Therapist (PEER)

FLSA: Exempt

DEPARTMENT: Mental Health

Scope of Responsibility

Positions allocable to this class are assigned to various services offered by our mental health agency, and work directly under a Program Director. As needed, a clinical supervisor other than the Program Director may be involved in providing clinical supervision per California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

Within agency guidelines and professional standards, incumbents of the positions receive weekly clinical supervision by a licensed master level therapist and or a licensed psychologist (PhD/PsyD).

The master level therapist promotes a strengths based approach to treatment that empowers families, supports a community based philosophy of service, and ensures that all clinical services are aligned with the agency’s mission, vision, and core values.

Benefits

• Full benefits package to all positions after 30 days of employment.
• Free standard HMO Health, Dental, and Vision plans offered to employees.
• 401k plan with 4% employer match.
• PTO that accrues to 15 days annually and increases with seniority.
• 14 Paid Holidays annually.
• Opportunity for growth.
• Bilingual Stipend if applicable.

Essential Functions

• Interviews individuals and/or their families to obtain a family, medical, and mental health treatment history.
• Makes an assessment of the patient's functioning in his/her environmental setting.
• Meets agency’s productivity standards for client service hours.
• Completes and submits clinical documentation in a 24-hour time frame utilizing the agency’s electronic health record system (EXYM).
• Establishes a treatment plan designed to address the mental, emotional, and behavioral needs of the client and family. The treatment plan may include individual, group, family or conjoint therapy, and/or referral to another treatment source such as a psychologist for psychological testing or a psychiatrist for medication or another agency that offers specific services needed by the client and family.
• Provides psychotherapy to individuals, groups, families, and significant others.
• Provides mental health services in the community including but not limited to school, home, and office settings.
• Provides crisis intervention and evaluates for a higher level of care such as inpatient psychiatric treatment.
• Provides psycho education to clients and families regarding mental health needs and treatment recommendations.
• Participates in multidisciplinary treatment review meetings to discuss and evaluate the client's progress.
• May participate in social work or psychology student affiliate programs for training professional social work and psychology students.
• Provides consultation services to community agencies to advise the consultee on the utilization of mental health services pertinent to the recognition and treatment of mental health needs dealt with by the community agency.

Qualifications

• A Master's degree from an accredited school of social work or psychology program, including supervised field work experience in child/adolescent mental health.
• Registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences as an ASW or RA MFT.
• MSW student internship or psychology student trainee experience in a recognized social service agency, clinic, hospital or public health agency. One year must have been in a mental health setting such as a hospital, clinic, or day treatment center. One additional year of the required experience will be accepted for the supervised fieldwork.

Conditions of Employment

Employee may be asked to participate in cross-training programs or pursue additional education or training when it is determined to be in the best interest of the company by the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer.

This description is only intended to identify the duties, responsibilities, and requirements for the position. It is not intended, nor should it be interpreted to describe each and every duty an employee assigned may be required to perform.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in a normal office setting. The noise level is moderate with occasional loud outbursts. Occasional need to work out in the field contacting clients in homes and schools. Will require a personal motor vehicle to frequently travel between offices, housing appointments, and community events

Reasoning Ability

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Physical Demands

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time
• Needs to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, (i. e., calculator, copy machine and computer printer).
• Constantly converses with staff and clients
• Frequently operates a motor vehicle to travel to school or home site
• Frequently needs to position self in order to effectively interact with children of lesser stature
• Occasionally needs to transport materials (food, clothing, books, etc.) weighing up to 50 pounds for therapeutic activities
• Frequently needs to use motor vehicle for business purposes.

The Whole Child is an equal employment opportunity employer and no candidate for employment will be rejected on account of race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, or sex. Candidates with physical impairments will be considered so long as it can be reasonably demonstrated that the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed without hazard to the individual, fellow employees, or clientele.