Mental Health Therapist II - School Based Health Center

Salary Range: $81,140 to $129,010 Annually (Annualized salary is prorated by FTE)

Would you like to have a career that makes a daily difference in people’s lives? Do you want to be part of a caring, respectful, diverse community? If you answered yes to these questions, keep reading!

HealthPoint is a community-based, community-supported and community-governed network of non-profit health centers dedicated to providing expert, high-quality care to all who need it, regardless of circumstances. Founded in 1971, we believe that the quality of your health care should not depend on how much money you make, what language you speak or what your health is, because everyone deserves great care.

Position Summary:

The Mental Health Therapist II is responsible for delivering integrated mental and behavioral health care in collaboration with an integrated primary care team. The Mental Health Therapist II provides mental health and substance use evidenced based assessment and intervention services as a traditional mental health provider utilizing the collaborative care model approach to support access for patients in need.

Compensation is dependent on skills and experience.

Your contribution to the team includes:

• Assist primary health care providers in recognizing and treating mental health and substance use conditions within the school-based health primary care setting.

• Work within an interdisciplinary team including medical providers, BHCs, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and other providers to provide whole person care. This can include activities such as warm handoffs, curbside consultations with team members about patient care, and other activities that promote integration and team-based care approaches.


• Assessment and triage: Conduct initial patient visit of 50 minutes or less, evaluate level of functioning, determine risk level (including assessing for suicide/homicide risk and providing crisis intervention), assist with diagnosis and provide evidence-based interventions to HealthPoint patients, collaborate, consult with medical colleagues and Behavioral Health Consultants as needed to provide team-based approach to patients, and provide patient follow-up visits that are flexible to population health needs (tendency to be shorter visits around 30 minutes).

• Responsible for maintaining a caseload of patients that require regular visits for mental health intervention, monitoring and support, and would benefit from early engagement behavioral health services according to the Primary Care Specialty Mental Health Model. The goal of this model is to provide mental health services in primary care while also making sure access to new patients is also accessible. Thus, the Mental Health Therapist will need to manage a caseload of patients with ongoing mental health or substance use needs while also ensuring access to new patients.


• Maintain good attendance and punctuality and work full scheduled shift.


• Demonstrate respectful, professional, and appropriate behavior that supports a team-oriented work environment.


• Provide mental health care and substance abuse screening, psychoeducation, brief counseling, or psychotherapy using evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation and motivational interviewing, and other relevant services to promote improvement in medical and mental health.


• Track patient caseload to ensure patients that might need outreach are identified and follow-up is initiated. Use other tracking systems as needed to support grant work and funding related to the behavioral health department.


• Provide, assist, facilitate, and coordinate ongoing care with outside referrals to outpatient specialty mental health clinics, organizations, or providers in the community if it is decided patient would benefit from mental health and/or substance use care outside of our primary care system.


• When necessary, conduct regularly scheduled consultation with a consulting psychiatric provider as provided through grant work, community partnerships with outside mental health agencies, or without psychiatric consultations hotlines that benefit patient care and team-based care needs.


• Facilitate program workflows and improvements at clinics in order to achieve program quality and performance aims.


• Demonstrate a commitment to the mission, core values and goals of HealthPoint and its healthcare delivery including the ability to integrate values of integrity, wisdom, creativity, cooperation, responsibility and respect into appropriate programs and services.


• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.


• A Mental Health Therapist II may have the opportunity to provide secondary supervision to a Mental Health Therapist I on an as needed basis given a Mental Health Therapist II has full licensure. This will be reviewed by the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Director with the Mental Health Therapist II individually.


• Attend staff meetings, in-service meetings, team meetings, and participate in agency committees and task force activities as required.


• Engage in public speaking and/or write educational materials.


• Support reporting requirements per grant contracting requirements.

Must have’s you’ll need to be successful:  

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, or related field is required; and one to three years related experience working with underserved populations and/or high-risk groups; and/or significant training in integrated care through Master’s level program or prior experience working in primary care providing mental health services.


• At time of hire, the provider must have a current credential as a Licensed Independent Social Worker; Licensed Mental Health Counselor; or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Washington.


• Demonstrated operating knowledge of computers. Intermediate level ability with Word, Excel, Outlook and other required software programs.


• Work situations are broadly defined, complex and diverse, occasionally unprecedented. Problems have many dimensions and range from innovative thinking in one area to related fields of specialization. Consequences normally evaluated use more formal analytical, planning or process methods and strategies developed for action.


• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common industry related journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write reports and articles for publication that conforms to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, patients, and external groups.


• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively in a team setting.


• Comfort with the fast pace of primary care.


• Ability to effectively communicate with primary medical care providers about mental health issues treatment.


• Ability to effectively engage patients in a therapeutic relationship.


• Experience with screening and assessment for common mental/substance use disorders.


• Working knowledge of differential diagnosis of common mental/substance use disorders.


• Working knowledge of evidence-based psychosocial treatments for common mental disorders.


• Working knowledge and experience with brief, structured counseling techniques (e.g. Motivational Interviewing, Behavioral Activation).


• Basic knowledge of psychopharmacology for common mental disorders.


• Knowledge of psychological assessment, DSM V, and chemical dependency.

Preferred:

• Experience working with underserved, transient populations across the age range (pediatrics to geriatrics): Experience working with patients who have co-occurring mental health, substance abuse, and physical health problems. Experience providing brief counseling using modalities such as CBT, Mindfulness, and ACT. Basic knowledge of psychopharmacology for common mental disorders. Ability to effectively communicate with medical providers about mental health and substance abuse issues.

HealthPoint is committed to offering all employees a competitive compensation package, including benefits and several other perks.

At HealthPoint, you'll find more than a job - you'll find meaningful work that strengthens the health of the communities we serve across King County. We're proud to invest in our employees by offering a comprehensive benefits package that supports your health, financial well-being, work-life balance, and professional growth.

Benefits-eligible employees enjoy:

• Comprehensive health coverage – Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents, plus HSA and FSA options.


• Financial wellbeing – Employer-paid life insurance, AD&D, disability coverage, and a 401(k)-retirement plan with employer match.


• Time to recharge – Generous Paid Time Off (PTO), Extended Illness Time Away, eight (8) paid holidays, three (3) floating holidays, Compassion Time Away, and Opportunity Time Off for extended personal time away to rest and recharge.


• Well-being resources – Employee Assistance Program (EAP), employee wellness program, and access to voluntary benefits including supplemental life, critical illness, accident, identity theft, and pet insurance.


• Career development – Professional development, ongoing learning, and opportunities for career growth within a mission-driven organization.

Immunization Requirements

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required prior to starting at HealthPoint. HealthPoint does not accept the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as proof of vaccination. Individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine must provide documentation of an alternate COVID-19 vaccine or vaccine series.

As a condition of employment, all new hires must provide proof of required immunizations and/or immunity for:

• COVID-19


• MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)


• Varicella


• Annual Influenza


• TB QuantiFERON Gold titer draw

Employees working in a HealthPoint clinic must also provide proof of:

• Tdap vaccination (within the last 10 years)


• Hepatitis B vaccination (for clinical positions with potential exposure to blood or bloodborne pathogens)

Documentation must be provided before your start date. If you are unable to provide documentation, HealthPoint can provide required vaccinations or immunity titers at no cost.

To learn more about HealthPoint, go to www.healthpointchc.org! #practiceyourpassion

It is the policy of HealthPoint to afford equal opportunity for employment to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, national origin, marital status, military status, sexual orientation, because of sensory, physical, or mental disability, genetic information, gender identity or any other factor protected by local, state or federal law, and to prohibit harassment or retaliation based on any of these factors.