Therapist I/II (Department Wide), Grade 23/24
Rockville, MD, United States
Job Description
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
The Department of Health and Human Services is recruiting for Therapist I level and Therapist II level positions.
Limited telework schedules and/or overtime hours may be available for some positions, but it is NOT a guarantee that it will continue or be available indefinitely due to changes that may occur in County operations, services, or needs.
These positions may be full-time, part-time or grant-funded and work the following Health and Human Services Programs:
Setting A) ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS: Therapist positions in this program provide direct services to residents in need to include screening, triage, behavioral health assessments, brief interventions and crisis counseling or referral to clients who may self-refer or be involved with the correctional system and other social service programs and who may have mental health and/or substance use disorders. Staff provide psychosocial assessments and apply motivational interviewing techniques to assess readiness to change and identify barriers to entering treatment. In collaboration with client and referral source(s) the positions make appropriate referral with appropriate follow-up or case management to maximize client possibility of accessing needed treatment and related services to address major life problems. There are no evening or weekend hours required for this program.
Setting B) ADULT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAM : Therapist positions in this program provide individual, family and group psychotherapy and case management services for a diverse population of clients from many countries with serious mental illness including co- occurring disorders who have been discharged from a psychiatric hospital or jail. Therapists in this program are required to work some evening hours each week.
Setting C) CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT TREATMENT SERVICES (CABHS): The Child and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic Therapist (Rockville and Silver Spring Clinics) provides assessment, case management, individual and family therapy, and supportive services to children and adolescents with family problems, behavior problems, trauma, and with a range of mental health problems that may be co-occurring with the use of substances.
The Home-Based Team Therapist provides home/community-based assessment, case management, individual and family therapy to clients referred by Child Welfare Services. These clients can either be voluntary or Court referred.
Family Intervention Services Therapist provides home/community-based assessment, case management, individual and family therapy toyouth involved withthe Department of Juvenile Services. These clients can either be voluntary or Court referred.
CABHS program hours are 8:30-5 Monday and Friday, and 10:30-7 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; or 8:30-5 Monday, Thursday, Friday, and 11:30-8 Tuesday and Wednesday.
Setting D) CLINICAL ASSESSMENT AND TRANSITION SERVICES (CATS): Therapists provide direct services to include screening, triage, behavioral health assessments, suicide screening and crisis intervention to incarcerated adults identified with behavioral health needs. Therapists in this setting apply forensic principles in their bio-psychosocial evaluation of inmates to determine the diagnosis of substance abuse, mental health disorder or co-occurring issues in conjunction with the extent of the inmate's legal involvement; they consult with correctional and judicial colleagues regarding discharge planning and the possibility of diversion and they make referrals to the most appropriate level of care within corrections and/or community resources. This position requires therapists to work a Sunday through Thursday schedule with one or two evenings per week. Hours are 8am to 4:30 pm for day shift and 12:30-9pm for evening shifts.
Setting E) CRISIS CENTER : This is a 24-hour program and entails working rotating shifts including days, evenings, overnights, weekends and holidays. Crisis Center Therapists are essential employees and therefore must report to work during times of inclement weather when the county may be closed or on liberal leave.
In addition to accepting applications for Full-time and Part-time Merit Therapists, vacancies for PRN Therapists may occur at the Crisis Center. These positions work flexible hours to cover leave for permanent staff and typically work 4 to 12 shifts per month.
Crisis Center Therapist positions are responsible for providing telephone, walk-in, mobile outreach crisis intervention and residential crisis services 24 hours a day. This work includes intervening with individuals experiencing psychiatric emergencies involving suicidal and/or homicidal ideation/plans, individuals with severe and persistent mental illness who are decompensating, homeless individuals and families, victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or other violent crimes and other emotional or situational crises. This work also involves being part of the County response team for disasters and other community crises and providing after hours crisis back up services for other County agencies.
Setting F) CRISIS CENTER/MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT: Therapist position in this program is employed by HHS/Crisis Center but is co-located with MCPD's Community Engagement Division and currently works full time at Public Safety Headquarters. Position involves assisting CIT officers with conducting behavioral health evaluations and providing appropriate information and referrals. Position also requires assisting with training law enforcement on behavioral health topics and attending community engagement events as needed. This position involves rotating hours and a varied schedule with the potential for overtime.
Setting G) CRISIS CENTER/ROCKVILLE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: Therapist position in this program is employed by HHS/Crisis Center, but position is located at the Rockville City Police Department and works full time assisting Rockville City patrol officers responding to calls for service with individuals with behavioral health conditions, conducting clinical case management with these individuals who frequently come into contact with law enforcement within Rockville City limits and providing psychoeducation, information, and referrals to appropriate public/private providers. Position involves rotating hours and schedule may vary.
Setting H) EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES PROGRAM: Therapist positions in this program provide: early childhood mental health consultation services on-site in child care programs; observing and assessing children; coaching staff and modeling appropriate interventions; meeting and advising child care staff and parents; making referrals to additional services; completing documentation of services; record keeping; tracking progress; meeting with other consultants and community partners; and sharing information and problem solving.
Setting I) JAIL ADDICTION SERVICES (JAS): Therapists provide services to incarcerated adults who are voluntarily participating in the jail-based substance abuse treatment program, which occupies its own housing unit in the correctional facility. Responsibilities include assessment, group and individual therapy as well as support to the modified therapeutic community (program unit) as needed. Inmates are voluntary participants. Therapists work in close collaboration with correctional and other HHS staff serving the same population. Hours are Monday - Friday, 8am - 4:30pm.
Setting J) LOCAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AUTHORITY (LBHA): Therapist positions in the LBHA require clinical experience in providing behavioral health services, but they do not provide direct client-facing clinical services. The LBHA provides for the planning, oversight, monitoring, evaluation, and service development of the Public Behavioral Health System in Montgomery County. The Quality Assurance Coordinator monitors compliance in behavioral health services; collaborates with the Behavioral Health Administration and Administrative Services Organization to perform regulatory compliance reviews and monitors the implementation of Program Improvement Plans; initiates independent audits with local providers; serve as program lead or co-lead for the monitoring of vendor compliance with contracts; and provide technical assistance to substance use and mental health treatment sites that are part of the County's continuum of care. Hours are Monday - Friday, 8:30am-5pm.
Setting K) MENTAL HEALTH COURT (MHC): Therapist positions in this program provide direct services to adults with Mental health and/or co-occurring disorders involved in the criminal justice system. Therapists in this setting apply forensic principles in their biopsychosocial evaluation of clients to determine the diagnosis of mental health, substance us disorders and/or co-occurring disorders, in conjunction with their legal involvement and in consultation with the rest of the MHC team. Therapists will assess a client's needs for treatment, housing and other social service programs and develop a multiaxial care plan, make referrals and provide ongoing clinical interventions throughout a client's participation in MHC. Active participation in Court and teaming is required. Hours are Monday - Friday, 8am - 4:30pm with flexibility for 7am - 3:30pm shifts.
Setting L) SPECIALTY TREATMENT SERVICES: Therapist positions in these programs are responsible for providing assessment, case management, individual, group and family counseling for adults with substance abuse and co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders. Training and supervision are available. Clients may be either voluntary or justice system referred. Under Specialty Treatment Services are the Adult Drug Court treatment program and our community-based Medication Assisted Treatment Program.
Setting M) TRAUMA SERVICES (ABUSED PERSONS PROGRAM AND VICTIM ASSISTANCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM: Therapists in Trauma Services provide assessment, crisis intervention, case management, and short-term individual, group and family treatment to victims and survivors of a range of violent crimes. These include victims of domestic violence, rape/sexual assault, human trafficking, torture, bullying and other violent crimes. Therapists also provide clinical intervention to the families/loved ones of persons who died by homicide, suicide or other violent death. Additionally, Therapists provide assessment and treatment to domestic violence offenders referred to the program by the court.All Trauma Services Therapists are required to work two evenings per week and at various sites in the County.
Please specify on your resume which program setting you are applying for.
Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply. Positions filled under this recruitment may require basic proficiency in the Amharic, Chinese, Korean, French, Vietnamese, or Spanish/English languages. The candidates selected to fill these vacancies will be required to pass a language proficiency exam assessing oral communication, reading comprehension, interpreting, from these languages to the English language and vice versa.
Selected candidates will be required to complete a background check, medical exam and drug screening.
These positions may be filled at the following levels:
Therapist II level (Grade 24). The anticipated salary range for this level is $72,223(minimum) - $115,635(maximum).
Therapist I (Grade 23). The anticipated salary range for this level is $69,222(minimum) - $110,588(maximum).
Selected candidates are required to successfully complete a pre-employment medical exam, drug, and alcohol screening as well as the completion of pre-employment criminal background investigations.
Additional Employment Information
OHR reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position/IRC.
Montgomery County Government is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email to [email protected] . Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.
Montgomery County Government also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, please refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference .
All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for interview.
If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.
Montgomery County Ethics Law : Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at19A-12 of the County Code . Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from theEthics Commissionwebsite.
Minimum Qualifications
Therapist I
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's Degree in clinical or counseling psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, nursing, or a related behavioral science field.
Experience: None
Equivalency: None
LICENSE REQUIREMENT:
One of the following licenses, issued by the State of Maryland, must be held prior to appointment, and maintained by, the employee:
Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LMSW);
Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC);
Licensed Graduate Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LGADC);or
Licensed Graduate Marriage and Family Therapist (LGMFT).
Possession and maintenance at all times of a: Valid Class C (or equivalent) driver's license from the applicant's state of residence when required for job-related duties.
Therapist II
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's Degree in clinical or counseling psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, nursing, or a related behavioral science field.
Experience: Two (2) years of professional experience rendering therapeutic counseling, social work, nursing or psychology services, as pertinent to one's professional licensing.
Equivalency: None
LICENSE REQUIREMENT:
One of the following licenses, issued by the State of Maryland, must be held prior to appointment of, and maintained by, the employee: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC);
Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapy (LCMFT);
Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC);
Licensed Certified Social Worker/Clinical (LCSW-C);
Licensed Registered Nurse in the United States, certified as Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner or Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in the State of Maryland; or
Licensed Psychologist
Possession and maintenance at all times of a: Valid Class C (or equivalent) driver's license from the applicant's state of residence when required for job-related duties.
Preferred Criteria
There is no Preferred Criteria. All applicants will be reviewed by OHR for minimum qualifications. Those applicants who meet minimum qualifications will be rated Qualified, placed on the Eligible List, and may be considered for an interview.
Preference for interviews will be given to applicants with experience in the following: Bilingual proficiency in the Amharic, Chinese, Korean, French, Vietnamese, or Spanish/English languages
Confidentiality and Compliance
Documenting NextGen or other electronic health records
Planning, organization and time management
Intake and assessment
Crisis intervention
Service delivery and advocacy
Minimum Salary
Maximum Salary
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