Mental Health Specialist

Overview

The Mental Health Specialist provides clinical services including assessment, screening, brief therapy, crisis intervention, and community referrals for patients in a correctional setting. This position plays a key role in identifying and addressing mental health needs while collaborating with medical, mental health, and custody staff to promote patient well-being and safety.

• Conducts emergency clinical assessments for individuals referred due to emotional or behavioral distress.
• Reviews and co-signs all mental health screening intakes completed by nursing staff for new arrivals.
• Develops individualized treatment plans addressing housing, medication referral, counseling, and community treatment needs.
• Conducts initial clinical assessments within three (3) days for individuals identified as high risk.
• Provides brief individual or group counseling when clinically appropriate.
• Performs assessments on individuals placed on suicide precautions and, in consultation with mental health staff, determines the need to continue, modify, or discontinue such precautions.
• Assists individuals with mental illness in accessing community services upon release.
• Cooperates with requests for information from the judicial system while maintaining compliance with HIPAA regulations.
• Maintains daily and monthly statistics on patient contacts and demographic data.
• Attends bi-monthly staff meetings and other required CFG or facility meetings.
• Participates in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiatives and assists in conducting CQI studies.
• Provides or assists in training custody staff on mental health topics, as requested or required by the facility.
• Completes all required documentation and clinical notes accurately and promptly.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Professional certification required; clinical license preferred.
• Knowledge of the judicial, correctional, and mental health systems.
• Understanding of clinical theory and practice with emphasis on crisis intervention.
• Familiarity with community resources and referral processes.
• Competence in assessment, interviewing, and counseling techniques.
• Working knowledge in recognizing and treating serious and persistent mental illness, and interventions for behaviorally disordered individuals.
• Awareness of suicide prevention and management strategies.
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team and cooperate with medical and custody staff.
• Availability for on-call support to the facility during off-hours.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made upon written request.

• Frequently required to sit, stand, walk, bend, reach, and lift light materials.
• Must be able to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to use hands and fingers to handle or operate standard office equipment.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing.