The Department of Pediatrics is seeking a part-time Bilingual (Spanish-English) Mental Health Therapist. The successful candidate will work with the Refugee Health and Asylum Collaborative (HEAL) program in the Hospitalist division to provide assessment, evaluation, and treatment of clients participating in Steps to Success - a federally funded project aimed at expanding access to mental health and other supportive services for limited English proficiency Spanish speaking youth who have experienced human trafficking. This project is coordinated through HEAL and Asylee Women Enterprise (AWE). The Mental Health Therapist will provide care for clients at community sites and Johns Hopkins (JH).
Specific Duties & Responsibilities
- Provides comprehensive psychological evaluation, treatment planning and implementation for limited English proficiency Spanish speaking youth ages 15 - 25 at community sites.
- Provides direct clinical care for clients at the time of initial evaluation for diagnostic assessment, urgent and walk-in care, and triage.
- Documents psychiatric issues and needs identified during counseling sessions.
- Establishes goals and objectives to meet the psychological needs of clients in collaboration with other members of the clinical care team and project partners.
- Conducts ongoing counseling sessions as deemed clinically appropriate.
- Trains and supports a community health worker (CHW) to provide mental health screening, referrals, interventions.
- Develops brief mental health assessments and triage algorithms to be implemented by CHW in community settings.
- Works collaboratively with, and provides leadership for, a multidisciplinary team to optimize team performance and client outcomes.
- Maintains a resource network for the purpose of referrals and consults that impact treatment progress of the client.
- Provides client education in all aspects of mental health, including how to cope with issues specific to the migration and trafficking experiences and uses of psychiatric medications.
- Collaborates with other members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team to achieve stated goals for enhanced mental health.
- Participates in relevant training, clinical supervision, conferences, and multidisciplinary client care.
- Develops and maintains a thorough knowledge of the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Grant Program and stays informed of programmatic updates and training opportunities.
- Ensures complete, accurate, and timely documentation for each case file in accordance with grant requirements.
- Collaborates across organization programs and grant partners to ensure client and organization goals are met.
Additional Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Spanish language fluency is required (must pass qualified bilingual staff test administered by JH Language Access Services).
- Must be comfortable working with the participant population.
- Flexible hours required.
Physical Qualifications or Specialized Certifications
- Ability to stand, walk or sit for an extended period of time.
- Ability to reach by extending hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction.
- Finger dexterity required to manipulate objects with fingers rather than with whole hand(s) or arm(s), for example, using a keyboard.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master's Degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology or other closely related field.
- Two years professional experience (post-graduate).
- Professional licensure by the appropriate licensing board.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with chronic mental illness, alcohol/substance use disorder, migrant population, and adolescents and young adults.
- Ability to use independent judgment and give exceptional attention to detail.
- Experience/training in motivational interviewing desired.
- Experience with computers including word processing, databases and spreadsheets.
- Knowledge of established diagnostic criteria for substance use and psychiatric disorders.
- Ability to develop therapeutic approaches for treating clients with these mental health issues.
- Ability to develop, implement and modify a clinical intervention plan which flexibly and feasibly meets the resources of the community.
- Experience working with uninsured low-income immigrants with limited English proficiency.
- Ability to judge when to seek supervision, experience with treatment of major mental illness including addressing suicide and/or violent behaviors.
- Good communication skills, both oral and written.
- Knowledge and understanding of federal statutes regulating confidentiality of drug and alcohol records and laws for reporting of child and elder abuse.
Classified Title: Mental Health Therapist
Job Posting Title (Working Title): BILINGUAL (SPANISH-ENGLISH) MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST
Role/Level/Range: ACRP/04/MC
Starting Salary Range: $24.35 - $42.71 HRLY ($25,000 targeted; Commensurate with experience)
Employee group: Part-time
Schedule: 20 hours over 2.5 days per week
Exempt Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/School of Medicine Campus
Department name: SOM Ped EB Hospitalists
Personnel area: School of Medicine
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