School Based Behavioral Health Clinician - Bethel Elementary Schools

Overview

Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) is a federally qualified health center and a patient-centered medical home provider with offices in Connecticut, Colorado and California. CHC delivers primary medical, dental, and behavioral health services, supports practice-based research, health professional training, and the use of innovative technologies to advance health and healthcare. We serve more than 600,000 patient visits per year from primary care hubs and clinics across CT, connected by technology and quality standards.

We employ numerous medical, dental, and behavioral health providers engaged in practice, teaching, and research. Our Weitzman Institute conducts research and practice transformation focused on improving health outcomes for special and vulnerable populations. We have developed three subsidiaries from the Weitzman Institute: NNPRFTC, NIMAA, and Confer Med.

The Behavioral Health Clinician II is a licensed independent provider who performs diagnostic psychosocial evaluations, develops care plans with clients and their families, offers individual, family, or group therapy as appropriate, collaborates with psychiatric and/or medical providers on the client’s care team, and documents all clinical interventions in accordance with CHC policy, Joint Commission standards, and state regulatory expectations. The role is primarily focused on direct client care and may include supervision of unlicensed staff and/or students.

• Completes initial behavioral health evaluations; provides individual, group, and family psychotherapy with children and/or adults in an outpatient clinic. Expected to run at least five (5) groups per week of direct clinical work.
• Works as part of an interdisciplinary, inter-professional team; accepts “warm hand offs” from primary care providers and other health care team members; identifies patients potentially in need of behavioral health services as flagged by the BH clinical dashboard.
• Consults with providers within and outside the agency regarding treatment plans and patient progress.
• Participates in Behavioral Health On-Call for after-hours coverage and daily clinic call.
• Coordinates with psychiatric consultants for diagnostic and consultative needs; refers as necessary for medication management.
• Attends clinical Team Meetings and Component Meetings as assigned.
• Clinically supervises unlicensed Behavioral Health staff as assigned.
• Meets productivity standards as outlined in annual performance appraisals, with a focus on quality clinical care.
• Encourages clients to express feelings and discuss life situations to develop insight.
• Performs crisis interventions with clients; assesses immediate safety concerns (e.g., risk for homicide, suicide, domestic violence).
• Guides clients in developing skills or strategies to achieve identified goals.
• Develops and implements treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge, following state regulations and Joint Commission standards.
• Evaluates treatment effectiveness and progress toward defined objectives; modifies treatment activities as needed.
• Discusses life plans after therapy with individual clients; works with and supports family members to assist in understanding and supporting clients.
• Maintains awareness of new developments in the field and gathers information about community mental health resources to support therapy.

• Completes all required documentation in a timely manner per state regulations, Joint Commission standards, and CHC Behavioral Health department policies (e.g., intake, prior authorization, progress notes, treatment plans, discharge).
• Ensures treatment notes are completed and locked by the end of the next business day.
• Completes and submits reports for outside agencies (e.g., DCF, Family Relations, probation) with appropriate client releases.
• Participates as a member of agency-wide committees as assigned.

• Ph.D./Psy.
  
  D, LCSW, LPC, or LMFT degree.
• Licensed in the State of Connecticut.
• Minimum of two years experience with outpatients, including work with children and/or adults.
• Theoretical orientation consistent with brief, problem-focused therapy.
• Reliable access to…