Crisis Counselor II or III

CRISIS COUNSELOR II or III

• FULL-TIME SHIFTAVAILABLE with an excellent benefits package
• 4:00pm-12:00am
• DIFFERENTIAL for overnight shifts!

Be a part of a supportive and dedicated team providing critical crisis services to our communities.
Must reside in one of the following counties in New York State: Oneida, Herkimer, Otsego, Chenango, Delaware or Schoharie.

JOB DESCRIPTION: A Crisis Counselor II or III is team member who provides intensive assessment, linkage and follow-up of individuals identified to be in acute psychiatric distress in various locations throughout the community or remotely as assigned. This team member will serve as the first Mobile Crisis Assessment Team (MCAT) response to a crisis event in person, telephonically or virtually and engage a client in triage and crisis de-escalation practices. S/he/they may also serve as the secondary provider in conjunction with a Crisis Counselor for a full mental health assessment and evaluation. Further, s/he/they is responsible for referring clients to appropriate agencies for follow-up and ongoing services. The role of the Crisis Counselor III is to assist with crisis de-escalation, facilitate a mental health assessment (when necessary), maintain and assist clients with establishing healthy, constructive living patterns to reduce the rates of recidivism into acute services. S/he/they will triage mental health crisis requests and conduct brief interventions and linkage to higher level MCAT services for the purpose of crisis response and intervention. S/he/they is expected to work with a high degree of independence. This position may operate in the community or remotely as assigned.
SPECIFIC JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides short-term crisis intervention and diffusion to children and adults in the community which includes comprehensive mental health assessment, telephone assessment and lethality monitoring, outreach and follow-up services and linkage;
• Engages clients with telephonic and virtual crisis intervention on the local crisis line and 988 crisis line as assigned;
• Makes recommendations and assists in facilitating the appropriate level of treatment/services/supports;
• Assists law enforcement and other agencies in handling mental health and substance use related crisis;
• Maintains accurate documentation of client/agency contacts in accordance with program policy and procedure manual;
• Attends and actively participates in all required training, staff meetings and case conferences as required by agency administration;
• Engages in supervision on a regular basis;
• Engages in agency/program projects or work groups as assigned by the Program Director;
• Builds and fosters the development of collaborative relationships with community service providers;
• Makes recommendations and assists in facilitating the appropriate level of treatment/services/supports;
• Maintains self in a professional manner at all times, adhering to Neighborhood Center policy and procedures and in keeping with the Agency’s mission statement;
• Maintain a valid New York State driver’s license and have access to a usable vehicle if not operating remotely;
• Secure and maintain all necessary certification and professional licensing as dictated by profession and required qualifications;
• Performs other duties as requested by Agency Administration.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrated knowledge of mental health and substance use issues affecting children and adults;
• Demonstrated knowledge of mental health and substance use system issues, resources and the ability to effectively navigate these systems;
• Proven ability to maintain expectations for timeliness and accuracy in the performance of job functions;
• Demonstrated experience providing crisis intervention, de-escalation and diffusion to individuals and families in crisis;
• Proven work experience demonstrating organizational, assessment and communication skills commensurate with this position;
• Demonstrated skill set to work well with law enforcement and other community partners in handling mental health related crisis;
• Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s in Social Work, Nursing, Psychology, or other closely related human service field and a minimum of two (2) years of experience. working in a human services agency including one (1) year of supervised experience providing services in a mental health setting required. EOE