Senior Therapist - Youth Focused Mental Health Clinician

Senior Therapist

Youth Focused Mental Health Clinician

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 - Youth Focused Mental Health Clinician positions.

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 Therapists/Emergency Services Clinician 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.

This unique position will have a school-based component and will work closely with Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and the Child Behavioral Health team. As such, this position will be integrated within the school system and provide on-site crisis intervention, as well as prevention and training for school staff. 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: conducting assessments and Crisis intervention with ACPS students and liaison with ACPS and Child Behavioral Health faculty and staff; interviewing and evaluating persons who are presenting in crisis, pre-admission screening; collaborating with students, parents and staff to evaluate risk, consulting with other care providers; providing psychoeducation on mental health and crisis intervention to ACPS staff 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. This position will have a schedule that is primarily aligned with the school day, but as an Essential Employee this clinician must be available to work varying shifts, including evenings, overnights, and weekends if needed.

What You Should Bring

The ideal candidate will 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

• Conduct assessment and crisis intervention for students in ACPS;
• Collaborate with students, faculty and staff to provide crisis intervention, prevention and psychoeducation services;
• Provide liaison/outreach to other community agencies, including to school staff;
• 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;
• 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;
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

Current, active clinical license to practice as an LCSW, LPC, Clinical Psychologist, LSATP in Virginia. Bilingual (English/Spanish) is desirable but not required. Experience working with children and adolescents and providing crisis intervention in school settings.

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; education/certifications; and driver’s license.

Schedule: Monday through Friday, school hours. When school is not in session, hours will be flexible. As an Essential Employee, staff may be expected to work evenings, overnight shifts and weekends as well as during holidays, or inclement weather if they have been scheduled.