Social Worker / Counselor / Therapist
Decatur Memorial Hospital
- Jacksonville, IL
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Minimum Master's in Social Work, Psychology, or Counseling required, preferably in social services field
- Minimum age of 21
- LPC or LSW required
- Behavioral health experience preferred.
- Develop initial comprehensive assessment data including patient presenting problems, mental status, relevant psychiatric, medical and developmental histories to make decisions regarding diagnosis (per DSM-V), treatment objectives and ongoing treatment plans and/or to provide information and make appropriate referrals to other treatment resources in the community.
- Provide 25 hours of billable services per week to patients.
- Consult with patient and primary care provider about treatment options and preferences; coordinate initiation of treatment plan.
- Monitor patient closely for changes in severity of symptoms and medication side effects. Educate patients about medication and side effects as needed. Encourage treatment adherence.
- Use behavioral activation techniques with patient as an adjunct to other treatments.
- Provide evidence-based, brief structured psychotherapy (PST-PC).
- Participate in regular caseload supervision with treatment team, focusing on patients improving adequately (e.g., less than 50% reduction in symptoms after 8-12 weeks in treatment).
- Coordinate communication between patient and primary care physician and consulting psychiatrist; provide recommendations for change in treatment plan.
- Document all encounters according to policies and procedures.
- Implement crisis or pre-crisis intervention procedures with potentially suicidal, homicidal, or severely disabled patients. Where appropriate referrals will be made to consulting psychiatrists or inpatient psychiatric facilities to prevent further destabilization.
- Interview collateral contacts, previous and current treatment professionals, and significant others, to further establish a database for assessment and ongoing treatment plan as needed.
- Clarify priority problems, goals for change, and session limits according to agency policy to assist patients in developing appropriate expectations for treatment in relationship to the agency. Use a variety of psychotherapeutic treatment approaches and interventions to change targeted behaviors and stabilize adaptive behaviors with individuals, couples and families.
- Manage the termination process and discharge planning to enhance patients’ abilities to retain treatment changes and/or use other available support services.
- May organize, plan and participate in therapy groups for patients and/or their families, as assigned.
- Complete required administrative forms. Collect necessary information for billing and fee collection for both community mental health and private pay patients.
- Provide necessary patient information to other agencies or health care providers to coordinate services to identified patients.
- May prepare necessary documents/reports for DCFS as needed.
- Participate in ongoing agency meetings, committees and special projects to enhance professional expertise.
- Complete mandatory education requirements by specified deadlines.
- Participate in required staff meetings and in-services to keep abreast of agency policy and administrative procedures, meet requirements for continuing education, and upgrade professional knowledge.
- Develop cooperative relationships outside the agency with family, physicians, public officials or interested agencies to provide for the development of mental health services in the community.
- Communicate directly with supervisor for clarification of administrative policy, program evaluation to promote a professional working environment and effective service delivery system.
- Adhere to MHS/MBH Behavioral Standards
- Perform other duties as required by agency needs.