Outpatient & School Counselor

About us: Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness (WVCW) is an innovative nonprofit providing comprehensive services to individuals impacted by mental health, addictions and developmental disabilities. We hire individuals that are skilled and motivated to meet our mission through outcome-based strategies that foster personal and community transformation.

What you will do: In this role, you will facilitate activities that empower individuals to meet their goals. You will provide comprehensive, whole-person care, tailored to the individual's unique needs and cultural background. You will provide professional mental health treatment services to persons with behavioral health needs. This will involve coordinating services with various community partners including healthcare providers, housing, social services agencies, and educational programs.

Responsibilities:

• Deliver clinical services directly within the community, including client's homes, residential facilities, schools, hospitals, and other settings to ensure accessible and convenient care.

• Conduct comprehensive mental health assessments to evaluate client needs and support options according to state and federal guidelines and rules. Utilize standardized assessments and screening tools to ensure accurate and effective evaluations.

• In collaboration with the client, develop individualized plans, ensuring they are tailored to meet specific needs and goals. Monitor and evaluate progress regularly to ensure they are moving towards their treatment objectives and adjust care plans as necessary.

• Work collaboratively with clients and family members to engage in ongoing supports and services including but not limited to individual, group, and family counseling.

• Utilizing the Electronic Health Record (EHR) complete objective, accurate documentation in a timely and consistent manner according to agency policy.

• Make referrals and connect clients to community resources to help their specific situation.
   
• Provide care coordination and work collaboratively with internal teams as well as community partners to ensure that clients receive support and resources.
   
• Conduct crisis assessments/triage with appropriate interventions. Including but not limited to collecting pertinent information for suicide risk and other crisis situations and be able to develop, implement and coordinate an appropriate action plan. Participate in ongoing crisis response and support services per WVCW policy.

• Attend and participate fully in team meetings, participate in group and individual supervision (as a provider of mental health treatment), and stay abreast of various diagnoses and treatment modalities; participate in civil commitment process including investigation and examination, once trained.

• Adhere to all state and federal privacy and security regulations applicable to the program, and to WVCW policies and agreements regarding confidentiality, privacy, and security. Maintain confidentiality and discretion

Skills/Abilities

• Ability to maintain confidentiality, comprehend laws, regulations, and policies, and the ability to follow such laws, regulations, and policies and report when they are being violated

• Ability to interact with individuals of various backgrounds, sexual and gender orientations, education levels, and socio-economic status effectively, tactfully, and empathetically with a culturally responsive nature, especially with those experiencing a crisis and in stressful situations
   
• Ability to communicate effectively in both written and oral formats with clarity and purpose, including the ability to complete objective, accurate documentation in a timely, consistent manner
   
• Ability to coordinate care and work collaboratively with community partners to ensure safer and more effective care for the individual
   
• Must have strong computer skills including the ability to document in an electronic medical record, use electronic time tracking, and the ability to use Google Workspace, specifically Drive, Meets, Spreadsheets, Word documents, and email
• Ability to work as a team member, establish priorities, and manage time effectively to meet deadlines.
• Display a non-judgmental attitude, and a willingness to learn new skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and follow verbal and written instructions.
• Experience in navigating environments where individuals may be verbally hostile.
• Detailed-oriented; ability to maintain accurate records and necessary paperwork.
• Ability to provide advocacy, as appropriate, and maintain professional boundaries.

Knowledge and Qualifications :

• Graduation from a college or university with a Master's degree in social work, psychology, counseling or other related human service field equivalent is required.

• Certified Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) or willingness to obtain your QMHP certification in Oregon

• Experience working within an electronic health record.

• Skilled in public speaking and a demonstrated ability to represent WVCW to the public as well as internal teams.

• Experience working with underserved populations is preferred.

• Knowledge of de-escalation methods or ability to be trained in de-escalation methods. Experience conducting crisis debriefs.

• Ability to adhere to WVCW's drug-free workplace which encourages a safe, healthy, and productive work environment.

• Physical ability to bend, stoop, kneel, squat, twist, reach, pull and lift heavy objects; climb stairs several times a day.

• Must pass a pre-employment drug screen and criminal background check PRIOR TO STARTING ONSITE.

• Will be required to carry a cell phone for work use.

• Must possess a current driver's license, pass a DMV background check and be designated an "acceptable" driver as outlined in WVCW's Fleet Safety Policy. Must be willing to provide leadership and services in the community.

• Must adhere to the agency's non-discrimination policies.

• Ability to effectively interact with persons with diverse ethnic backgrounds, religious views, political affiliation, cultural backgrounds, life styles, and sexual orientations and treat each individual with respect and dignity.

• Must have strong computer skills or willingness to learn.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable persons with disabilities to perform the essential function.

Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness is an equal opportunity employer.

QMHP Levels (for further information, please refer to the MHACBO website: https://www.mhacbo.org/en/)

QMHP 1- Entry level into this wage scale would be a clinician who is waivered or who has just graduated and would have little relevant experience in a community mental health setting. Consideration would be given to proficient competencies in working with our populations, EMR, policies, and workflows. This person would be learning our core values and guiding behaviors and how those directly support achieving our mission and vision. This person would not be able to supervise and would need extensive supervision while assimilating into the role.

QMHP 2- Actively modeling our core values and guiding behaviors, which directly support all our teams more effectively in delivering services that achieve our mission and vision. They would be achieving program criteria with success. They would qualify to be a new/entry-level supervisor and would require moderate supervision focused on advanced clinical and supervision skills. They would be able to perform independently 75% of the time.

QMHP 3-You are a leader in modeling the core values and guiding behaviors, which directly support all our teams more effectively delivering services that achieve our mission and vision. They would consistently perform above expectations and have the ability to perform as an experienced supervisor. They would also be able to perform in