Mental Health Therapist (Full Time)

Mental Health Therapist

The Mental Health Therapist is a professional person appointed to provide and coordinate therapeutic services for youth placed at the Miami Valley Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in Xenia, Ohio. The Mental Health Therapist has primary responsibility for individual, group and family mental health therapy for youth assigned to his/her care while promoting the goals, objectives and mission of the organization. The Mental Health Therapist is an unclassified employee appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the Greene County Juvenile Court Judge under the provision of 2151.13 of the Ohio Revised Code. The Mental Health Therapist is charged with providing a standard of performance in accordance with the Ohio Administrative Code and the Ohio Revised Code regarding the Ohio Department of Youth Services standards for Community Correctional Facilities; the American Correction Association standards for Juvenile Residential Correctional Facilities; State of Ohio Counselor, Social worker, Marriage and Family Therapist Board; and the Prison Rape Elimination Act.

JOB DUTIES (examples are not comprehensive): Program Delivery: Assist in milieu program; as needed; provide staff training and development; provide consultation and support regarding documentation; provide consultation regarding delivery of therapeutic services; develop and revise policy and procedures, including MVJRC Treatment Manual. Records/Reports: Maintain case files; develop treatment plans including treatment goals and objectives; maintain session notes; Progress Reports; Relapse Prevention Plan; Transition and Aftercare Plan; administer screening and assessment tools; additional reports, as needed. Mental Health Therapy: Individual, family, alcohol/drug treatment group; sex offender treatment group; crisis intervention; case management; consultation with MVJRC Mental Health Authority; Treatment Team Meetings; Progress Review; Petition Review; Wraparound/Transition Planning Meetings; Program Review; coordinate transition releases; attend court hearings providing professional testimony and serving as an expert witness, as required. Public Relations: Interact with and promote the program with various professionals including but not limited to court officials, mental health practitioners, medical personnel, university personnel, parents/guardians, students, case workers, school officials.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES (job related skills may be acquired pursuant to on-the-job training): Supervision best practices; Security best practices; Criminology and juvenile delinquency; Juvenile rights; Communication skills; Time management skills; Organization skills; Recognition and effective response to unusual or threatening conditions; Effective response in crisis situations pursuant to training; Accurate and neat record-keeping; Conduct of inspections; Maintenance of positive relationships with youth, co-workers and the general public; Physical fitness; Presentation to public, tour groups and/or professional personnel in court settings; Cooperation in investigations regarding serious or critical incidents; Application of cognitive-behavioral interventions including behavior reinforcement/effective punishment and cognitive re-structuring techniques; Role model for at-risk youth modeling pro-social behavior at every opportunity; Represent the organization/appointing authority in a positive manner in the community. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Licensure from the State of Ohio Counselor and Social Work Board (LSW/LPC) and Bachelor's Degree in a related field or any combination of education and professional experience commensurate with a degree; satisfactory completion of physical examination resulting in finding of physical health adequate to perform the required functions of the job; satisfactory completion of professional references check; satisfactory completion of criminal background check; satisfactory completion of sexual risk assessment; confirmation of valid Ohio driver's license; confirmation of degrees, licenses and/or certificates.

WORK CONDITIONS (examples are not comprehensive): Work schedule is flexible except that the employee is required to be present for half of their hours or more during a two-week pay period during core times (Monday-Friday, 6am-4pm). On call 24 hours daily/7 days weekly. FLSA: Exempt. Mental Health Therapists are classified as non-essential workers and are not required to report to work during inclement weather and/or other emergencies. MVJRC is a medium security, residential correctional treatment facility for male and female youth ages 12-18. Operations occur in a secured and locked environment. The population consists of at-risk, emotionally disturbed and/or potentially violent felony offenders. The population includes juvenile sexual offenders. There is potential for exposure to communicable diseases and/or parasites. All workers are mandated reporters required to report harassment, abuse and/or neglect pursuant to established policy and procedure. Work is conducted in a fast-paced environment requiring routine programmatic deadlines. Routine physical requirements include reaching, stooping, kneeling, standing, walking, writing/keyboarding, talking, hearing, seeing, driving and repetitive motions. Tasks minimally require exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects including the human body. Additional physical requirements for staff in contact with juvenile residents include readiness for extreme exertion in the form of team-based physical restraint of acting out/potentially assaultive youth, physical transport of resistant youth, self-defense maneuvers pursuant to crisis prevention training and/or exertion resulting from first aid/CPR/AED interventions. TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT (examples are not comprehensive): 40 hours of orientation training in policies, procedures and practices with an additional 80 hours of training within the first year of employment. 40 hours of annual training after the first year of employment. Required training includes but is not limited to: CPR/1st Aid/AED certification, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Certification, Greene County Risk Management training (including Fire Safety and Prevention, Hazard Communication and Defensive Driving), Prison Rape Elimination Act policy, procedure and practice, Introduction to Cognitive Behavioral Interventions, Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS), Juvenile Sex Offender therapist certification, and maintain licensure (CEU's) DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE: While Ohio has approved medical and recreational marijuana, the law does not require employers to permit or accommodate an employee's use, possession, or distribution of marijuana. Greene County is a drug-free workplace. Employees are required to comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws regarding drug-free workplaces and while working for the County, will be required to follow the County's drug-free workplace policy. Employees cannot work under the influence of, purchase, transfer, sell, manufacture, deliver, dispense, use, or possess illegal drugs, alcohol, marijuana (medical or recreational), or misuse/abuse prescription drugs in any way.

There is a wide variety of benefits available to full-time permanent and some part-time permanent Greene County employees. These benefits include: health, dental, vision, life insurance, optional life insurance plans, wellness program, employee assistance program, and deferred compensation plans. The County pays 80% of the health care premium and 39% of the dental premium. All full-time employees are eligible for $50,000 group life insurance paid 100% by the County. NOTE: Employees who are non-permanent, seasonal, intermittent, part-time scheduled for less than 60 hours per pay period, and external interim, are not benefit eligible.