Description

TITLE:                                                CLINICAL COUNSELOR

ACCOUNTABILITY:             To Clinical Manager or Program Director

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:       

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:     

• Have a Master's Degree in Social Work or Psychology and registered intern with the BBSE (License eligible)
• Must be able to communicate effectively with medical and mental health staff, and other service providers both orally and in writing.
• Must have the willingness and ability to actively, enthusiastically and effectively engage psychologically distressed clients and maintain a respectful and responsive attitude while providing therapeutically sound services.  This includes being respectfully responsive to persons of differing ethnic, cultural, gender, socioeconomic, and sexual-orientation backgrounds.
• Demonstrated on-going emotional maturity, good judgment and effective team work.
• Able to work proficiently on computers and computer-based information systems.
• Must demonstrate ongoing clearance with the California State Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division, allowing direct contact with program clients.
• The employee must be able to quickly navigate several flights of stairs several times a day. The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 20 pounds multiple times during each work shift. In addition, the employee must be able to assist individuals in exiting the facility in the case of an
• Must maintain training certification and demonstrated capacity to perform basic First Aid and CPR.
• Basic word processing skills; maintain computer requirements of the City and County of San Francisco Community Behavioral Health Services. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the supervision of an Assistant Director or the Program Director, the Counselor provides support and assistance to clients at one of the Progress programs, all of which are housed in multi-level facilities.  Generally, the Counselor has primary responsibility for advocating for and responding to the treatment and rehabilitation needs of the program clients.  Specifically, Counselors perform the following functions:

I.          Essential Functions

1. Direct provision of psychiatric services; assessment and evaluation of client’s mental health needs and conditions
2. Formulating and entering diagnoses for client’s mental health conditions into the clinical record
3. Establish and maintain effective relations with clients, client families and support people, and with the general community; and maintaining a comfortable, safe, non-institutional ambiance in the program.
4. Provide direct psychiatric assessment of all newly admitted clients, the on-going monitoring and care of all clients being treated in the Urgent Care Center, and the proper referral of clients upon discharge from the Urgent Care Center
5. Provide service in a manner that is safe and helpful for clients, staff and the general community, and that evidences a non-institutional character that is congruent with Social Rehabilitation (SR) values and principles.
6. develop and maintain effective relationships with personnel from the CBHS System of Care service providers, as well as related services such as the SFGH Department of Psychiatry, SF Police Dept., the SF Fire Department, Emergency Medical Transport Services, and providers of basic supports such as housing, temporary shelter, and entitlement advocacy
7. assist as needed with behavioral health services for the Dore Residence ADU

8. Respond to psychiatric and/or medical emergency situations throughout the facility in a professional, thorough, and timely manner, and do crisis intervention work with clients.
1. Assist clients in the evacuation of all floors of the facility in case of fire, earthquake, or other emergency.
10. Develop treatment plans with maximum client participation, and support clients' efforts to implement them.
11. Initiate and participate in discharge planning, so that clients can transition smoothly to the next level of care or the community.
50. Lead or co-lead day or evening group sessions, including house meetings or other activities, adhering to the schedule of fixed events, unless circumstances dictate otherwise.
1000. Relay clinical and house-status information to other staff at shift changes, staff meetings, and at other appropriate times.
14. Monitor and record client medications, complying with program procedures.
15. Participate in meal planning and preparation at designated intervals, and encourage clients to become involved in these activities.  Counselors are to join program clients for all meals.
16. Attend and participate in staff meetings, supervision sessions, and case consultation meetings, as scheduled.
17. Consult with the Program Director and the Clinical Manager, as necessary, on such issues as case review, medications, group dynamics, etc.
18. Be responsible for the physical plant.  This includes investigating problems throughout the facility and performing minor cleaning, repair work, and other household tasks, and reporting more serious maintenance problems in a timely manner to the Clinical Manager or Program Director.
19. Report any suspected abuse of clients directly to the appropriate agencies as outlined in policy and law and per the adult abuse reporting document signed upon hiring.
20. Promote the social rehabilitation philosophy among program staff and clients.
21. Must be able to work overnight, awake and alert shifts.
5. Comply with all applicable federal, state and local governmental laws and regulations, as well as all agency policies and procedures, including the code of ethics.
23. Perform other related duties as assigned by the Program Director.
10. Inform the Assistant Director or Program Director of any personal events and/or circumstances which may affect the ability to perform the proscribed job responsibilities and functions or to meet minimum qualifications.

Qualifications