Mental Health Therapist III

Sea Mar Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) founded in 1978, is a community-based organization committed to providing quality, comprehensive health, human, housing, educational and cultural services to diverse communities, specializing in service to Latinos in Washington State. Sea Mar proudly serves all persons without regard to race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, or sexual orientation, and regardless of ability to pay for services. Sea Mar's network of services includes more than 90 medical, dental, and behavioral health clinics and a wide variety of nutritional, social, and educational services. We are recruiting for the following position:

Sea Mar is a mandatory COVID-19 and flu vaccine organization

The Mental Health Therapist III is part of a multi-disciplinary treatment team providing direct services to patients in a secure residential setting. Direct services may include a combination or all of the following: assessment, diagnosis, individual and group counseling, milieu management, and supervision of patients. These adults primarily have a mental health diagnosis and may also have a chemical dependency problem. This job description does not suggest or imply that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. This person will be required to follow other instructions and to perform other duties as assigned by the Supervisor. He or She promotes each resident's ability to exercise their rights through education, and advocacy.

Duties and Responsibilities

As a mission-driven organization, the core values of, and the services offered at Sea Mar are based on the belief that everyone deserves to be respectfully treated in a way that preserves dignity and enhances self-worth. Sea Mar is an advocate for its clients and aims to achieve industry-leading, client-centered, culturally aware services.


Sea Mar employees serve as an extension of this mission and demonstrate their commitment to an excellent client experience by:

• Understanding and empathizing with client needs
• Surpassing client expectations
• Demonstrating a high level of integrity
• Exhibiting compassion and commitment
• Advocating for social justice
• Taking pride in individual work as well as that of the team
• Continually learning to stay current with industry standards, best practices and technology

As a Sea Mar employee, the individual in this position commits to adherence to these values to their utmost ability and endeavors to strengthen and embody this mission daily.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES may include any or all of the following based on resident needs:

• Maintains professional standards and follows the treatment policies and procedures of the agency, as well as applicable federal, state and local regulations, especially WAC 246-337 requirements.
• Gains a thorough working knowledge of appropriate WAC's, WIG's and RCW's.
• Attends regular staff meetings and in-service training for clinical personnel.
• Completes all shift responsibilities as required, both on time and accurately.
• Follows each patient's individualized treatment program as designed and implemented by the treatment team.
• Works closely with Mental Health Technicians, Clinicians, Peer Counselor, and Discharge Planner in order to relate visual arts assignments to issues that the patient is addressing in treatment.
• Provides individual and group counseling for persons in the process of discovering and dealing with emotional, social and behavioral problems related to their alcohol and drug addiction and mental health problems, using both visual and performance arts as a medium of expression.
• Demonstrates clear and concise written and verbal communication.
• Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span.
• Able to identify and categorize each patient's age-specific grouping of needs, such as those for infant, adolescent, or geriatric patients.
• Completes daily record keeping, i.e., clinical documentation as directed by the Clinical Supervisor and Administrator, following the structure of the problem-oriented patient records system.
• Completes daily logging, Extraordinary Incident Reports (EIR's), medication logging (if trained), etc. on time and accurately.
• Provides all physical care of patients required to meet their physical and emotional needs, consistent with agency policy and applicable licensing WACS
• Gains an accurate knowledge of available community and statewide referral resources.
• Maintains consistent and positive relationships with all collateral contacts.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The person in this position must be of good character and able to maintain the understanding, physical health, emotional stability, and personality suited to meet the physical, mental, emotional, and social needs of the population served.
• Must have good organizational and communication skills; demonstrate professionalism and appropriate boundaries in all interactions.
• The person in this position shall have no history or evidence of alcohol or other drug misuse for a period of three (3) years prior to the date of employment at the facility, and no misuse of alcohol or other drugs while employed at this facility.
• This individual cannot be a person who has been convicted of a felony within the last seven years or ever been convicted of child abuse and / or any crime involving physical harm to another person nor be a perpetrator of substantiated child abuse.
• Ability to communicate effectively; Strong team building and problem-solving skills
• Working knowledge of government systems/regulations, such as Medicare, Medicaid and community resources
• Understanding of the medically related social services needs of the population served, with an ability to work as a member of the interdisciplinary team to formulate and implement plans to address identified needs in a timely manner
• Ability to operate office equipment including computers, copier, fax machine and cameras
• Demonstrate understanding, respect and appreciation for diversity and have an understanding of community systems; and is able to demonstrate understanding of the cultural issues impacting the Latino community.
• The MHT/Art Therapist must complete an annual clinical competency test as a mental health therapist and demonstrate the ability to form and maintain effective relationships with residents, team members and community providers, as well as ability to manage multiple complex projects and timelines.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• The applicant must read and write English fluently, and Spanish Speaking is preferred, but not required.
• Applicant must have the ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals; possess the ability to write routine reports and correspondence in English; ability to communicate effectively with residents or employees of the organization.

Education, Certificates, Licenses, Registrations, and Medical Screening

• Must hold a bachelor's degree in psychology, Human Services, Counseling, Social Work, or related field and at least five years of experience working with mentally ill clients. In cases of exceptional qualifications, experience may be substituted for education.
• Must meet criteria of a Mental Health Professional (MHP). Must hold and maintain an active Washington State Agency Affiliated Counselor License (may be pending for up to 60 days if applied for within 7 days of being offered employment) or mental health Associate License (includes Marriage and Family Therapist, Mental Health Counselor, and Clinical Social Worker).

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must complete a pre-hire and annual TB test screening.
• This position must obtain Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR within 90 days of hire date and is required to maintain current BLS CPR throughout employment.
• Must receive a satisfactory background check.
• Annual influenza vaccine required. Only exception is for employees with a medical or religious exemption approved by Administration. Employees with an approved medical or religious exemption must wear a mask at all times during the flu season.
• Annual employee health screening required
• TB testing annually required.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The MHT will have a supportive environment, utilizing the interdisciplinary team approach. He or She will work at Sea-Mar Community Care Center and may be required to travel outside the facility for outreach/marketing and in meeting resident needs. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Must be able to handle stressful situations including conflicts, death and dying, expression of complaints and multiple tasks simultaneously. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Facility ranges from quiet to loud depending on activities of patients.

Hourly - Hourly Plan, 33.23 USD Hourly

What We Offer:

Sea Mar offers talented and motivated people the opportunity to work in a dynamic and growing community health organization. Working at Sea Mar Community Health Centers is more than just a job, it's a fulfilling career with opportunity for advancement. The fringe benefits surpass most companies. For example, Full-time employees working 30 hours or more, receive an excellent benefit package of:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Prescription coverage
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• EAP (Employee Assistance Program)
• Paid-time-off starting at 24 days per year + 10 paid Holidays.
• We also offer 401(k)/Retirement options and an exciting opportunity to work in a culturally diverse environment.

Sea Mar is an equal opportunity employer.

Please visit our website to learn more about us at You may also apply thru our Career page at this link.