EASA Qualified Mental Health Associate

Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA)

This position is designed to be part of the Early Assessment and Support Alliance (EASA) team which is a transdisciplinary team providing outreach, assessment, and treatment to youth experiencing symptoms of psychosis for the first time. As a QMHA you will provide clinic and community based support to aid EASA participants and their support systems in achieving the participant's behavioral health treatment goals.

Due to the transdisciplinary nature of the EASA team, you will provide a core set of services; including Community Education, Case Management, Skills Training, Family Support, Peer Support, and Supported Employment and/or Education. You will support progress towards meeting identified ISP goals, which are routinely documented and make recommendations for ISP adjustment and referrals.

As a QMHA on the EASA team, you will walk alongside program participants and be a key player in supporting their access to housing, medical, social, educational, and other resources, support system, and services. In doing so, your role will provide participants with engagement, bridging, crisis management, coordination, referrals, advocacy and empowerment, and psychoeducation and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8am-5pm.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must possess Qualified Mental Associate certification, provided through the Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon at the time of appointment (MHACBO).
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license and automobile insurance as a condition of employment.

For information on the requirements to become a QMHA-R, please visit:

Polk County, the Organization:

Polk County takes pride in knowing that our employees are what makes the County a great place to work. We have a strong desire for each employee to feel respected; connected to the department they work for as well as other County departments and the community at large; and know that they are critical to County business. We understand that work may be necessary, but not what should define each individual. We all have diverse personalities and interests away from the job, and at Polk County we encourage our employees to be connected to something bigger than work.

Benefits:

• Polk County offers generous employee benefits including, but not limited to:
• 11 paid holidays per year
• 8 hours of vacation earned monthly (increasing with years of service)
• 8 hours of sick leave earned monthly
• 4-5 Personal Leave Days earned each fiscal year (Depends on position; prorated depending on date of hire)
• PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) - 100% employer funded contributions
• Full health benefits with employee paying only 10% of the premium which covers all members of the employee's immediate family
• Life Insurance - employer paid
• Qualifying employer for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness program
• HRSA/NHSC approved site for certain positions

Our Community:

Polk County is located in the Willamette Valley just an hour from the Pacific Coast to the west and an hour from Portland to the north. The population is approximately 87,000 and the county spans about 744 square miles, with two thirds of the western part of the county being forest. National protected areas include the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge and Siuslaw National Forest.

The County is part of the agricultural richness the Willamette Valley has to offer. In recent decades, the valley has also become a major wine producer, with Polk County being one of the best in the area. The valley is often known as the "Oregon Wine Country". Polk County has over 25 wineries alone.

Polk County also houses the beautiful liberal arts college, Western Oregon University, and is only 30 miles from Oregon State University. Western was an inaugural winner of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award. This award recognizes universities and colleges that have demonstrated the highest level of commitment and action towards fostering a campus community that celebrates all the many facets of diversity. WOU is one of the most diverse universities in Oregon and has a higher percentage of Latino students in the Oregon University system.

Qualifications:

Please refer to the Class Specification for the full job description and minimum experience, education and training requirements for this position.

Supplemental Information:

*Please Note: Applicants who may currently be receiving mental health or addiction treatment services with Polk County Behavioral Health are advised of the following guidelines for employees: "In order to avoid conflicts of interest and maintain confidentiality amongst colleagues, Health Services employees seeking behavioral health services are encouraged to utilize resources outside of the Polk County Behavioral Health system. This does not apply to family members of the employee."

*A cover letter is required. If you are a military veteran and want to apply for Veterans' Hiring Preference, you must attach supporting documentation and complete the Veteran's Preference Form.

*DO NOT ATTACH ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS (transcripts, letters of recommendation, certificates, etc.) They will not be considered at the application stage. You may bring them to the interview if you are selected to interview.

Polk County is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities will be provided upon request.