JOB TITLE:                          Senior Mental Health Counselor                                 FLSA: Exempt

 Salary:   67K-77K

DEPARTMENT:                  Agency Program

REPORTS TO:                     Program Director and/or Assistant Program Director

SUPERVISES OTHERS:    Yes

MAJOR FUNCTIONS:      

Under general direction, the Senior Mental Health Specialist is responsible for the coordination of all mental health related treatment activities within a designated program.  The Senior MHS acts as a conduit for all information regarding mental health services between the program’s management team and clinical staff.  The Senior Social Worker is lead staff in the evaluation and treatment of dual diagnosed and other clients and will be responsible for the design, creation, and implementation of on-site service training. May provide supervise to Social Worker staff and students/professionals in training as designated by the agency. This work is carried out in support of the mission and goals of Samaritan Daytop Village

• DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Conducts mental status examinations and bio-psychosocial assessments.
  • Conducts individual, group and family counseling consistent with the objectives identified in clients’ individual treatment plans and makes referrals for appropriate levels of care for designated clients based on the needs of the program.
  • Makes referrals for appropriate care levels for designated clients.
  • Designs and implements mental health in-service education for clinical staff.
  • Designs and trains clinical staff to deliver client lectures/seminars.
  • Provides mental health resources to clinical staff.
  • Supervises facility social work staff and social work interns/professionals in training.
  • Audits client treatment records of supervisees for compliance with agency standards for completeness, timeliness and appropriateness.
  • Facilitates in-service staff training designed to respond to anticipated and/or identified areas of need.
  • Adheres to social work standards and ethical principles, agency policies and procedures, and maintains professional relationships with other disciplines, clients, and community supports.
  • Demonstrates a commitment to maintaining the knowledge and skill necessary to facilitate didactic, process experiential and supportive group approaches.
  • Ensures maintenance of accurate, complete, timely and high-quality client records that comply with external regulatory standards and agency policy and procedure.
  • Complies with 42 CFR confidentiality and HIPAA privacy and security regulations.
  • Functions as a liaison/advocate to clients’ families and/or other agencies as needed.
  • Works cooperatively with other staff as a member of the interdisciplinary team.
  • Participates as a member of program’s management team.
  • In designated programs, monitors program participants for signs and symptoms of physical, sexual, and other forms of abuse/domestic violence, conducts trauma assessments and makes notification as mandated by agency policy and NYS laws.
  • Keeps abreast of changes in field.

Education, Experience and Skills Required:

• Master’s Degree in Social Work or Mental Health Counselor.
• Minimum Two-Three (2-3) years demonstrated clinical experience in substance use and/or mental health treatment or Shelter experience for designated programs based on needs of the facility. 
• Prior supervisory experience and the ability to lead a team.
• Strong assessment and writing skills and familiarity with various therapeutic models of care, i.e. Trauma Informed Care, Family Model of Care, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), etc.…
• In depth knowledge of NYC/NYS diverse network of medical and behavioral health care organizations, including substance use disorders, treatment services, education and employment services, and non-traditional community support groups.
• Computer literacy including proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and EHR.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

License/Certification Required:

• NYS LMHC licensure for designated programs/ divisions based on needs. 
• NYS LMSW licensure for designated programs/divisions based on needs.
• NYS LCSW licensure for designated programs/divisions based on needs.

Preferred Education, License/Certification, Experience and/or Skills:

• NYS LCSW licensure.
• Experience working with OASAS, OMH, DOHMH and DHS regulated programs. 
• Knowledge of multi-disciplinary team experience.
• Knowledge of techniques for identifying and preventing potentially violent behavior, including crisis management techniques.
• Ability to develop, evaluate, implement and modify a clinical treatment intervention to meet the needs of individual participants.
• Competency in written, interpersonal, verbal and computational skills to present and document records in accordance with program standards.
• Knowledgeable about federal, state and local law and regulation governing substance abuse treatment programs.