Mental Health Professional

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Job Title: Mental Health Professional (MHP) 

Department: Mental Health

Reports to: The Mental Health Program Director 

Job Type: Full Time, Salary, Exempt  

Job Location: Chicagoland Area 

Salary Range: $40,00-$43,000

Rincon - Building Spaces, Restoring Communities- Who we are:

What began as a small clinic established by young community leaders on the West Side of Chicago in 1972 has grown into one of the largest providers of high-quality and culturally competent services focusing on counseling and crisis intervention services, substance use prevention and treatment, violence prevention, education, case management, community and family services. We are dedicated to rendering compassionate and effective programs to promote the quality of life by catalyzing to advocate, educate and empower individuals and their families. 

Position Description – What the Role Entails:

The MHP works as a member of a multi-disciplinary team providing therapeutic and rehabilitative services, counseling, case management and integrated dual diagnosis treatment. The team works to address all treatment needs, including crisis management, substance abuse treatment, medication management, physical health treatment, mental health treatment, accessing benefits and entitlements, and other supportive services.

Company Culture - Do Our Values Speak to You?

At Rincon, our commitment to mutual respect, inclusivity, and diversity is woven into the structure of all that we do. We value: 

• Dedication - Embodying effective and transparent leadership and quality client care. 
• Education – Preventative programming and clinical services based on industry standards, competence and outreach.
• Accountability – Consistent service delivery, measurable success, and sensible financial management.
• Advocacy – Empowerment, reduction of treatment stigma, and relationship building with partners.
• Compassion – Embracing culturally diverse communities and equality through sensitivity to individual needs.

With these values in mind, we promote a culture that fosters professional development and agency success. Many of our employees span an extended tenure, and we pride ourselves on developing dedicated and supported team members.

Areas of Accountability - What you will be doing:

1. Effectively use written, verbal, and non-verbal communication to communicate ideas to supervisor and other peers and clients.
2. Maintain a positive and productive work environment for clients.
3. Conflict resolution and problem solving skills. Recognize and distinguish between productive and non-productive conflict and appropriately use effective conflict resolution techniques to respond to problems, conflicts and grievances.
4. Case Management/ Service Planning skills. Develop problem and goal lists and aftercare plans: prioritize problems and plans appropriate methods of addressing problems, make appropriate referrals.
5. Individual service: Develop therapeutic relationships with clients and use communication skills to engage them in planning and following up: identify obstacles to recommendations and minimize their impact.
6. Crisis intervention: Identify potential conflicts and implement crisis intervention techniques to prevent or intervene in potential crisis situations.
7. Documentation and writing: Use clinically appropriate professional terminology to complete forms and records, accurately documenting client session, planning, and progress.
8. Maintain client records, through both paper files and transitioning to electronic medical record. Must meet documentation standards as required by program and funding sources, including documentation of clinical interactions, behavioral health assessments & individual service plans.
9. Provide billing and clinical service reports as requested, with a minimum of weekly reports being required.
10. Develop and maintain relationships with community-based organizations.
11. Develop and maintain a community referral binder with the contact information of community-based organizations.
12. Attend all required meetings, committees, and trainings according to program standards.
13. Participate in QI process.
14. Participate in regular supervision from an RFS LPHA, seeking additional supervision whenever necessary. The minimum requirement is two hours of documented supervision per month.
15. Provide coordination and linkage with community agencies. 
16. All other duties assigned 

Rincon Rewards & Benefits- How we value you:

• Health insurance 
• Dental & Vision insurance
• Life insurance 
• Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance 
• 403(b) Retirement Plan
• Generous PTO (Paid time off)- Accrue up to 21 days in Year 1, some PTO carryover allowable. 
• Employee Assistance Program 
• Professional Development Opportunities 
• Employment may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
• Certain employees may qualify for City of Chicago commuter transit benefits

Rincon’s Work Environment – What to expect:

Physical Demands: The MHP must be able to successfully perform essential functions of this job including carry charts to and from their offices/desks, prepare for group activities that may entail moving chairs and/or tables, carrying bags/boxes of food or decorating group activity areas. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Employees are responsible for informing supervisor of any invisible disability or medical restriction that limit physical capability.

Work environment: The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. There may be occasions that call for an employee to carry out duties at other agency offices. Traveling to and from meetings is necessary. Majority of work duties would be conducted in the field, which would require travel and having a reliable vehicle.

Performance Indicators:

During a typical year a full-time staff will have 1,820 hours of potential direct service hours. It

is expected that 80% (1,456 hours) be direct clinical hours, or 28 direct service hours a week. Significant deviations will be discussed with the Mental Health Coordinator.

Direct billable hours are broken down into Individual services, including but not limited to Mental Health Assessments (MHAs), treatment plans and therapy, and then group services. Below is an approximate breakdown of what those hours should look like. 

Approximate Breakdown of Hours

Indicator:

Direct Billable Services

Weekly: 28

Monthly: 96

Yearly: 1456

Clinical Documentation

Weekly: 5

Monthly: 20

Yearly: 260

Supervision, trainings & other non-billable services

Weekly: 2

Monthly:8

Yearly: 104

Annual Trainings:

As part of the organization's commitment for quality service all staff have to complete the following trainings yearly, but other trainings will be scheduled based on the program or funding requirements.  

Orientation to Agency Policy and Procedures

Orientation to IDHS Administrative Rules and Regulations

Orientation to agency treatment philosophy

Orientation to EMR, email system, and other software associated to program  

Customer Service

Cultural Competency & Diversity

Person Centered services & treatment planning 

Work Place Violence and De-escalation techniques

Ethics

Health & Safety,

Emergency Procedures

Critical Incident, Abuse and Neglect Reporting

Rights of the Person, Confidentiality, Advance Directives

Corporate Compliance, Grievance and satisfaction survey process

Orientation to organization's programming, inter/external referral process

Education on medication treatment (methadone and psychotropic medication)

Program Specific Trainings, Effective Case Management Case 

Schedule:

• 8-hour shift (1-hour unpaid lunch)
• Monday to Friday/Monday to Friday with Evenings/Some weekends required/Variable 

Language:

• Fluent in Spanish, bicultural applicants strongly preferred.

The Knowledge and Expertise that Matters Most - What you bring to the Role : 

Good listening, communication and case management skills. Able to tailor communication styles to make the client feel comfortable.

• Ability to engage clients in a clinically and respectful manner.
• Initiative and big-picture thinking.
• Case management and planning skills.
• Understanding of legal issues of this population.
• Understanding of addiction issues of this population.
• Understanding of mental illness issues of this population.
• Understanding of internal and external medical and supportive services.
• Cultural competence and sensitivity.
• Fast, accurate documentation skills.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.

OTHER REQUIRED ABILITIES:

• Fluent in Spanish, bicultural applicants strongly preferred.
• Ability to work effectively with peers, individual clients and groups.
• Desire to learn new skills.
• Knowledge of community and social service agencies.
• Ability to maintain accurate records and necessary paperwork.
• Knowledge of de-escalation methods or ability to be trained in de-escalation methods.
• Position Qualifications – What is required to Perform the Role: 
• Bachelor’s degree in social service field or more than 5 years of experience.
• IM+CANS certified preferred.
• As evidenced by previous work experience, academic background, and in-service or other training, the MHP shall demonstrate a strong understanding of how to:
• Identify precipitating events;
• Gather histories of mental, emotional and physical disabilities, alcohol and drug use, past mental health services and criminal justice contacts;
• Assess family, social and work relationships;
• Conduct and document a mental health assessment;
• Utilize appropriate additional diagnostic tools (e.g. LOCUS, GAF, OHIO scales...);
• Under supervision, document a DSM diagnosis;
• Under supervision, write and implement a treatment plan;
• Under supervision, and within the scope of one’s practice, provide mental health services;
• Must pass a pre-employment TB Test and background check. This includes clearance by the DHS Background Check Unit;
• Physical ability to bend, stoop, kneel, squat, twist, reach, pull and lift heavy objects.
• Must be able to climb stairs several times a day;
• Must adhere to agency’s non-discrimination policies.
• IM+CANS certified.