Mental Health Counselor

Full-time - Mid Level

Key West, FL

Hospitals

About the position

The position involves conducting initial assessments of patients to determine their mental health needs and establish care requirements. The role may include assigning patients to mental health practitioners based on intake assessments and relies on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. The position requires leading and directing the work of others in the care team, with a wide degree of creativity and latitude required in performing a variety of tasks.

Responsibilities

• Conducts Psychosocial Assessments for Adolescent, Adult, and Geriatric patients as well as neonatal, Infant, and Pediatric patients.
• Determines inter-relatedness of psychosocial factors and health status/disease process.
• Identifies emotional, social and financial needs of patient/family and provides assistance/referrals as appropriate.
• Identifies appropriate treatment plans and follows-up with discharge planning team.
• Acts as expert in the area of Social work. Assists Social Workers with problem cases.
• Provides emotional support to patient/family. Helps families/patients cope with illness, disability, and situations.
• Facilitates patient/family support groups (i.e. Cancer, Stroke and AIDS).
• Participates in interdisciplinary discharge planning process: conducts and documents proactive, concurrent discharge planning assessments.
• Implements discharge plans, i.e., setting up home health, transfers to other facilities, initial nursing home placements.
• Assists in Quality Improvement Initiative: monitor and trend re-admissions to the hospital.
• Promotes effective communication and ensures continuity of care. Verbal communication with patients, families, hospital staff are always positive, accurate, supportive, and clearly understood.
• Maintains a supportive, collaborative partner-like relationship with nurses, physicians, and case management team.
• Consistently performs all social service function to meet department volume and quality standard. Effectively communicates to supervisor status of current workload daily.
• Attends meetings regularly: attend daily discharge planning meetings with Case Manager. Attend monthly department Meetings and committee.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with all policies and standards.

Requirements

• Master's Degree in Mental Health or related field required
• 2-4 years related experience in Mental Health Services preferred