and environmental factors to provide clinical recommendations on course of treatment.
• Establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with multidisciplinary teams-including community providers, therapists, substance use counselors, schools, peer support staff, tribal courts, tribal officials, and community agencies- for purposes that include but are not limited to: youth advocacy, providing wrap-around care, crisis-planning, policy development, developing clinical framework for suicide prevention and child welfare responses.
• Provides clinical support in crisis situations as determined by supervisor.
• Actively participates in daily and weekly team meetings to guide youth-centered planning from intake through case closure, ensuring permanency planning and stable supports are in place for families.
• Completes documentation for assigned caseload and submits any monthly, quarterly, annual data relevant for tracking families involved in services.
• As “Essential Staff” may be required to be available for on-call duty coverage and must be prepared to work on days determined to be Tribal Holidays or Administrative Leave.

QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION And/or EXPERIENCE

• 1) Experience practicing in a family-centered environment is desired.
• 2) Experience practicing in a culturally and linguistically diverse setting is desired.

3) Demonstrated understanding and acceptance of working as a member of a multidisciplinary team and familiarity with the wraparound approach to comprehensive community-based care.

4) Experience in collaborating with family members, youth and community cultural stakeholders through active involvement with the community.

• 5) Familiarity with utilizing trauma-informed approaches when working with clients and families.
• 6) Experience in facilitating trainings and providing presentations.

7) Demonstrated positive experience with: a) Ability to apply mental health counseling methods and techniques. b) Knowledge of community mental health resources including traditional modalities c) Knowledge of crisis intervention techniques d) Knowledge of clinical operations and procedures e) Knowledge and understanding of clinical counseling principles, programs and methodology f) Knowledge and understanding of clinical mental health counseling and social work principles, methods, procedures, and standards. g) Ability to evaluate the progress of therapeutic treatments and to make individual modification. h) Ability to maintain an effective regimen of self-care. i) Knowledge of psychological test administration, scoring and interpretation. j) Knowledge of legal and ethical issues related to patients’ rights. k) Ability to develop and present educational programs and/or workshops.

8) Experience with evidence-based treatments/practices, practice-based evidence, and community-defined evidence.

9) Openness and flexibility in tailoring the service/support delivery system to meet the clinical and cultural needs of the population of focus by being willing to listen and learn from the community itself through an inclusive planning process.

10) Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Additional Qualifications

Language Skills

Keres-speaking appreciated or ability to work effectively in a multi-lingual environment with a translator.

Computer Skills

Working knowledge of Microsoft Office software including Windows, Word, Access, and Excel.

Physical Demands

The work requires driving and involves standing, bending, and walking within the community, schools, clinics, and homes and driving a car in all types of road conditions. Lifting and carrying is necessary to set up equipment for special events, clinics, and teaching programs.

Additional Responsibilities

As part of the Pueblo’s implementation of the Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) grant, the incumbent will provide clinical oversight to newly hired Family Support Worker and Certified Peer Support Worker positions funded through the grant, supporting their integration into the behavioral health team and ensuring fidelity to grant objectives.

This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties performed by this employee. He or she will be required to follow any other instructions or to perform any other duties requested by his or her supervisor.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of customs and mores of the Pueblo of San Felipe community, and appreciation for the importance of traditional ways of lifestyle and language.
• Ability to apply multicultural sensitivity and awareness of working in tribal communities
• Willingness and ability to treat patients with respect, empathy and dignity
• Possess exceptional listening and communication skills
• Possess a working understanding of HIPAA regulations, requirements, and guidelines and willingness to exercise a strict level of patient confidentiality

Required Licenses/Certifications: Master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work or directly related field; Independent New Mexico licensure as LPCC, LCSW or equivalent level.

• Valid New Mexico driver’s license.
• Preferences: San Felipe, Keres language and Veteran’s Preferences.