Mental Health Counselor Job Description

Mental Health Counselor Job Description

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Mental health counselor provides an environment conducive to optimal patient care and teammate safety in compliance with all local, state, federal, and institutional guidelines.

Mental Health Counselor Duties & Responsibilities

To write an effective mental health counselor job description, begin by listing detailed duties, responsibilities and expectations. We have included mental health counselor job description templates that you can modify and use.

Sample responsibilities for this position include:

Use your knowledge of contemporary psychosocial principles to provide optimal care to the patient and family
Comply with federal, state, local, and clinical program/facility standards
Be responsible for evaluating and treating students, maintaining daily progress and attendance records, writing progress reports, and attending IEP meetings
Conducting mental health assessments
Developing individualized treatment plans
Leading individual or group therapy sessions
Running preventative mental wellness classes or workshops
Making treatment referrals
Preparing and maintaining all required treatment records and reports
Collecting information about clients through interviews, observation, and tests

Mental Health Counselor Qualifications

Qualifications for a job description may include education, certification, and experience.

Licensing or Certifications for Mental Health Counselor

List any licenses or certifications required by the position: CPI, BCLS, CRC, CPR, CNA, BLS, AHA

Education for Mental Health Counselor

Typically a job would require a certain level of education.

Employers hiring for the mental health counselor job most commonly would prefer for their future employee to have a relevant degree such as Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Psychology, Counseling, Health, Social Work, Education, Graduate, Sociology, Human Services, Counseling Psychology, Supervision

Skills for Mental Health Counselor

Desired skills for mental health counselor include:

Contemporary psychosocial principles to provide optimal care to the patient and family
Compliance with all current hospital and departmental policies
Empathy
Psychiatric terminology and theory
Tolerance for ambiguity
Ability to manage stress
Best practices in the field relevant federal
Local rules
Regulations
State

Desired experience for mental health counselor includes:

Performing other tasks as assigned
Respects each patient as an individual
Promotes learning for colleagues and self
Masters degree in social work, psychology, counseling, or marriage and family counseling, with current Arizona license appropriate to specialty at the independent level
Conduct regularly scheduled caseload consultation with the consulting team psychiatrist and/or mental health team
Track patient follow-up and clinical outcomes

Mental Health Counselor Examples

1

Mental Health Counselor Job Description

Job Description Example
Our company is searching for experienced candidates for the position of mental health counselor. Thank you in advance for taking a look at the list of responsibilities and qualifications. We look forward to reviewing your resume.
Responsibilities for mental health counselor
  • Provide case management services related to the treatment plan that assists consumers in accessing mental health services meeting other needs such as housing, medical care, food, recreation, education and employment
  • Provides short-term psychotherapy and crisis management to address the mental health needs of a diverse student community and their significant life partners, referrals to outside providers as needed
  • Provides a network of mental health referrals in the NYC community to serve our students with long-term treatment needs
  • Develops outreach targeted to at-risk student groups
  • Educates and collaborates with other departments in identifying and referring students of concern
  • Develops and maintains a system for HIPPA-compliant records of mental health services
  • Provides HIPPA-compliant counseling services reports to the Dean
  • Provides groups, workshops, and educational events to teach about wellness, mental illness, time management, study skills
  • Provides community education about psycho-educational topics through fliers, bulletin boards, emails, and brochures
  • Participates in student admission interviews and student assessments
Qualifications for mental health counselor
  • Bachelor’s Degree in related field, preferably Human Services
  • Previous experience working with age-specific patient population, in either a mental health or other related setting
  • Valid CT driver’s license in good standing
  • Serve on college committees and assist with other-related tasks
  • Provides faculty, staff and preceptors with information and training so they can identify, assist and/or refer students in need of intervention
  • Other duties as assigned by the Dean of Students or the Dean
2

Mental Health Counselor Job Description

Job Description Example
Our innovative and growing company is looking for a mental health counselor. Thank you in advance for taking a look at the list of responsibilities and qualifications. We look forward to reviewing your resume.
Responsibilities for mental health counselor
  • Gathers information for psychosocial history and mental status assessment of patients
  • Assists in orientation of patients to unit
  • Takes vital signs and weights, collects specimens, and records results in patient charts
  • Provides direct care services, instructing and/or assisting in feeding, bathing, toileting, dressing
  • Observes and records patients’ behavior
  • May assist in medical emergencies, initiate CPR
  • Intervenes in crisis situations providing guidance, structure, and (when needed) restraint
  • Participate in therapy as indicated by the treatment plan including individual groups, community meetings, meals, occupational therapy groups, expressive therapy such as psychodrama, and art and movement therapy
  • Plan group, social, recreational therapy on and off the unit, and other activities
  • Documents all information obtained in evaluation, assessment, consultant, referral, and discharge planning according to established policy and procedure
Qualifications for mental health counselor
  • Experience working with challenging or complicated difficulties
  • LICSW is preferred but will look at LMHC
  • Clinical Mental Health skills covering a full range of mental health issues such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, eating disorders, OCD, relationships
  • Attends staff meetings, supervisory sessions, patient related review meetings, and in-service training sessions as required
  • Associate Degree in Psychology or Human Services or two years experience in a health related field or equivalent
  • Must be able to assist in the physical restraint of disturbed patients
3

Mental Health Counselor Job Description

Job Description Example
Our company is growing rapidly and is searching for experienced candidates for the position of mental health counselor. Please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications. While this is our ideal list, we will consider candidates that do not necessarily have all of the qualifications, but have sufficient experience and talent.
Responsibilities for mental health counselor
  • Conducts psychosocial assessment related to chemical/substance abuse and dependence
  • Collaborates with healthcare team members to develop and implement patient treatment plan
  • Conducts individual, group and family counseling sessions
  • Provides transitional care services to facilitate patient discharge
  • Serves as a liaison to referral sources to facilitate continuity of care
  • Participates in related utilization review and performance improvement activities
  • Review all treatment plans with assigned psychiatrist for their input and obtain their signature to authorize treatment
  • Serves as a leader or co-leader in group settings (such as community meetings, activity groups, expressive arts, psychotherapy)
  • Coordinates treatment for selected patients in collaboration with a staff nurse
  • Assists in medical emergencies
Qualifications for mental health counselor
  • Experience and interest in providing services to diverse student populations
  • Valid drivers license required to transport patients to offsite locations
  • May be CASAC-T, or CASAC, or LMSW, or LCSW
  • Bachelor's degree in Social/Human Science
  • Must possess a valid PA driver's license
  • LICSW preferred must be able to see children/families/geriatric must have ADHD experience
4

Mental Health Counselor Job Description

Job Description Example
Our company is growing rapidly and is looking for a mental health counselor. To join our growing team, please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications.
Responsibilities for mental health counselor
  • Assists patients in achieving and maintaining appropriate activity levels of daily living
  • Participates in therapy as indicated by the treatment plan
  • Documents information such as evaluations, assessments, consultation, referral, and disposition
  • Develops reports, statistical information, and record management as required
  • Provide training, guidance, and support to colleagues who are not fully licensed as mental health providers (e.g., LGSW/LGPC, graduate trainees)
  • Assist in development of policies, protocols, or procedures as requested
  • May be responsible for review and submission of authorized documentation for reimbursement per licensure
  • May supervise other counselors, interns, students, or employees per licensure
  • Modify care plans to reflect changes in the patient's status
  • Act within the scope of the Mental Health Practice Act
Qualifications for mental health counselor
  • Master’s or doctoral degree in counseling/clinical psychology, social work, or a similar field
  • 2+ years post licensure required
  • Professional Counseling
  • ADHD with kids
  • Experience with counseling children through Geriatric and families
  • Knowledge of advanced principles and methods of mental health and vocational rehabilitation services
5

Mental Health Counselor Job Description

Job Description Example
Our innovative and growing company is looking for a mental health counselor. Thank you in advance for taking a look at the list of responsibilities and qualifications. We look forward to reviewing your resume.
Responsibilities for mental health counselor
  • Provides comfort measures for patients in the waiting area
  • Documentation Activities Assesses and documents consumer's functioning level and updates this at least semi-annually
  • Provide at least three hours per week of scheduled urgent appointments for students in crisis
  • Provide sex offender maintenance programming and oversight for offenders participating in the Sex Offender Treatment and Monitoring Program to include development, implementation and modification of individual treatment plans
  • Conduct and prepare psycho-sexual evaluation for use by community corrections, Parole Board, and treatment providers in the community
  • Prepare Parole Board assessment to assist the Board in making release decisions
  • Participate in support education meetings on a periodic basis
  • Provide crisis intervention and consultation to correctional staff concerning high risk behaviors of sex offenders in Colorado Department of Corrections facilities
  • Promote and be accountable for the safety and security of the clinical and correctional environment through conscientious observations and sensitive item control
  • Provide on-call mental health coverage on a rotating basis
Qualifications for mental health counselor
  • Experience or training in the mental health or medical field preferred
  • BA in related field or LPN
  • Must have a Master’s Degree from an accredited school of social work
  • Strong experience in providing suicide risk screening, evaluation, and referral for all medical and pharmacy students, graduate medical school trainees, faculty and caregiver staff with a wide spectrum of mental illnesses
  • Demonstrated ability to provide support, debriefings and in-service conferences after critical events or as requested by departments, programs or clinical services
  • Proven ability to serve as program liaison with IRB, Risk Management, Graduate Medical Education Committee, Majda Fund, Student and College Health, Physicians Wellbeing Committee, Employment Assistance Program, Outpatient Psychiatry and other clinical services

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