Mental Health Professional II - JDC

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference and you have a passion for making a difference in the lives of South Carolina's youth, consider joining the dedicated people of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ).

It is the mission of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to impact and transform young lives, strengthen families, and support safer communities through targeted prevention and rehabilitation.

Under general supervision, provides clinical and case management services and support to youth assigned to the detention center. Services include intake screenings, advocacy, individual and group therapy, suicide screening/assessment, interdisciplinary consultation, and crisis management. Follows policies and procedures established by the Agency. QMHPs/MHPs contribute to creating a safer, more supportive, and therapeutic environment that aligns with the agency’s mission and vision to impact and transform lives, strengthen families, and help youth discover their strengths and abilities and become productive and successful citizens.

• Meets with youth within 24 hours of their detainment and completes the required admission documentation, which is to be uploaded in Medicat in a timely manner.
• Ensures the youth’s understanding of the detainment process.
• Reviews court orders and ensures court mandates are implemented.
• Disseminates information regarding the youth to JDC staff, as needed and appropriate.
• Upon youth’s arrival, uploads information in the Securus Nextgen phone system for the youth to utilize the unit phone to maintain contact with family and supportive individuals as identified in JJMS.
• Updates the youth’s minutes based on the Legacy level system.
• Coordinates amongst departments to ensure that youth on Contribute Honors status receive earned monthly in-person contacts with family.
• Provides clinical services, to include brief/short-term solution focused counseling and engagement, psycho educational individual and/or group services, and case management to ensure the emotional stability of the youth throughout the detainment process and documents all services in Medicat.
• Serves as the chief advocate for the youth and assists professionally with family/individual/legal needs.
• When needed, completes risk assessments and immediately informs staff (verbally and in writing) if mental health precautions are warranted.
• Per policy, ensures that all required documentation regarding the youth is uploaded in Medicat and/or JJMS.
• Completes clinical isolation check-ins with isolated youths, as well as participates in the IMDT meetings (as needed) and submits required documentation (notes and isolation forms) in JJMS and the JDC Youth Isolation email thread.
• Attends and participates in scheduled interagency staffings, as well as internal staff meetings (i.e., housing and MDT), and consults with other agencies/disciplines as directed or needed.
• Attends weekly community meetings in assigned unit(s).
• Submits psychiatric referrals and/or sick call requests forms, as needed.
• Completes all documentation required regarding PREA allegations.
• Provides on-call services for JDC on a rotating basis and completes and disseminates the required documentation (i.e., Suicide Risk Assessment, Daily Suicide Risk Assessment, Suicide Precautions Observation Documentation, and Youth Safety Plan), within the required time mandates, as well as uploads documents in Medicat and provides relevant information in the Mental Health MDT chat.
• If needed, on the weekends and/or the holidays will provide on-call assistance to the MEDC on-call clinician.
• Completes any other related job duties as assigned by supervisor(s).

A master's degree in…