Social Worker, Crisis Counselor

VNS Health in New York City is seeking a Psychiatric Social Worker to join our Children's Mobile Crisis Team within Healthcare & Medical Services. In this community-based role, you'll provide rapid psychosocial assessments, crisis intervention, safety planning, and short-term counseling for children and families. You will collaborate closely with psychiatrists, nurses, schools, and community partners to coordinate care and link clients to appropriate services.

VNS Health offers a compassionate, inclusive culture, strong clinical supervision, and meaningful opportunities for professional growth while making a direct impact on children's mental health.

Responsibilities

• Respond rapidly as part of the Children's Mobile Crisis Team to referrals for children and adolescents experiencing psychiatric or behavioral health crises in the community
• Conduct comprehensive psychosocial and psychiatric risk assessments in homes, schools, and other community settings, focusing on safety, risk, strengths, and supports
• Develop and implement collaborative safety and crisis stabilization plans with youth and their caregivers, using trauma informed and family centered approaches
• Provide brief, goal oriented therapeutic interventions, de escalation, and support to help stabilize crises in the least restrictive setting possible
• Coordinate care and communicate with psychiatrists, nurses, primary care providers, school personnel, and community partners to ensure appropriate follow up and continuity of care
• Facilitate referrals and warm handoffs to ongoing outpatient mental health, substance use, case management, and community support services
• Educate families and caregivers on coping strategies, behavioral management, crisis warning signs, and how to access emergency resources
• Document assessments, interventions, and care plans promptly and accurately within the electronic health record in accordance with regulatory and agency standards
• Participate in multidisciplinary case conferences, team meetings, and case reviews to support integrated, patient centered care
• Contribute to a culture of compassion, integrity, and collaboration consistent with VNS Health's mission, while practicing self care and utilizing supervision to manage the emotional impact of crisis work

Required Skills

• Psychiatric assessment of children and adolescents
• Suicide and violence risk assessment
• Crisis intervention and de-escalation
• Safety planning with youth and families
• Knowledge of DSM-5 and child psychiatric diagnoses
• Trauma-informed care
• Brief, solution-focused interventions
• Care coordination and discharge planning
• Knowledge of community mental health and social service resources in NYCElectronic health record (EHR) documentation
• Interdisciplinary team collaboration
• Cultural competence in diverse urban settings
• Time management and prioritization in high-acuity situations
• Motivational interviewing
• Family systems approach