Contracted Clinical Assessor

Gracehaven is seeking a qualified, independently licensed behavioral health professional to serve as a Contracted Clinical Assessor This independent contractor position provides timely, trauma-informed behavioral health assessments for children and adolescents receiving residential, congregate-care, community-based, or related support services.

The Contracted Clinical Assessor evaluates each youth’s mental health needs, behavioral functioning, trauma-related symptoms, safety concerns, strengths, protective factors, and appropriate level of care. The assessor provides clear, individualized clinical recommendations to support treatment planning, crisis response, placement stability, safety planning, and referrals to appropriate behavioral health services.

This role serves as an independent clinical resource, collaborating with youth, caregivers, guardians, program staff, caseworkers, healthcare providers, schools, and other members of the treatment team. The assessor must exercise independent clinical judgment, maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries, and complete accurate, timely, and clinically sound documentation.

This is an independent contracted position. It does not include routine program supervision or replace the youth’s ongoing treating clinician.

• Conduct comprehensive, trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and culturally responsive mental health and behavioral health assessments.
• Review referral information, treatment history, medical and behavioral health records, medication information, previous assessments, incident reports, educational records, and other relevant documentation.
• Interview youth and obtain collateral information from parents, guardians, caregivers, residential staff, caseworkers, clinicians, schools, and other appropriate sources when authorized.
• Evaluate emotional, behavioral, cognitive, developmental, family, and social functioning, including trauma exposure, substance-use concerns, and environmental stressors.
• Identify youth strengths, coping skills, protective factors, natural supports, and resilience.
• Utilize Gracehaven’s designated clinical assessment instruments and screening tools to complete comprehensive diagnostic assessments.

• Assess current and historical safety concerns, including:
  • Suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and self-harm.
  • Homicidal ideation, aggression, threats, and violent behavior.
  • Elopement and runaway behaviors.
  • Vulnerability to exploitation or trafficking.
  • Abuse, neglect, and unsafe living conditions.
  • Substance use and other high-risk behaviors.
  • Psychosis, severe mood disturbances, and significant behavioral dysregulation.
  • Environmental and situational factors that may increase risk.
• Determine the level of risk and recommend appropriate interventions, supervision strategies, safety precautions, crisis services, emergency evaluations, or higher levels of care when clinically indicated.
• Immediately communicate imminent safety concerns to designated organizational leadership and follow applicable emergency-response, mandated-reporting, and duty-to-protect requirements.

• Develop clinically sound formulations integrating presenting concerns, behavioral patterns, developmental history, trauma exposure, family dynamics, environmental influences, and available collateral information.
• Identify behavioral health diagnoses within the scope of professional licensure and applicable standards.
• Differentiate, when clinically appropriate, between trauma-related responses, developmental behaviors, psychiatric symptoms, situational reactions, substance-related concerns, and other contributing factors.
• Identify the need for additional psychological, psychiatric, medical, neurodevelopmental, substance-use, or specialized assessments.
• Provide practical, individualized recommendations addressing:
  • Individual and family therapy.
  • Psychiatric evaluations and medication-management follow-up.
  • Trauma-focused treatment.
  • Substance-use assessment and treatment.
  • Behavioral interventions and coping-skills development.
  • Crisis stabilization and safety planning.
  • Supervision needs and environmental supports.
  • School and educational services.
  • Community-based behavioral health services.
  • Specialized assessments and level-of-care considerations.
  • Placement stability, discharge, and transition planning.

• Complete written assessments within established contractual and…