Mental Health Counselor

The Montana Chemical Dependency Center is the only in-patient chemical dependency treatment center administered by the State. We serve individuals 18 years and older who have been diagnosed as having an addiction to drugs or alcohol or who suffer from both addiction and mental disorders. This position is a Mental Health Therapist, responsibilities include: 1) Providing direct care/ clinical services to identified or assigned patients by performing mental health screenings/assessments, crisis intervention, and suicide risk assessments; 2) Conducting educational lectures, individual, group, and family psychotherapy sessions; and 3) Develops treatment plans for each mental health patient to address their current mental health issues.



Essential Functions (Major Duties or Responsibilities):

Patient Care/Education

· Provides direct care/clinical services to identified or assigned patients by performing mental health screenings/assessments, crisis intervention, and suicide risk assessments.

· Provides physician referrals for medication consideration.

· Conducts educational lectures, individual, group, and family psychotherapy sessions.

· Provides case management for continuing mental health services in the community upon discharge including Mental Health Service Plan Applications (MHSP).

Documentation

· Develops treatment plans for each mental health patient addressing their current mental health issues.

· Writes progress notes for all services provided, i.e. assessments, groups, 1 to 1’s, continued stay reports, continuing care plans, and discharge summaries.

· Assures all approved and appropriate releases of information, screening, and assessment instruments are utilized.

Interdisciplinary Teams

· Communicates assessments, diagnosis, treatment plan and recovery recommendations to the Interdisciplinary Treatment Team.

· Participates in discipline specific as well as interdisciplinary staff meetings and functions.

· Serves as a professional resource for in-service presentations for staff.

· Acts as a patient advocate representing the mental health perspective relative to patient care.

· Acts as the liaison for community mental health programs for the exchange of information related to the patient’s treatment and continued care.


Qualifications:


Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Behaviors):

Required for the first day of work:

· General knowledge of how medication is used in the treatment of co-occurring disorders.

· Knowledge of addictions and mental health service programs.

· Skill in effective therapeutic interventions.

· Ability to communicate both orally and in writing.

· Ability to maintain confidentiality.

· Skill in researching and developing training materials and program content.

· Ability to identify problems, researching to develop and implement solutions.

Minimum Qualifications (Education and Experience):

· Master’s degree in Social Work, counseling, psychology or a closely related behavioral science field with course work allowing for licensure in the State of Montana as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC).

· Current licensure is not required if the individual is Montana State license eligible.

· Dual licensure as a Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) is highly desirable/preferred .

· One year of job related experience in direct clinical services required.

· Other directly related education and experience may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Must have or are willing to obtain CPR/1ST AIDE/AED certification prior to employment.


Eligible Training Assignment:

23.72