Mental Health Counselor - Underfill; Rural Nevada)

• No Nevada state income tax.

The Nevada DIVISION OF CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES (DCFS) is recruiting for a Mental Health Counselor 1 under filling a Mental Health Counselor 2 in one of the following rural offices:
Carson City, Elko, Ely, Fallon, Pahrump, Winnemucca or Yerington under the Intensive Family Services (IFS)/Clinical Program. This position works under supervision and advancement to the next level may occur after meeting the minimum qualification, satisfactory performance, and with endorsement of the appointing authority. This position may also provide counseling, case management, direct clinical services, community and home-based services, and behavioral and human services to youth involved with the child welfare system.

Mental Health Counselors provides in-home, family-centered, intensive services including counseling, skill-building, supportive services, advocacy, mental health assessments for children and their parents, and clinical case management to complex, high-risk families. Mental Health Counselors with IFS provide diagnoses to children in custody for access to services; higher level of care; crisis intervention; placement disruption services; and case consultation services for other DCFS program staff.

IFS program does not replicate existing services and is not considered a mental health program, but rather a clinical child welfare program designed to intervene quickly with families and youth to prevent placement disruption or support youth and caregivers. This Mental Health Counselor position will focus on placement coordination and support for youth in custody to optimize placement stability, supporting foster caregiver retention, facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration for youth with more complex needs and who may require a higher level of care.

This position will serve as a primary clinical link between foster parent and caregivers, the Licensing unit and child welfare staff. This Mental Health Counselor will facilitate and be highly active in the Placement Review Team, conduct clinically informed matching to align youth’s therapeutic needs with caregiver strengths and provide systematic advocacy to ensure foster families and caregiver receive the resources necessary to maintain placement integrity and the youth is placed in the appropriate level of care with sufficient oversight and coordination.

To perform the full range of duties, licensure, or approval for (clinical) licensure or internship is required:
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, or Licensed Practicing Counselor. Mental Health Counselors provide Intensive Family Services (IFS) to families involved with the child welfare system in rural Nevada.

Master's degree from an accredited college or university in counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology, social work or closely related academic field; OR an equivalent combination of education and clinical experience at or above a Master's degree and experience as described above.

• Conduct appraisals and assessments through interviews with the client, family members and community systems, personal observations, communication with clinicians and representatives of community agencies and organizations, and utilization of standardized techniques to determine client eligibility for services and appropriate course of treatment at the least restrictive level possible.
• Conduct or participate in treatment planning by attending treatment team meetings in which client goals are determined, and appropriate strategies and plans are developed and modified as necessary; coordinate and integrate services among members of treatment teams and client support systems; monitor treatment plans and evaluate effectiveness.
• Provide individual, family and group counseling and consultative services to clients, their families and support systems utilizing a broad array of intervention techniques required to effectively address client problems, which may include multiple psychosocial problems within the family unit.
• Utilize a family and community systems approach to develop and implement treatment plans by working with families and significant others in addition to the client; resolve client problems to prevent reoccurrence; provide recommendations for family reunification and adoption preservation.
• Develop and implement after care plans; advocate for clients through interactions with other agencies, organizations, community and…