Mental Health Counselor

Mental Health Counselor

The Mental Health Counselor is primarily responsible for providing individual counseling; including, but not limited to, assessment, outreach, therapeutic engagement, crisis-intervention, elements of case management, and advocacy. The Counselor may also lead groups, couples and/or families, by the discretion of the Clinic Management.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide counseling to adolescents and adults (ages 18 and up) presenting with a range of mental health concerns.
• Maintaining a caseload of 30 clients with regular weekly sessions.
• Complete clinical documentation in a timely fashion, including initial outreach attempts, service referrals, progress notes, treatment plans and other records as necessary.
• Provide intake and mental health assessments/screenings, including counseling, crisis-intervention, and referral.
• Develop and facilitate short term support groups as needed clinically and programmatically.
• Ensure regular maintenance of clinical licensure requirements along with keeping up with continuing education.
• Participate in clinic meetings, clinical supervision and other clinical training opportunities.
• Regular attendance in agency wide meetings such as Center Staff meeting, Center Insights and any other requested events.
• Provide administrative support in grant reporting (e.g. testimonials that attest to clinical impact).
• Represent clinic and clinical work to external partners and other stakeholders when needed.
• Assist in linking clients to both internal and external resources including referrals and follow-up support.
• Other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements:

• Advanced clinical degree and licensure required (LMSW, LMHC).
• At least 2 years of experience in the provision of mental health, community, and social services support.
• Knowledge of behavioral health resources in the greater New York City area and treatment regulations and programs; knowledge of electronic medical recordkeeping a plus.
• Significant knowledge, understanding and experience working with LGBTQ+, TGNC, POC, and Immigrant populations, including knowledge of the spectrum of gender identity, transgender issues, immigration, and POC issues.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of work styles, and cultural backgrounds and across levels of the organization.
• Commitment to inclusive, multicultural programming; prior experience working within coalitions with diverse communities and an understanding of intersectional oppressions.
• Knowledge and understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, needs, and interests of LGBT communities of color, youth, adults, families, and community, including knowledge of the spectrum of gender identity and transgender issues and homelessness are strongly preferred.
• Understanding of, and commitment to, undoing structural and institutional racism and bias and the spectrum of gender identity and bias. Consideration of the impacts and outcomes in decision-making processes and on underserved and historically oppressed communities.
• A strong commitment to social justice and the mission of The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center.

The Center's Commitment to Equity & Inclusivity:

The Center was born of community activism in response to the AIDS epidemic, ensuring a place for LGBTQ people to access information, care, and support that they were not receiving elsewhere. We opened in 1983 to help people who had doors constantly closed in their faces, ostracized by family, friends, and shunned by the general society. Since that time, we have continually provided a wide array of services and programs to serve our community, with an intentional focus on providing support to those who are most vulnerable. We have always taken great care to be a space that responds to community need; engaging in diversity, equity and inclusion work is another outgrowth of those ongoing efforts. We recognize that in order to help LGBTQ individuals and our diverse community achieve parity in health, justice, opportunity and success outcomes, our organization must hold a strong foundation and competency in, as well as invest organizational focus on, equity and inclusion frameworks, practices and policies. This is also true in our hiring and retention of staff.

The Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.