Forensic Mental Health Counselor - Part-Time (20 Hours per week) - Bilingual Preferred (Spanish)

JOB This 20 hour a week position provides mental health services including screening, counseling, crisis intervention and continuing care services for minors housed in the County's Juvenile Hall facility. The essential duties include, but are not limited to: provide supportive individual counseling to incarcerated minors with emphasis on helping them to cope with stress of incarceration and management of conflict with peers and staff; address family issues and manage emotional, behavioral and psychiatric disorders; facilitate group counseling as program dictates; help prepare minors transitioning from Juvenile Hall and facilitate appropriate resource referrals to support mental health; provide ongoing psychological assessment of minors; make referrals and provide feedback to psychiatrist making on-going medication management decisions; support psychiatrist in medication management by facilitating flow of educational information on medications to minor or parent; provide follow-up treatment for minors who have been screened at intake for signs of mental/emotional disturbance and who show results of "caution" or "warning"; respond to crisis situations in which minors are threatening themselves or others or are engaged in out-of-control or self-injurious behavior; order suicide watch and other special precautions as indicated; provide liaison function with County Crisis Intervention to facilitate 5585 hospitalization process; provide educational information on mental health and behavioral health issues to Juvenile Hall staff, Juvenile Hall CFMG nurses and Probation personnel; respond to staff requests for assistance in better understanding mental health issues; support Juvenile Hall and Probation supervisors in their ability to educate their staff in issues related to mental and behavioral health; maintain timely mental health progress notes; maintain timely log entries and special reports as requested by Probation Department; file Child Abuse reports per professional requirement; and performs other related duties as assigned.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Forensic Mental Health Counselor is distinguished from the Mental Health Counselor class by the licensing requirement, and the responsibility for providing professional forensic services.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

General direction is provided by a supervisory level professional position. No supervision is exercised over others.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

To qualify for this classification, an individual must possess the following:

Experience:

One year of professional, post-master's experience providing treatment and counseling in a mental health setting. Professional forensic counseling experience is highly desired.

Education:

Possession of a Master's degree with a major in social work, clinical or counseling psychology, or a closely related behavioral science field, and completion of a university approved clinical internship in a mental health agency required.

License or Certificate:

Possession of any of the following valid licenses issued by the

State of California:

Clinical Social Worker; Marriage, Family and Child Counseling; or a licensed Clinical Psychologist and possession of a valid California Drivers License.

COPIES OF THE REQUIRED LICENSES MUST BE ATTACHED AS ONE FILE ATTACHMENT TO THE APPLICATION.

The ability to speak Spanish is highly desirable. Qualified bilingual employees in this position are eligible for an additional $20.00 per pay period in Bilingual Pay.

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following: Maintain clinical case notes and documentation of services provided. Provide liaison between Human Services and the criminal justice departments. Provide individual and group treatment in Juvenile Hall. Perform related duties as required.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

For positions within the County's Health and Human Services Agency, the County of Napa is precluded from hiring applicants that are determined to be "Ineligible Persons," defined as an applicant who is: a) currently excluded, suspended, debarred or otherwise ineligible to participate in Federal health care programs, or b) has been convicted of a criminal offense related to the provision of health care items or services and has not been reinstated in the Federal health care programs after a period of exclusion, suspension, debarment or ineligibility. Applicants will be asked prior to an offer of employment to verify that they are not an "Ineligible Person."