WISe Mental Health Therapist

WE OFFER EXCELLENT BENEFITS:

• FREE Employee Medical Insurance
• FREE Employee Dental Insurance
• FREE Employee Vision Insurance
• Sick leave (8 hours per month)
• Vacation (Minimum of 2 weeks paid vacation)
• Discounted health memberships
• Retirement (Employer contribution - 3% contribution and an additional 3% employer match)
• FREE Long-Term Disability Insurance
• FREE Life Insurance
• 13 Paid Holidays

Mission of Catholic Charities

Feed the hungry, heal the hurting, welcome the stranger.

CCEW is an equal opportunity employer. All employees and potential employees will be recruited, selected, trained, promoted, compensated and, if necessary, disciplined or terminated without regard to sex, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, religious affiliation, marital status, military veteran status, age, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law.

Program Summary

Community Behavioral Health Services provides all mental health, WISe, and substance use disorder treatment for families and individuals enrolled in Rising Strong. Rising Strong serves families who are at risk for separation due to parental substance misuse by providing safe housing, substance abuse disorder treatment, case management, and other supportive wraparound services. By serving whole families, our aim is to reduce trauma in children, decrease the rates of foster care placements, and remove barriers that traditionally prevent parents from succeeding in substance abuse treatment.

Job Summary

This position helps serve as mental health therapist as a part of the WISe wraparound care of families enrolled at Rising Strong. The therapist is responsible for the intake and clinical treatment of at least one youth per family. This may include the use of evidence-based parent coaching, family therapy, and intensive individual treatment of the youth. They will operate under the oversight and leadership of the WISe Director and/or WISe Clinical Supervisor. This position will be responsible for providing trauma-informed insight to the WISe team and Rising Strong staff.  This position will be expected to help staff make decisions on family’s needs and will report to the WISe Director and RS leadership teams on items requiring their attention. The therapist will also provide and consult on group therapies, training, and clinical offerings within the program. This position may also provide individual or family counseling services for our Community Behavioral Health program enrollees.  

Job Duties/Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each of the essential duties/responsibilities listed below.  Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties/responsibilities of this job. 

1. Provide individual and family mental health counseling/therapy for Rising Strong participants, community WISe families, and the outpatient CBHS clinic.
2. As the WISe Therapist, schedule and communicate with families on a consistent basis from intake to discharge.  
3. Manage a caseload, develop and implement treatment goals, conduct assessments, and justify diagnoses.
4. Maintain documentation and record-keeping as well as professional development expectations.
5. Facilitate and consult for groups, under the supervision of the designated WISe Clinical Supervisor.
6. Provide leadership and guidance for WISe team and Rising Strong operations staff:  
   1. Making trauma-informed decisions that support client and resident needs.
   2. Informing Managers and Directors as needed of items requiring follow-up and/or further assessment.
7. Consult on services provided to families as they navigate the Child Welfare and Court system to assist in reunification, compliance, and on-going family stability.
8. Provide intake observations of the child in all life-areas including home, school, and community to develop a cross-system plan of care and assess Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS).
9. Assist in completing developmentally appropriate clinical assessments including CANS.
10. As part of the clinical team, assess and refer based on the family’s need to ensure safety and recovery-oriented treatment.
11. Participate in decision making for high-risk children, contributing to the development and implementation of an Individualized Service Plan that outlines an individualized, measurable treatment plan for the youth/ family.
12. Participate in decision making for high-risk children, contributing to the development and implementation of a Cross-Systems Care plan that outlines coordination of care for families.
13. Participate in decision making for high-risk children, contributing to the development and implementation of a Crisis Plan that outlines risk factors, strengths, narrative, and plan should crisis occur.
14. Be available to clients and WISe team to provide clinical direction, de-escalation, and resource engagement should crisis occur including the implementation of the family’s existing crisis plan.
15. Under supervision of the designated WISe Clinical Supervisor, act as Lead for implementation of prescribed behavioral strategies and treatment services to high-risk children, modeling and teaching social behavior, self-protection skills and awareness, and developmentally appropriate coping and social interaction skills.
16. Under supervision of the designated WISe Clinical Supervisor, provide skill building support that enhances a child and family’s ability to function effectively and safely in the community addressing therapeutic issues such as anger management, alternatives to aggression, frustration tolerance, and socialization.
17. Utilize Motivational Interviewing techniques to ensure therapeutic intervention maintains a focus on strengths, needs and capacities of the child and family.
18. Meet and engage the family with compassion and support for their recovery.
19. Promote self-determination and personal responsibility for recovery and wellness. Develop plans to empower the parents/caregivers to advocate for themselves and their children.
20. Collaborate with the treatment team to create a team dynamic in which each family member's point of view is heard, and where experiences and preferences are recognized and represented in the treatment plan.
21. Communicate with parents and provide them with regular updates on children’s health information and progress.
22. Communicate with behavioral health providers, CPS staff, and Rising Strong staff regarding progress and challenges of the children as outlined on client consent forms.
23. Work in collaboration with families, primary care physicians, and healthcare specialists to support coordination of medical and behavioral health service for children and their parent/caregiver.
24. Ensure that documentation is thorough, protected, and representative of the treatment. 

Overall:

1. Accurately complete documentation in appropriate timeframes and recorded in the Electronic Health Record.
2. Provide required reporting for alleged abuse or neglect, parental relapse with drugs or alcohol, safety plan not followed, new safety issues identified, severe behavioral incidents, running away, or situation requiring medical attention or hospitalization.

Other Related Duties:

1. As a mandated reporter, follows all procedures outlined in agency policies and procedures to report to the proper agency when there is suspicion and/or confirmation that a child or adult has been a victim of abuse or neglect.
2. Actively participates in staff meetings and multi-disciplinary meetings with other team members.
3. Actively participate in team and individual supervision as stated in agency policy and as required by credentials.
4. Identify and address families’ barriers to independence and recovery.
5. Facilitate learning opportunities for families by teaching life skills classes and leading children’s activities.
6. Uses appropriate administrative, fiscal, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of CCEW client protected health information (PHI), per regulations outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and 42 CFR Pt 2.
7. Will regularly utilize all forms of communication (email, text, phone, HIPAA compliant messaging platform, etc.) and database practices necessary for this position and as directed by supervisor.
8. Perform as a team member to ensure that productivity outcome measures are achieved.
9. When subpoenaed or otherwise called upon, appear in court to testify about families’ involvement in the program professionally.
10. Adhere to the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic Doctrine.
11. Perform related functions necessary to support the mission and core values of Catholic Charities.

Job Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must meet the minimum qualifications listed below.  These qualifications are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required to perform this job. 

Education/Experience:
Applicants must have an LMHC(A), LMFT(A), or LISCW(A) Washington State license; or be a current graduate student/intern in good standing, of a clinically focused master’s or doctoral degree program in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, clinical social work, marriage & family therapy or equivalent.

       Minimum Qualifications:

• Credentials as Agency Affiliated Counselor must be obtained as soon as possible.
• Complete all required WISe Clinician training within 60 days.
• Ability to work flexible hours (evenings, nights, weekends).
• Operate from a strengths-based, person-centered perspective.
• Possess good written and verbal communication skills and excellent documentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member.
• Working knowledge of community resources.
• Ability to represent the agency in a professional manner within the community and develop collaborative community relationships.
• Basic computer proficiency

Preferred Skills:

• Demonstrated experience working with culturally diverse populations and/or demonstrated life experience which qualitatively improves service delivery to Rising Strong families (i.e., diverse health perspectives, cultural and family style approaches).
• Experience working with issues of homelessness, substance abuse/addiction, mental health and/or poverty preferred.
• Knowledge of Spokane City and Spokane County community resources.

Certificates/Licenses:  To perform this job successfully, an individual must:

• Possess valid WA State driver’s license and clean driving abstract.
• Successfully pass background check applicable to position.
• Eligible for Agency-Affiliated Counselor registration required.
• Be a Master level intern, Associate licensed from an accredited Social Work, Mental Health Counseling or Marriage and Family Therapy program OR be fully licensed in one of these professions

The applicant should continue seeking Continuing Education credits while in this position.

Physical Abilities:  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to:

• Frequently sit, stand, climb, walk, lift, pull/push, carry, grasp, reach, talk, hear, taste, or smell.
  

Mental & Other Skills/Abilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must have the:

• Adaptability: ability to adapt to changes, delays, or unexpected events in the work environment; ability to manage competing demands and prioritize tasks; ability to change approach or method to best fit the situation.
• Attendance: ability to consistently arrive and be able to work as scheduled.
• Computer/Technical Ability:
  working knowledge of: Word Processing software & Internet software. Upkeep documentation in an appropriate and timely manner and in accordance with Rising Strong policies and procedures.
• Dependability: ability to follow instructions, both in written and verbal format; ability to respond to management direction; ability to complete tasks on time or notify the appropriate person with an alternate plan when necessary.
• Interpersonal Skills: Has outstanding interpersonal skills, excellent customer service skills  and a good overall understanding of appropriate human relations. Awareness of and sensitivity to the service population’s culture and socioeconomic characteristics. Ability to effectively maintain composure in a stressful or crisis-oriented environment.
• Judgment:ability to make prudent and timely decisions; ability to exhibit sound and accurate judgment; ability to explain reasoning for decisions.
• Language Ability: Intermediate Ability:  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 Ability: Basic Ability: 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.
• Problem Solving Ability: ability to identify and/or prevent problems before they occur; ability to formulate alternative solutions to problems when necessary; ability to transfer learning from past experiences to new experiences of similar nature.
• Reasoning Ability: Basic Ability: ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions; ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

Workplace Environmental Conditions

While performing the essential duties/responsibilities of this job, the employee will be:

• Noise Conditions: exposed during a shift to constant or intermittent sounds at a level sufficient to cause hearing loss or fatigue.
• Exposure to Trauma: Employees of Catholic Charities Eastern Washington provide direct services to vulnerable community members including those who have behavioral health challenges and those who have been exposed to trauma.