GULF COAST CENTER - JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Galveston County Wellness Center Clinician

Location: Galveston County

FLSA Status: Exempt

Working Status: Full-time w/benefits

Summary:

Under the general direction of the Director of Crisis and Justice Services, the Galveston County Wellness Center Clinician (Clinician) performs clinical and administrative duties in support of the operation of the Wellness Center and Gulf Coast crisis services in general.

The primary objective of the Center extended observation and crisis respite services is stabilization and resolution of individuals' crisis situations for the individuals an their individual's caregiver(s). Center goals to be addressed for each individual admitted to the program include:

• Provide immediate crisis stabilization
• Provide a therapeutic environment to promote healing and restore sufficient functioning to allow the individual to transition to the least restrictive level of care
• Provide the individual with critical coping skills to support resilience and recovery
• Engage the individual with family, LAR, adult caregiver, identified support system and community resources and support
• Provide the individual with coordination of care and continuity of appropriate support services
• Reduce inpatient and law enforcement interventions through stabilization in the least restrictive setting

The Clinician is responsible for assisting the RN Program Manager for all Galveston County Wellness Center clinical services on a daily basis. The Clinician will work with other Center Clinicians to ensure that minimum standards for Clinician (LPHA) coverage are met that a Clinician has to be onsite every day and on call for after hours. All Center admissions have to be assessed by a Clinician within 1 hour of admission for a diagnosis if not already seen by a psychiatrist. The Clinician will also assist with admission crisis assessments and other non-licensed tasks if needed.

The Clinician will provide direct services to individuals admitted to the Center and in follow up to individuals that have transitioned from the Center to community services. Clinician will work with other Center clinicians and mental health professionals to ensure that all individuals discharging from the Center will have authorizations for Gulf Coast Center (GCC) outpatient services and warm hand offs to GCC outpatient services to avoid crisis recurrence, hospitalization, and legal involvement. .

Position will provide direct clinical services including assessment, diagnoses, therapy, psycho-social groups, and skills trainings to individuals admitted to the Center, including both extended observation and crisis respite care.

The Clinician will be responsible for adherence to and compliance with Gulf Coast Center policies and procedures, which include state regulatory codes. Responsible and accountable for the adherence to and promotion of the compliance policy. Performs other duties as assigned.

Gulf Coast Center is committed to fostering an open, inclusive, and supportive environment that welcomes and embraces diversity in all forms. Gulf Coast Center defines diversity broadly including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, abilities (mental/physical), gender, gender identity, immigrant status, language, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and age. Gulf Coast Center embraces trauma sensitive and informed practices, provides suicide safer care, and fosters a safe and compassionate environment that promotes racial and health equity.

Job Duties: (To be performed with or without accommodation as based on ADA requirements)

The Galveston County Wellness Center Clinician will be responsible for the following:

Essential Job Duties:

• May evaluate a client for admission to the Galveston County Wellness Center extended observation and crisis respite units and complete necessary referral. An individual that requires a more restrictive or less restrictive level of care must be referred the more appropriate treatment setting.
• Provides clinician diagnosis and assessment of individuals admitted to extended observation within 1 hour of individuals presenting to the facility. Provides clinician diagnosis and assessment of individuals admitting to crisis respite by the next business day after crisis respite admission. Clinician assessment to include identification of social, environmental, and cultural factors that may have contributed to the crisis, review of other precipitating factors leading to the current crisis, review of current support systems, and the individuals' ideas/plans for coping with the current crisis episode.
• Clinician diagnostic assessment is completed for all individuals admitted to crisis respite with an expired diagnosis in the electronic health record by the next business day after admission.
• Clinician will complete or facilitate completion of Center individuals' crisis treatment and recovery plans by the next business day after admission in order to ensure that they are adequate to meet the individuals' current crisis stabilization needs and for future crisis avoidance. The crisis treatment plan must be based on the psychiatric diagnosis and incorporate, to the extent possible, the individual's treatment preferences and any preferences reported by the individual's family, LAR, or identified support, as applicable. The crisis treatment plan must address plans for follow-up and aftercare, needed referrals, safety planning, and counseling on restriction to lethal means. Individuals and, if applicable, their family members, LAR, or identified supports must receive appropriate educational information that is relevant to the individual's condition, including information about the most effective treatment for the individual's behavioral health disorder.
• Facilitation of the ANSA re-assessment for all Level of Care 0 (LOC-0) individuals admitted to Center before their current 7 day LOC-0 authorizations expire. If the individual remains in LOC-0 at this reassessment, plans are made to reassess the level of need before the expiration of the extended LOC-0 authorization. Clinician is responsible to work with the individual and their assigned GCC crisis relapse prevention or case management staff in order to help the individuals avoid any disruption in their LOC-0 intensity services.
• Facilitate the update of LOC-0 individuals' ANSA assessments as their immediate LOC-0 crisis needs resolve in order to authorize a full level of care LOC 1-5 for continued ed crisis relapse prevention services.
• Coordinate with enrolled Level of Care 1-5 individuals' assigned case managers for facilitation of an ANSA re-assessment to adjust the individuals' level of care due to the crisis episode by the next business day of an individual's presentation at the Center.
• Clinician reassessment of each individual's progress in Center each business day.
• Perform or facilitate active group therapeutic or psycho-education interventions twice daily for the individuals in Center. A minimum of four hours per day of such programming must be available and must be provided to those who can participate at a minimal level of engagement as defined by the individual's treatment team.
• Perform individual therapeutic interventions that required by the individuals' treatment plans and consistent with the individuals' clinical states.
• Individuals who have significant co-occurring substance use must be linked with OSAR substance use disorder screenings for the OSAR staff to review eligibility for COPSD counseling designed to motivate the individual to engage in substance use treatment following discharge from the program.
• Responsible to coordinate with Center staff that will be responsible for continued follow up with individuals after their discharge from Center. Responsible to review each Center individual admitted to the Center due to suicide ideation and concerns for their eligibility for the specialized Pathway to Care suicide prevention follow up services. Responsible to coordinate with crisis relapse prevention or case management staff for follow up care for crisis avoidance for the individuals that do not qualify for the Pathway to Care.
• Provided therapy as requested by the Center crisis program to individuals involved in GCC crisis services including CBT for suicide prevention, CBT therapy, and DBT therapy, depending on the individuals' needs.
• May evaluate individuals for appropriateness for Center discharge.
• May evaluate Center individuals for inpatient care in the event of crisis recurrence at Center.
• Helps individuals with conflict and problem resolution at the Center.
• Assists with difficult discharge planning.
• Will be responsible and accountable for the adherence to and promotion of the agency compliance policy and will require communication with various departments to foster, develop and continue our community partnerships as it relates to the position.
• Treat all individuals with the utmost courtesy, decency and respect.
• Provide responsive, and efficient services.
• Interact with staff, consumers, local entities and advocacy groups to provide a service that meets local needs.
• Provide highest level of Customer Service for both internal and external customers.
• Required to report personnel leave; flex time and emergency leave to assigned supervisor.
• Strict adherence to the professional, ethical, and legal requirements set forth in GCC's Business Code of Conduct as well as the Corporate Compliance Plan.
• Consistent adherence to the Center's Dress Code.
• Consistent adherence to Center safety guidelines and expectations.
• May be required to travel within Brazoria and Galveston Counties.
• Out of region travel may be required to attend trainings.
• Must maintain a clear driving record and driver's license in accordance with our Driver Policy.

Non-Essential Job Duties:

• Demonstrates a commitment to provide exceptional customer service to patients, co-workers and the community.
• Demonstrates an ability to perform job tasks in an appropriately responsive, culturally sensitive manner recognizing one's own biases.
• Work practices meet health and safety guidelines and requirements
• Demonstrates dependable attendance and punctuality
• Maintain current status in required trainings
• Demonstrates an ability to implement trauma informed principles when working with clients and co-workers
• The hire for this position must be effective in presenting Galveston County Wellness Center information to local stakeholders, external agencies and other organizations to educate and/or gain cooperation with their response systems.
• Center staff are expected to utilize collaborative documentation as much as possible to have service documentation in the electronic health record by the end of their shifts. Documentation must be entered within 2 business days of service provision.

Supervision:

• Receives direct administrative supervision from Director of Crisis & Justice Services.

Required Education/ Licensure/Certifications:

• Master's degree in Psychology, Counseling, Social Work, or related field from an accredited college or university.
• LPC, LCSW, LMFT, Licensed Psychologist, PhD, or Advance Nurse Practitioner

Preferred Education/Licensure/Certifications:

• Prefer a master's degree or equivalent in the behavioral sciences field of study from an accredited college or university.

Required Experience:

• N/A

Preferred Experience:

• 1 year related mental health experience is preferred.