Hours: full-time, 37.5 hours per week

Location: Bedford, Virginia

Compensation dependent on experience

Position Summary

The Co-Response Clinician - LMHP position involves riding alongside a Bedford Police officer to respond to calls involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The Co-Response Clinician will assess their needs, collaborate on appropriate treatment plans, and provide support to prevent emergency custody orders, temporary detention orders, inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, and/or involvement in the criminal justice system, ensuring individuals receive the necessary care and support. This position is based in the office or community and does not have a telework component.

Required Education and Experience

• Master's Degree from a program that prepares individuals to practice counseling (60-hr Master's Program), which is offered by a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting agency. (Re: 54.1-3500 of the Code of Virginia)
• Two to four years of Residency.
• Credential: LMHP (Licensed Mental Health Professional)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner (LSATP), Certified Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist (CPCNS).

Related Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to wear a law enforcement-grade protective vest the entire working shift each day.
• Knowledge of community mental health and public health to provide advocacy and enhance an individual's treatment and access to community resources; Knowledge of the principles, techniques, trends, and literature related to mental health, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse; Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. 
• This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. Knowledge of behavior modification; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); emergency interventions; family, group, and individual therapies;, psychosocial education; risk assessments; sex offender treatment; substance abuse interventions; etc.
• Understanding of common evidence-based practices, including motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, and victim awareness.
• Capable of working with multi-needs clients: mental illness plus chemical dependency, mental illness and developmental disabilities, mental illness and chronic or terminal illness.
• Ability to work collaboratively, constructively, and positively in a team environment; ability to build constructive working relationships with police, judges, probation officers, correctional staff, medical staff, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information and maintain the highest ethical standards, including (other agency data, jail records, court records, and electronic medical records); Ability to work effectively and in a professional manner when under stress and confronted with severe time constraints.
• Knowledge of the criminal justice system, terminology, crisis intervention teams, and current research and trends in the field of community policing.
• Ability to remain seated while performing related duties using a mobile computer in a law enforcement cruiser up to 10 hours each shift.
• Ability to participate in and successfully pass behavioral intervention training, including both verbal de-escalation skills and physical skills techniques to be utilized with consumers as needed.
• Ability to drive and must possess a valid driver’s license. May be called upon to travel to any Horizon worksite; transport clients, provide services to client at other locations. Regular attendance at trainings and Horizon meetings may require travel to a variety of Horizon sites.
• Willing and available to work modified schedules (weekends, holidays, etc.) as required.

THE BEST BENEFITS FOR THOSE WHO TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY

We’re proud to offer some of the best benefits options in Central Virginia.  Participation in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) is exclusively for public service workers in Virginia, while several options exist for life, health, dental, and vision insurance. Emphasis on work-life balance means a generous annual leave policy ensuring time for wellness with separate time allocated for sick leave and additionally for paid holidays. Stay active with Horizon’s annual wellness programs and various opportunities to interact with the community through the year. Horizon’s clinical sites are NHSC/HRSA approved for clinical student loan repayment, and qualify for both the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and the Behavioral Health State Loan Repayment (BHLRP) programs.  If you are interested in continuing your education, working at Horizon qualifies you to receive discounts at some local universities. 

To Apply – Please visit our online career center at 

Horizon Behavioral Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).