Senior Therapist - PRN
Emergency Services

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter square miles in the city have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Senior Therapist - PRN position.

An Overview
The Senior Therapist is responsible for conducting crisis intervention and responding to psychiatric emergencies within the City through telephone and face-to-face contact. These responses may include; interviewing and evaluating persons who are presenting in crisis, pre-admission screening; consulting with other care providers; evaluating for Civil Detention, voluntary hospitalization, or less restrictive alternatives. You will liaison with other community agencies and make appropriate referrals consistent with the evaluation. In addition must maintain clear and concise patient records. Workers must be available to work varying shifts.

What You Should Bring
The ideal candidate should have thorough knowledge of individual and group behavior including thorough knowledge of treatment issues related to psychiatric problems, dual-diagnosis, and chemical dependency; good knowledge of psychopharmacology, psychiatric disorders, alcoholism/drug addiction, juvenile delinquency, and/or elderly and aging; ability to work successfully with a variety of consumers; ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing with other professionals and with the public; ability to plan and supervise the work of interns or students.

The Opportunity

• Interview consumers who walk in to Mental Health Center and individuals who require intervention in the community. Determine appropriate disposition based on thorough psychiatric evaluation. Complete written assessments and make appropriate referrals;
• Assess need for immediate face-to-face interview or referral during telephone conversations;
• Provide liaison/outreach to other community agencies;
• Provide continuity of care for CSB consumers when the CSB is closed (i.e. referrals to emergency room for medication, emergency assessments, and support via the telephone);
• Conduct pre-admission screening for voluntary/involuntary hospitalizations;
• Provide crisis stabilization utilizing phone and face to face contact;
• Determine appropriate response to all calls from the citizens and staff from other agencies;
• Provides clinical assessment and referral services; Determines appropriate disposition;
• Formulates diagnoses, assesses risk and mental status;
• Provides clinical intervention in emergency situations at any of the MR/MR/SA homes;
• Performs related work as required.

About the Department
The Center for Adult Services (CAS) provides programs and services in Aging; Adult Protective Services; Clinical & Emergency Services; and Community & Residential Support Services for seniors and for persons with mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders. CAS provides compassionate and effective person-centered services based on best practices. Our teams support self-determination, safety and recovery for Alexandria residents affected by abuse, neglect, mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse disorders.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

Possession of Master's degree in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Psychology, Education or related field; at least two years of post-graduate work experience in providing direct clinical services to consumers having one or more substance abuse, psychiatric, and emotional disorders; and licensure or license eligible (has completed all required education and supervision as required by applicable board) as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner (LSATP) or Clinical Psychologist in the Commonwealth of Virginia at the time of appointment; if license eligible, the employee must obtain Virginia licensure at the first available opportunity, but no later than one year after appointment; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities; Valid driver's license.

Preferred Qualifications

Possession of more than two years work experience in clinical assessment, crisis intervention, diagnosis and case management; skills in working with trauma victims and in the provision of critical incident stress management; fluent bilingual (English/Spanish) skills; Possession of active Virginia Professional License (LPC, LCSW, LSATP, or Clinical Psychologist.)

Notes

This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment background checks including but not limited to: FBI/Federal Records Check; VA State Child Abuse/Neglect Registry; Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Database; Verification of education/certifications; and Driver's license.

Schedule: On-Call position / Various shifts including evening, overnight, weekends and holidays. As an emergency/essential employee, you may be required to remain at work, and will be required to report to work during a time when the City (due to inclement weather, an emergency or other condition) is unable to be fully operational.