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Senior Therapist - Emergency Services

Employer
City Of Alexandria Virginia
Location
Alexandria, VA
Salary
Negotiable
Closing date
May 11, 2022

Job Details

Senior Therapist

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 work. Approximately, one-quarter of the City's square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district. Several buildings in these districts are monuments to the past, while being actively used by citizens for homes, businesses, and museums. If you're interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we have an opportunity as a Senior Therapist.

An Overview

The Department of Community and Human Services provides effective and essential safety net services that measurably improve or maintain the quality of life for Alexandrians. The Senior Therapist, Emergency Services provides assessment, crisis intervention, and psychiatric stabilization to citizens of Alexandria, as well as to other persons who are within Alexandria city limits while experiencing a mental health crisis.

The Emergency Services program is part of the Center for Adult Services. The center is overseen by the Alexandria Community Services Board which provides compassionate and effective services that support self-determination, recovery and resiliency for Alexandria residents affected by mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse disorders.

As a member of the Emergency Services Team, you will be 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. In addition, this position may also provide coverage in other clinical areas as needed.

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 into 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 MH/ID/DD/SUD group homes;
  • Coordinates and testifies as representative of CSB in Civil Commitment Hearings and coordinates outpatient treatment for client's committed to Mandatory Outpatient Treatment;
  • Provides crisis intervention and emergency services;
  • Prepares reports for court proceedings, represents the Department, and testifies as an expert witness on behalf of consumers;
  • Provides emergency and crisis intervention services to consumers;
  • Participates in staff development and training;
  • Maintains clinical records in accordance with State, City, Departmental and Federal compliance requirements;
  • Provides clinical coverage in other program areas, as needed;
  • 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. Employees must possess a valid driver's license issued by the state of their residence if they are in a position with driving responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications

Currently licensed 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 least two years of 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 and bilingual in both English and Spanish.

Notes

This positionrequires the successful completion of pre-employment background checksincluding but not limited to: FBI/Federal Records Check; SheriffBackground Check; VA State Child Abuse/Neglect Registry; Medicare/MedicaidFraud Database; Education/Certifications; and Driver's License.

Schedule: Day/evenings/overnights/weekends. As an Essential Employee, staff will be expected to be at work during weekends, holidays, or inclement weather if they have been scheduled.

Company

The City of Alexandria is an award-winning, innovative, and progressive local government that brings together elected leaders, residents, businesses, and staff to foster a thriving community.  We are an independent, full-service city, providing the services typically operated by both counties and cities in areas such as public safety, transportation, human services, parks and recreation, planning, and administration. We offer a wide range of exciting career opportunities in a variety of fields, with the resources and expertise to succeed.  In Alexandria, employees are our most important asset, and we work hard to create and support a culture that delivers excellence through the shared values of respect, integrity, teamwork and continuous improvement.

Our employees have access to excellent medical, dental, vision, life insurance and other benefits.  Alexandria provides a defined-benefit pension and offers six weeks of paid parental leave to employees who become parents through birth, adoption or foster care.

We offer a robust wellness program, interdepartmental rotation program, tuition assistance funding and professional development program that helps employees obtain the knowledge, skills, qualifications and experience to enhance their professional and personal growth.

With a population of approximately 160,000 and a land area of 16 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Located on the Potomac River across from Washington, D.C., Alexandria is known for its beautifully preserved 18th- and 19th-century architecture, charming waterfront, high-tech economy, vibrant retail and restaurant corridors and diverse neighborhoods. We are a unique and historic community, and we continue to innovate for the 21st century.

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