Lead Mental Health Clinician

POSITION SUMMARY:

Person in this position is responsible for crisis intervention and de-escalation of situations to ensure safety to all. This includes assessment of crisis situations to determine severity and making recommendations to direct care staff to insure consistency and appropriateness of staff response to issues. Essential Job Functions include those listed below.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Respond to calls in the community within 60 minutes 24/7.
• Serve as point of contact for Program Director and Manager to assess the needs of the Licensed Mental Health Clinician role.
• Act as a point of contact for staff during scheduled shift.
• Review and monitor Dispatcher and Clinician documentation daily to ensure timely and correct submission of notes.
• Report delays in documentation and response times to Program Director and Manager.
• Participate in outreach activities as requested by Program Director.
• Provide support to staff as needed.
• Orient patients and families to the facility, its services, its service limitations, and patients' rights.
• Develops a comprehensive social history and psychosocial assessment that includes the patient's problems and strengths and preferences, including cultural, religious, and ethnic background and implications for the care plan.
• Completes safety planning over dedicated crisis phone line.
• Participates in development of individualized patient care plans.
• Complete required assessment/evaluations and Baker Acts, when appropriate.
• Completes mandatory documentation within timelines established by applicable regulations.
• Facilitates the social and psychological well-being of patients and their families.
• Mediates issues that arise among patients, families, and staff.
• Conduct Risk assessments.
• Involves the entire facility in meeting patients' psychosocial needs.
• Ensure that all shift duties are completed in a timely manner and in accordance with WestCare procedures.
• Participate in clinical staffing decisions regarding the patient's current strengths and resources and their need for additional resources.
• Assists other WestCare staff as needed in a collaborative manner to promote cooperation and portray a professional image to the community.
• Must embrace and embody the mission, vision, guiding principles, clinical vision, and goals of WestCare Foundation.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the duties and responsibilities satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Experience and Competencies:

• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and discretion.
• Ability to work well in a team environment.
• Adherence to the highest standard of ethical conduct, especially to standards governing confidentiality.
• Professional appearance and demeanor.
• Must be culturally/linguistically sensitive to populations served.
• Ability to obtain and maintain clearance from DCF.
• Bilingual English/Spanish or English/Creole is required.
• Valid driver's license and ability to obtain and maintain WestCare's vehicle insurance is required.
• During your tenure with WestCare there may be new requirements, including, but not limited to vaccinations that are issued by local, State, Federal, and/or Funders that WestCare may have to comply with. Should this occur Human Resources or appropriate personnel will inform you.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Two (2) years of experience in behavioral health crisis services.
• Two (2) years of supervised social work experience in a health care setting, working directly with individuals is preferred.
• Familiarity with Miami Dade County.
• Graduation from an accredited master's program with a degree in Addiction Counseling, Criminal Justice, Social Work, Psychology, or related field is required.

LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION:

• Must hold a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Mental Health Counselor or Licensed Marriage Family Therapist and be in good standing.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work is primarily performed in a professional office/residential setting.
• Some outdoor activities may be required.
• Some travel is required.

ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB:

The employee must be able to perform the following essential duties and activities with or without accommodation:

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Requires mobility and physical activity: Having an adequate range of body motion and mobility to work in an office, residential, or outdoor environment including standing and walking (even and uneven surfaces), sitting for extended periods of time, bending, twisting, reaching, balancing, occasional lifting and carrying of up to 10 pounds. Use of computer and telephone systems is required which includes coordination of eye and hand, and fine manipulation by the hands (typing, writing, and working with files). Requires the ability to defend oneself and clients in physically abusive situations using approved physical de-escalation techniques.
• Requires talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Talking is required to impart oral information to employees, clients, patients, and the public, and in those activities in which the employee is required to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to others accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Requires hearing: Hearing is required to receive and communicate detailed information through oral communication.
• Requires seeing: Clarity of vision at 20 inches or less and at distance. This factor is required to complete paperwork for many of the employee's essential job functions and to observe client behavior and activities in and out of the facility.

• The normal work routine involves no exposure to human blood, body fluids or tissues. However, exposure or potential exposure may be required as a condition of employment. Appropriate personal protective equipment will be readily available to every employee.

MENTAL DEMANDS:

• Requires the ability to collect and analyze complex numerical and written data and verbal information to reach logical conclusions.

• Requires the ability to work and cooperate with clients, co-workers, managers, the public and employees at all levels to exchange ideas, information, instructions, and opinions.
• Requires the ability to work under stress and in emotionally charged settings.
• The ability to defend oneself and clients in mentally/verbally abusive situations using approved mental/verbal de-escalation techniques.