Job Description

Job Summary:

This position is responsible for providing professional clinical behavioral health to Oyáte Health Center (OHC) patients.

Essential Functions:

Works in close collaboration with physicians and other health care personnel in patient evaluation and treatment to further their understanding of significant social and emotional factors underlying a patient's health problem.
Provides screening and assessment
Provides independent substance use disorders and mental health screenings, assessments, and therapy by observation, interpretation, and intervention of the full range of complex emotional, behavioral, and mental health disorders outlined by the DSM-5.
Provides professional social work services including diagnostic treatment and assessment for individuals, families, and groups; develops interventions based on the above needs assessment and exercises professional judgment in consultation with the supervisory behavioral health provider in providing problem-focused, culturally appropriate care.
Provides behavioral health services in homes, schools, clinics, job sites, and other community locations to eligible individuals as directed.
Provides case management for ongoing follow-up of cases and coordinates treatment referrals once cases are stabilized within the intervention team.
Organizes, coordinates, develops and leads therapeutic groups for individuals and families of all ages.
Provides crisis intervention services to clients with a wide variety of acute mental health problems.
Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish, organizational goals.
Provides professional written documentation for the medical records (Electronic Health Records); provides statistical and other reports as requested.
Serves as a liaison to other health care professionals/agencies and social welfare agencies, including tribal, state, federal and private entities.
Establishes and maintains a multi-disciplinary integrated treatment plan and case management. Coordinate with Purchased Referred Care in developing resources for difficult and/or high-cost cases.
Must comply with federal laws and regulations as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Privacy Act of 1974.
Performs related duties as assigned.

Professional Behavior

Effectively plan, organize workload, and schedule time to meet the demands of the position.
Work in a cooperative and professional manner with OHC and GPTLHB staff.
Treat Great Plains tribes and collaborators with dignity and respect.
Utilize effective verbal and written communication skills.
Advance personal educational development by attending training sessions and seminars as appropriate.
Exemplify excellent customer service with tribal stakeholders, health board colleagues, program partners, service recipients, visitors, and guests.
Foster a work environment of wellness, courtesy, friendliness, helpfulness, and respect.
Relate well and work collaboratively with coworkers and all levels of staff in a professional manner.
Consistently demonstrate respect for and acceptance of differing capabilities, cultures, gender, age, sexual orientation, and/or personalities.
Maintain and ensure organizational privacy and confidentiality.
Handle crises and tolerate stress professionally.
Be self-directed and take the proactive initiative to assist others.
Resolve issues with other departments and coworkers without direct supervision if needed.
Exercise flexibility to alter plans/routines when situations require and continue to perform without projecting stress/frustration that adversely affects the work environment.
Promote an alcohol, tobacco, and drug-free lifestyle.
Embrace modes of appearance and attire that reflect a professional presence.
Adhere to GPTLHB policies and procedures.

Requirements

Participates in Core Connections training and applies GPTLHB Core Connections concepts and practices in their work.

Exemplify excellent customer service with tribal stakeholders, health board colleagues, program partners, service recipients, visitors, and guests.
Foster a work environment of wellness, courtesy, friendliness, helpfulness, and respect.
Relate well and work collaboratively with coworkers and all levels of staff in a professional manner.
Familiarity and/or experience working with American Indian populations and respect for and knowledge of traditional, cultural, and spiritual practices of diverse American Indian communities, as well as an ability to work with other culturally and ethnically diverse populations.
Consistently demonstrate respect for and acceptance of differing capabilities, cultures, gender, age, sexual orientation and/or personalities.
Maintain and ensure organizational privacy and confidentiality.
Must be able to handle crisis and tolerate stress professionally.
Must be self-directed and take proactive initiative to assist others.
Possess the ability to resolve issues with other departments and coworkers without direct supervision.
Able to exercise flexibility to alter plans/routines when situations require and continue to perform without projecting stress/frustration that would adversely affect the work environment.
Ability to maintain a flexible work schedule, including evenings, weekends and overnight or extended travel as necessary.
Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to community members, consumers, and other employees of the organization.
Proficiency with computer programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and other Internet technologies.
Valid driver’s license must be kept current, and certificates, credentials or licenses must be kept current and consistent with regulations required by applicable federal, state and/or grant regulations.
Ability to promote an alcohol-, tobacco- and drug-free lifestyle.
Embrace modes of appearance and attire that reflect a professional presence.
Adhere to GPTLHB policies and procedures.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of social work principles and practices including knowledge of assessment of emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders, and an understanding of theories based on best practice.
Knowledge of medical terminology.
Knowledge of the use of the DSM-5.
Knowledge of customer service principles.
Knowledge of modern office practices and procedures.
Knowledge of assigned department’s policies and procedures.
Knowledge of computers and job-related software programs.
Ability to maintain a flexible work schedule, including evenings, weekends and overnight or extended travel as necessary.
Ability to provide independent mental health assessment and intervention services.
Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to community members, clients and other employees of the organization.
Ability to work with personal computer and utilize a variety of software applications, including database and office software systems.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, using tact and sensitivity.
Ability to manage multiple demands of the job.
Skill in the provision of independent professional social work services and therapy.
Skill in oral and written communication.
Skill in interpersonal relations.
Skill in the provision of customer service.
Skill in the use of personal computers and a variety of job-related software applications.
Skill in prioritizing and organizing work and maintenance of files and records.
Skill in the use of such office equipment as a computer, scanner, fax machine, and copier.

Supervisory Controls

The supervisor makes assignments by defining objectives, priorities, and deadlines and assists the employee with unusual situations that do not have clear precedents.

The employee plans to carry out the successive steps and handle problems and deviations in the work assignments in accordance with instructions, Policies, previous training, the scope of work license/certification, or accepted practices in the occupation.

Completed work is usually evaluated for technical soundness, appropriateness, and conformity to policy and requirements. The methods used in arriving at the end results are not usually reviewed in detail.

Guidelines

Guidelines are available but are not completely applicable to the work or have gaps in specificity. The employee must use judgment in interpreting and adapting guidelines, such as agency policies, regulations, precedents, accreditation requirements, advanced clinical protocols, and work directions for application to specific cases or problems. The employee analyzes results and recommends changes. The employee uses initiative and resourcefulness in deviating from traditional methods or researching trends and patterns to develop new methods, criteria, or proposed new policies.

Guidelines include federal, state, and local regulations, Indian Health Service Manual (Chapter 14, Mental Health Program and Chapter 8, Social Services Programs), accreditation agency standards, and GPTLHB and department policies and procedures. These guidelines are clear and specific and require judgment when selecting alternative approaches.

Complexity/Scope of Work

This position involves the performance of a variety of clinical duties in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. The purpose of this position is to provide clinical social work services to OHC patients. Providing care to patients who are difficult, hostile, distressed; and from varied backgrounds and situations increases the complexity of this position.

Decisions regarding what needs to be done include the assessment of unusual circumstances, variations in approach, and incomplete or conflicting data. The work requires making many decisions concerning such things as an interpretation of considerable data, planning of the work, or refinement of the methods and techniques to be used.

The work involves establishing criteria; formulating projects; assessing program effectiveness; or investigating or analyzing a variety of unusual conditions, problems, or questions.

The work product or service affects a wide range of organizational activities, major financial activities, or the operation of other programs divisions of the organization.

Contacts

Contacts are typically with individual patients, families, groups, tribal agencies, social service agencies, courts, state and federal resource agencies, private/public treatment facilities, physicians, psychologists and other health care workers, and GPTLHB employees.

Contacts are primarily for obtaining, furnishing, exchanging and providing factual medical information, provide patient care and other related services.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items; or driving an automobile. The employee must be able to read, write, speak and hear.

The work involves moderate risks or discomforts that require special safety precautions, including exposure to contagious diseases. Employees may be required to use protective clothing or masks.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Supervisory and Management Responsibility

This position has no formally assigned supervisory responsibility or authority. The employee is responsible only for the performance of their own assigned work. They may be asked to train new employees in the fundamentals of the jobs or to participate in cross‑training of other employees in the department, but such assignments do not include the ongoing authority to assign and review the work of other employees or to recommend or take corrective action with regard to other employees' performance.

Minimum Qualifications

Master’s degree in social work or actively working towards Master’s degree in a related Behavioral Health field and experience in the occupational field sufficient to perform the major duties of the position, and to be able to answer questions and resolve problems.
Licensed as a Licensed Practical Counselor or related field. Candidates may be considered with expectation that licensure will be obtained within two (2) years.
Possession or ability to readily obtain a valid driver’s license issued by the State of South Dakota with a clean driving record.
Must carry the mandatory level of vehicle insurance required by the State of South Dakota.
Must successfully pass a criminal and background check, and a pre-employment drug screen.

The GPTLHB is a tribal organization which follows tribal preference laws. It is our policy to give preference to qualified Indian/Tribal candidates over qualified non-native candidates in hiring decisions, if all other qualifications are equal.

Employment is contingent upon the outcome of all required criminal background checks.