Find Jobs
Find Jobs Near You – Available Work in Your Location
Skip to job details
0S
002 Sea Mar Community Health Center
MHT III
Career Insights for Mental / Behavioral Health Counselor
See where this job fits in the broader career landscape. Knowing your career path helps you see what's possible from here.
Scorecard
Based on Washington data
Review key factors to help you decide if this role fits your goals. How is this calculated?
What they do
A Mental or Behavioral Health Counselor works with patients to treat mental health problems. Assesses patients and assists with diagnosis, counseling and crisis intervention. Consults with nurses, doctors and psychiatrists. May work with specific populations, such as youth, senior citizens or substance abusers, in group settings, facilities or hospitals.
$44,235 / year median in Washington
+15% projected growth
Job Description
Sea Mar Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) founded in 1978, is a community-based organization committed to providing quality, comprehensive health, human, housing, educational and cultural services to diverse communities, specializing in service to Latinos in Washington State. Sea Mar proudly serves all persons without regard to race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, or sexual orientation, and regardless of ability to pay for services. Sea Mar's network of services includes more than 90 medical, dental, and behavioral health clinics and a wide variety of nutritional, social, and educational services. We are recruiting for the following position: Sea Mar is a mandatory COVID-19 and flu vaccine organization Position Summary The Mental Health Therapist provides diagnostic assessments, referrals for psychiatric services, case management in coordination with other teams or parties involved in treatment. In addition, the Mental Health Therapist provides individual counseling, crisis stabilization, suicide risk assessment and treatment plans, and leads groups. Assistance to the Program Manager in program development, policy and procedure development, compliance with WACs and RCWs, and other administrative tasks performed are as directed. This job description does not suggest or imply that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. The person in this position will be required to follow other instructions and to perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor. Duties and Responsibilities As a mission-driven organization, the core values of, and the services offered at Sea Mar are based on the belief that everyone deserves to be respectfully treated in a way that preserves dignity and enhances self-worth. Sea Mar is an advocate for its clients and aims to achieve industry-leading, client-centered, culturally-aware services. Sea Mar employees serve as an extension of this mission and demonstrate their commitment to an excellent client experience by:
- Understanding and empathizing with client needs
- Surpassing client expectations
- Demonstrating a high level of integrity
- Exhibiting compassion and commitment
- Advocating for social justice
- Taking pride in individual work as well as that of the team
- Continually learning to stay current with industry standards, best practices and technology As a Sea Mar employee, the individual in this position commits to adherence to these values to their utmost ability and endeavors to strengthen and embody this mission daily.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
include the following. Other duties may be assigned.ADMINISTRATIVE
- Assists in insuring agency compliance with WAC's, RCW's, and other pertinent laws, regulations, and contracts.
- Assists in developing and implementing policies and procedures as directed by the Program Manager.
- Educates staff regarding the process for mental health service referrals and regarding "psycho educational topics (suicide risk assessment, behavior modification, etc.) as directed by the Program Manager.
- Maintains documentation of mental health services, and follow through in patient charts.
CLINICAL DUTIES
- Provides diagnostic assessments for each patient during the program. Documents outcomes, justifies diagnoses, and communicates with the primary Chemical Dependency Counselor regarding outcomes and recommendations.
- Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.
- Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span.
- Able to identify and categorize each patient's age-specific grouping of needs, such as those for infant, adolescent, or geriatric patients.
- Refers patients to psychiatric services as appropriate.
- Provides consultation to Sea Mar staff regarding mental health and behavioral issues; and develops treatment plans with staff to address emotional needs and behavioral problems identified for patients.
- Provides individual counseling, in coordination with other system as needed.
- Provides suicide risk assessment and develop treatment plans to address suicidal ideation or gestures. Uses case management as needed to provide follow through and build community support as follow through. Provides other crisis stabilization as needed.
- Gathers information regarding past mental health services to be used in the individual's treatment plan development. Provides mental health services referrals to patients prior to or following admission, and exchanges information with outside service providers.
- Supports other staff regarding mental health needs of staff or patients.
PRODUCTIVITY STANDARD
- Performs a minimum of 80 hours of face-to-face contact and 80 encounters each month.
- An understanding of the Behavioral Health Organization requirements. The ability to work effectively with all persons and groups with an open mind towards cultural differences and knowledge of cultures.
- The ability to accurately diagnose mental health issues and develop treatment plans based upon diagnoses. The ability to NOT diagnose behavioral problems as mental illnesses unless appropriate.
- An understanding of chemical dependency treatment and an ability to coordinate mental health services with chemical dependency treatment providers.
- Must complete an annual clinical competency test as a mental health therapist.
- The Mental Health Therapist must sign a permanent oath of confidentiality covering all patient related information.
- This person must pass a Washington State Patrol background check.
LANGUAGE SKILLS
- Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
- Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
- Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
- Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
- Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
REASONING ABILITY
- Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
- Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
EXPERIENCE
- Must hold a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in psychology, counseling, or social work which includes course-work in psychological diagnostics.
- Four or more years' experience in the field.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Must have and maintain a current TB test.
- Minority mental health therapist as required by WAC.