The School-Based Mental Health Clinician is both embedded in the Jefferson County 509j School District as well as in the outpatient Child and Family Mental Health office. This model is unique, providing mental health services for children and adolescents directly within a school building to reduce barriers such as cost, transportation and concerns around confidentiality that often keep children and youth from seeking the mental health services they need. This embedded position encourages community collaboration to increase client care and improve outcomes.

The School-Based Mental Health Clinician will also work alongside the Child and Family Outpatient Team during non-school hours to coordinate care for clients including Peer support, WRAP around services, Intensive In-Home Behavioral Health Treatment (IIBHT), Substance Use Treatment, and other services or resources provided through Jefferson County’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC).

We are looking for a collaborative and self-motivated clinician with a desire to serve the child and adolescent population of Jefferson County, Oregon. This position qualifies for the Oregon Behavioral Health Loan Repayment Program (https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HSD/AMH/Pages/Loan-Repayment.aspx).

JOB SUMMARY:  The School-Based Mental Health Clinician I primarily works out of the School-based Health Center (SBHC) to support a unique health care model for comprehensive physical, mental and preventive health services for youth and adolescents either within a school or on school property by providing direct patient care through brief interventions, referral, and coordination of specialty mental health services as needed, and psycho-education.  With easy access to health care in a school setting, SBHCs reduce barriers such as cost, transportation, and concerns surrounding confidentiality that often keep children and youth from seeking the health services they need. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Works closely as part of a multi-disciplinary team, in collaboration with primary care providers, to support the behavioral, physical, and psychosocial needs of a diverse patient population within a school-based health center setting;
2. Works with other members of primary care team to assess, treat, and manage patients effectively within an integrated behavioral health care model;
3. Assists in the development of patient care plans, provides consultation as needed, and makes referrals when appropriate;
4. Plans and provides psychological assessment and diagnosis in a primary care setting with brief psychotherapeutic interventions as needed;
5. Develops and maintains strong collaborative relationships with a wide range of community partners, public health, and the medical community including (but not limited to): local school districts, DHS-Child Welfare, the County Juvenile Department, Public Health, local health clinics and other programs and departments;
6. Gathers, tracks, and presents outcome data;
7. Provides one-to-one, group, and family counseling, case management, and mental health outreach;
8. Works collaboratively with treatment team members and other agencies and documents those services in the client file;
9. Leads psycho-educational, skill development, anger management, parenting, process, gender-specific, and family groups as assigned;
10. Although stationed and working in the school-based health center, remain very closely linked to the Mental Health Team/BestCare and attends weekly mental health team meetings (i.e. child/family team meeting, and others as assigned);
11. Learns and remains abreast of local social service network to be able to assist students and families with accessing needed resources (housing, counseling, food bank, local medical community, etc.);
12. Maintains documentation within agency timelines in client files;
13. Models appropriate counselor behavior to the newer staff and help train and orient new staff to the program;
14. Completes training/certification required to perform mental health crisis work and be part of the afterhours MH crisis rotation;
15. Will include hours in BestCare’s clinic depending on caseload size and service demand;
16. Other duties as assigned by the Clinical Program Supervisor or Program Director

ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Performs work in alignment with the BestCare’s mission, vision, values;
2. Supports the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion by fostering a culture of open-mindedness, cultural awareness, compassion, and respect for all individuals; 
3. Strives to meet Program/Department goals and supports the organization’s strategic goals;
4. Adheres to the organization’s Code of Conduct, Business Ethics, Employee Handbook, and all other relevant policies, procedures, and other compliance needs;
5. Understands and maintains professionalism and confidentiality per HIPAA, 42 CFR, and Oregon Statutes;
6. Attends required program/staff meetings and completes assigned training timely and satisfactorily;
7. Ensures that any required certifications and/or licenses are kept current and renewed timely;
8. Works independently as well as participates as a positive, collaborative team member;
9. Performs other organizational duties as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Master’s degree in psychology, social work, counseling, behavioral sciences, or related field required
• For individuals in recovery from substance-use disorder, must have maintained continuous recovery for the previous two years at the time of hire;

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS:

• QMHP-I or QMHP-R upon hire with ability/commitment to attain certification in 6 mo, or PCA CSWA registration with ability/commitment to attain license within 2 years 
• Must maintain a valid Oregon Driver License or ability to obtain one upon hire, and be insurable under the organization’s auto liability coverage policy (minimum 21 years of age and with no Type A violations in the past 3 years, or three (3) or more Type B violations)

PREFERRED:

• Preference given to professional licensure
• Dually credentialed as a CADC is preferred
• Bilingual in English/Spanish a plus