Associate Behavioral Health Counselor

Associate Behavioral Health Counselor

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America's heartland. The Associate Behavioral Health Counselor provides community-based mobile crisis response, crisis assessment, crisis intervention, and crisis stabilization services to children, adolescents, adults, and families experiencing behavioral health emergencies. Working as part of a multidisciplinary Mobile Crisis Response Team, this position provides rapid, person-centered, trauma-informed services designed to assess risk, promote safety, stabilize psychiatric symptoms, restore functioning, and connect individuals with ongoing supports and treatment.

Mobile crisis teams provide voluntary, face-to-face, short-term intensive mental health services in homes, schools, community locations, healthcare settings, and other community-based environments. The Associate Behavioral Health Counselor assesses patient needs, develops treatment plans, and implements treatment interventions specific to patient needs. Continually assesses patients' progress and revises treatment plans and interventions accordingly. Documents treatment sessions. Provides patient progress updates to interdisciplinary team, as needed. May educate patient support members about patient issues and interventions. May refer for additional clinical services or to specialists, as needed. Must stay current on emerging issues in the profession.

The Associate Behavioral Health Counselor may work in a variety of settings, with duties varying by setting. In a clinic setting (other than primary care), the Associate Behavioral Health Counselor conducts scheduled face-to-face counseling sessions designed to assess and improve patients' emotional, mental, and behavioral health. In a hospital setting, the Associate Behavioral Health Counselor may have a broad scope of duties, depending upon assignment. Hospital assignments include psychiatric inpatient treatment and/or specific hospital units. Psychiatric inpatient treatment duties include development, implementation, and evaluation of treatment plan, individual and family counseling, and consultation with all Mental Health Professionals. Hospital unit duties include crisis intervention, assessment, and referral. In a community setting, the Associate Behavioral Health Counselor coordinates and provides treatment for patients with severe and persistent mental illness. This may include community-based interventions aimed at improving daily living skills, social skills, and self-regulation skills. The community-based Associate Behavioral Health Counselor consults with a multi-disciplinary team to ensure treatment compliance. In a residential setting, the Associate Behavioral Health Counselor coordinates and provides treatment for patients requiring a higher level of care than outpatient therapy; however, do not meet the criteria for psychiatric inpatient treatment. Treatment occurs at the residential treatment facility and includes a broad range of duties: assessment and screening, individual and group counseling, development, implementation, and evaluation of treatment programs, and consultation and coordination with a multi-disciplinary team.

Bachelor's or Master's Degree in behavioral sciences or related field preferred, and completion of a practicum or internship. In Minnesota, must follow Minnesota State statute defining Mental Health Practitioner. At least 4,000 hours of supervised experience in the delivery of services to persons with: mental illness, substance use disorders or emotional disturbances, traumatic brain injury or developmental disabilities, OR, Has at least 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours in behavioral sciences or related fields and at least 2,000 hours of supervised work experience in the delivery of services to persons with: mental illness, substance use disorders or emotional disturbances, traumatic brain injury or developmental disabilities.