Mental Health Professional I - Mobile Crisis (Pickens - AOP)

Mental Health Professional I

Are you passionate about making a real difference in people's lives? Join our team at the SC Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) where we are dedicated to providing compassionate and accessible care to our community. We are seeking a Mental Health Professional I who is motivated to help individuals and families navigate life's challenges and achieve long-term wellness. If you want to use your skills to build a healthier, more resilient community, we encourage you to apply.

This position is located at the BHDD - Office of Mental Health, Pickens County Clinic, 337 West Main Street, Easley, SC 29640.

As a Mental Health Professional I, you will provide assessments for patients being discharged from local hospitals, consultation, crisis intervention, and short-term case management services. The overall purpose of this position is to assure timely access to outpatient mental health services for patients and to divert future hospitalizations during mental health crisis and provide on-call back-up.

Responsibilities for the Mental Health Professional I:

• Provide emergency assessments of patients experiencing crisis. Conduct face to face consultations as needed, arriving on-site no later than 60 minutes after the receipt of call. Participate in on-call rotation.
• Formulate level of care and disposition. Educate patients on community resources and make arrangements for immediate disposition regarding transfers and referrals. Serve as a provider of the crisis intervention, by administering brief individual and/ or family therapy to address crisis and identify triggers for crisis behavior to include development of crisis safety plan up to initiating the process of involuntary commitment.
• Participate in weekly Assessment/ Community Response staff meetings individual supervision PRN, and daily treatment staffing. Serve as liaison to local community mental health center to provide updates on Office of Mental Health patients.
• Comply with all applicable Quality Assurance. Corporate Compliance and Cultural Competence policies, procedures and regulations, and all Federal and State laws as well as attend all trainings classified mandatory by Federal & State regulations. Engage in additional trainings to maintain professional development.

Minimum and Additional Requirements:

• Masters' degree in guidance, counseling, or the social sciences or a related field.
• Must be licensed or eligible for licensure in SC. If unlicensed, must be willing to work towards licensure in SC within six months of employment.
• Must qualify for credentialing and privileging as a mental health professional and in accordance with quality assurance standards and with concurrence by Office of Mental Health Quality Management.
• In order to be credentialed for core services as a Mental Health Professional at the SC Office of Mental Health, applicants must provide evidence of clinical experience providing direct patient care. This experience may be documented as a practicum or internship during graduate program, or post-graduate clinical experience. Please be sure to provide specific clinical activities on your application and/or resume.
• The position will be assigned to a regional location and will cover a multi-county area, will require frequent travel in the assigned region.
• The position will also provide on-call coverage a minimum of one week per month.
• This position requires the ability to bend, stoop, climb, drive from location to location, lift and file.
• This position could be considered essential. Therefore, the employee in this position may be asked to report to work in the event of an emergency even if the Center is closed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bilingual abilities in English and Spanish (or another language) are a plus.

Additional Comments:

• Post hire, employees must have: sound theoretical knowledge of principles, methods, counseling practices, and procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of behavioral and mental disorders.
• Ability to listen, understand, and effectively communicate information and ideas so that others will understand.
• Some knowledge of psychopathology and patient management within the psychiatric setting.
• Some knowledge of basic health and welfare services provided by other public and private agencies.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with individuals, families and representatives of other professional disciplines.
• Be able to pass CPR and Managing Agitation in the Psychiatric Setting (MAPS) Certification.

This position is considered essential and may be called back during crises/disasters/emergencies.

The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities offers an exceptional benefits package for full time (FTE) employees:

• Health, dental, vision, long-term disability, and life insurance for employees, spouse, and children.
• 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year
• 15 days sick leave per year
• 13 paid holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• S.C. Deferred Compensation Program available (S.C. Deferred Compensation)
• Retirement benefit choices:
• State Retirement Plan (SCRS)
• State Optional Retirement Program (State ORP)

*Enrollment in one of the listed plans is required for all FTE employees; please refer to the contribution section of hyperlinked retirement sites for the current contribution rate of gross pay.