As a Primary Care Counselor/Therapist, you will provide diagnostic and therapeutic outpatient services to adults and children at Primary Medical Care locations. Your duties include planning and delivering brief therapy sessions, conducting assessments, and creating individualized treatment plans. You will monitor patient progress and adjust treatments as needed, while collaborating with medical staff to ensure comprehensive care. Maintaining accurate patient records and staying updated with best practices in mental health care are essential. You will follow performance standards set by the governing board, administration, and accrediting bodies.

Education:

• Minimum Master's in Social Work, Psychology, or Counseling required
• Minimum age of 21

Licensure/Certification/Registry:

• LPC or LSW required

Experience:

• Behavioral health experience preferred

Other Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Must have computer and keyboarding skills required by position
• Must have valid IL driver’s license, reliable transportation, and proof of automobile insurance
• Must pass background checks and drug screen

Direct Clinical Services

1. Conduct assessments of patient, including completion of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression scale and General Anxiety Screening (GAD-7).
2. Develop initial comprehensive assessment data including patient presenting problems, mental status, relevant psychiatric, medical and developmental histories to make decisions regarding diagnosis (per DSM-V), treatment objectives and ongoing treatment plans and/or to provide information and make appropriate referrals to other treatment resources in the community.
3. Provide 25 hours of billable services per week to patients.
4. Consult with patient and primary care provider about treatment options and preferences; coordinate initiation of treatment plan.
5. Monitor patient closely for changes in severity of symptoms and medication side effects. Educate patients about medication and side effects as needed. Encourage treatment adherence.
6. Use behavioral activation techniques with patient as an adjunct to other treatments.
7. Provide evidence-based, brief structured psychotherapy (PST-PC).
8. Participate in regular caseload supervision with treatment team, focusing on patients improving adequately (e.g., less than 50% reduction in symptoms after 8-12 weeks in treatment).
9. Coordinate communication between patient and primary care physician and consulting psychiatrist; provide recommendations for change in treatment plan.
10. Document all encounters according to policies and procedures.
11. Implement crisis or pre-crisis intervention procedures with potentially suicidal, homicidal, or severely disabled patients. Where appropriate referrals will be made to consulting psychiatrists or inpatient psychiatric facilities to prevent further destabilization.
12. Interview collateral contacts, previous and current treatment professionals, and significant others, to further establish a database for assessment and ongoing treatment plan as needed.
13. Clarify priority problems, goals for change, and session limits according to agency policy to assist patients in developing appropriate expectations for treatment in relationship to the agency. Use a variety of psychotherapeutic treatment approaches and interventions to change targeted behaviors and stabilize adaptive behaviors with individuals, couples and families.
14. Manage the termination process and discharge planning to enhance patients’ abilities to retain treatment changes and/or use other available support services.
15. May organize, plan and participate in therapy groups for patients and/or their families, as assigned

Patient Information System

1. Establish appropriate professional files, including: comprehensive assessments, progress notes, treatment objectives and plans, previous treatment records, patients’ consent to current treatment and for exchange of information.
2. Complete required administrative forms. Collect necessary information for billing and fee collection.
3. Provide necessary patient information to other agencies or health care providers to coordinate services to identified patients.
4. May prepare necessary documents/reports for DCFS as needed.

Training Activities/Professional Growth

1. Supervisor and employee mutually identify professional goals that will enhance job related skills.
2. Participate in ongoing agency meetings, committees and special projects to enhance professional expertise.
3. Complete mandatory education requirements by specified deadlines.
4. Participate in required staff meetings and in-services to keep abreast of agency policy and administrative procedures, meet requirements for continuing education, and upgrade professional knowledge.

Consultation/Networking

1. Engage in appropriate team work functions (such as mutual support, clarification of office responsibilities and procedures) according to best professional judgment and agency policy to provide a professional working environment and effective service delivery.
2. Develop cooperative relationships outside the agency with family, physicians, public officials or interested agencies to provide for the development of mental health services in the community.

Job Relationships

1. Demonstrate through initiative and apparent effort involvement in clinical supervision.
2. Communicate directly with supervisor for clarification of administrative policy, program evaluation to promote a professional working environment and effective service delivery system.
3. Adhere to MHS/MBH Behavioral Standards

Other Job Responsibilities

1. Ability to accommodate evening/weekend hours.
2. Perform other duties as required by agency needs.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job.  Incumbents may be requested to perform tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.