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Primary Care Counselor/Therapist - Jacksonville

Memorial Health
place Jacksonville, 62650
local_atm $29.44 - 45.64 USD /HOUR
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Full Time

About Job

Min: USD $29.44/Hr. Max: USD $45.64/Hr. Overview:Sign on bonus up to $15,000!Are you passionate about supporting mental health and making a meaningful impact? As a Primary Care Counselor/Therapist, you’ll provide compassionate care to adults and children in a dynamic outpatient setting within our Primary Medical Care locations.What You’ll Do:
  • Deliver brief therapy sessions tailored to individual needs.
  • Conduct assessments and develop personalized treatment plans.
  • Monitor progress and adjust treatments to help patients achieve their goals.
  • Collaborate with medical staff to provide holistic, integrated care.
  • Maintain accurate records and stay current with best practices in mental health.
Join us in a role where your expertise will contribute to improving lives while meeting high standards of care set by our governing board and accrediting bodies. If you’re ready to make a real difference, we’d love to hear from you! Qualifications:Education:
  • Minimum Master's in Social Work, Psychology, or Counseling required, preferably in social services field
  • Minimum age of 21
Licensure/Certification/Registry:
  • LCPC or LCSW required
Experience:
  • Behavioral health experience preferred.
Other Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:Other Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Must have computer and keyboarding skills required by position. Must have valid IL driver’s license, reliable transportation, and proof of automobile insurance. Must pass background checks and drug screen. Responsibilities:Direct Clinical Services * Conduct assessments of patient, including completion of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression scale and General Anxiety Screening (GAD-7).
  • 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.
Patient Information System * Establish appropriate professional files, including: comprehensive assessments, progress notes, treatment objectives and plans, previous treatment records, patients' consent to current treatment and for exchange of information.
  • 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.
Training Activities/Professional Growth * Supervisor and employee mutually identify professional goals that will enhance job related skills.
  • 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.
Consultation/Networking * Engage in appropriate team work functions (such as mutual support, clarification of office responsibilities and procedures) according to best professional judgment and agency policy to provide a professional working environment and effective service delivery.
  • 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.
Job Relationships * Demonstrate through initiative and apparent effort involvement in clinical supervision.
  • 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
Other Job Responsibilities * Ability to accommodate evening/weekend hours.
  • Perform other duties as required by agency needs.
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job. Incumbents may be requested to perform tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.