Mental Health Counselor II - Older Adults FSP

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide direct and indirect client services.
• Participate in the assessment and evaluation of seriously mentally ill older adults. Determine individual's strengths, needs, and resources. Assess client's level of psycho-social impairment, self-care potential, family and support network availability, independent living needs, financial status, educational, employment, or meaningful involvement, and social/recreational needs.
• Develop a written, comprehensive service plan which specifies the treatment services, activities, and assistance needed to accomplish the objective identified between client and case manager.
• Assess adequacy and appropriateness of clients living or funding arrangements and assist in securing alternative living or funding arrangements as needed.
• Assist clients in developing and maintaining independent living skills, including peer or caregiver support, social/recreational and volunteer or education goals, needed to implement and achieve goals of the individual's service plan.
• Provide individual, group, or family intervention to clients as needed, within the scope of practice.
• Provide crisis intervention as needed and intervene with clients/others at onset of crisis to coordinate and arrange for provision of needed services, within the scope of practice.
• Document all services provided for contract compliance and Quality Assurance (QA), and provide statistical/reports as assigned.
• Identify and mobilize family and community resources to meet the needs of clients. Provide assertive service coordination to enable clients to participate at their highest level of independence within the community.
• Transport client to and from referrals and other community supports as needed and to provide field based services as required (60% of time).
• Assess each client living arrangement for health and safety requirements and advocate for needed physical accommodations.
• Under direction of Program Coordinator/Manager, the Case Manager/Mental Health Counselor will advocate for clients with community resources, mental health providers, hospital and other agencies serving the older adult population to assist client in accessing needed services. Participate in provider or inter-agency meetings as assigned by the Program Manager.
• Will perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate must have a bachelor's degree in the field of social work, psychology, or related field.

Minimum of two years' experience in a mental health setting. Case management experience necessary.

Knowledge and experience in assertive outreach to clients; ability to work with multi-ethnic, multi-cultural clients in their environment.

Knowledge and experience working with substance abuse issues.