Behavioral Health Specialist

Description

The mission of SGA Youth & Family Services is to help children, families and communities facing great challenges to realize their potential. SGA creates and implements innovative, tailored solutions based on best practices to continuously improve outcomes for individuals and communities. SGA is committed to fulfilling its mission with respect, integrity and accountability.

The Trauma Informed Behavioral Health Services (TIBH) program aims to address youth (ages 13-24) that have been exposed to violence in the Waukegan area with evidence-based treatment and services including therapy, service navigation, and community-based training on the signs and symptoms of trauma and mental health concerns.

The Behavioral Health Specialist will be responsible for providing trauma-informed individual, family, and group therapy, and grief counseling sessions for youth impacted by violence. Therapeutic interventions include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and other interventions as appropriate.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES

• Provide time-limited individual, family, and group counseling to participants, ages 13 to 24 years that are impacted by violence and/or trauma with an emphasis on violence prevention, skill building, and problem resolution.
• Provide crisis intervention and support.
• Provide screening and assessment of each participant utilizing various tools including the Assessment-Treatment Flowchart-Adolescent (ATF-A) and the Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), among others.
• Work in collaboration with the clinical case manager and youth mental health first aid trainer to ensure participants receive comprehensive, wraparound services, referrals, psychoeducation, and advocacy.
• Manage all agency expectations for case recording, statistical, and other documentation on a timely basis.
• Develop and maintain meaningful productive relationships with families, youths, and program community partners.
• Meets participants in spaces that are most comfortable for them such as through home visits, school, community locations, or virtual sessions.
• Attends program and agency meetings and trainings as requested.
• Supports with the recruitment and outreach efforts of the program.
• Completes other duties as assigned.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE JOB

Education:

• Master’s degree in social work, psychology, counseling, family and marital counseling, or other related field.
• Professional license (LSW, LPC) required (LCSW,LCPC) preferred

Expereince:

• Experience with CBT/DBT interventions
• Working with people in crisis situations
• Expereince with providing trauma-informed interventions

Other:

• Sensitivity to cultural diversity is required. Ability to communicate and cooperate with diverse families, various professionals and community groups.
• Must be able to make home visits to present, prospective, and former participants in the participants’ own home.
• Schedule may be flexible and may include some evening and weekends.
• Valid driver's license, access to a car, and willingness to drive.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• May work some evenings and weekends
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees or the organization.
• Exercises discretion and independent judgment in executing tasks.
• Must demonstrate the ability to establish helping relationships with families of varying educational, experiential and socio-economic backgrounds and handle emergency and crisis situations

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Competent in Microsoft Office tools and inputting services in an online database.
• Focus on trauma-informed programming including crisis response and support.
• Effective time management and organizational skills.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to frequently move inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Must be able to transport oneself to and from home visits.
• Occasionally ascends/descends stairs.
• At times may be required to lift up to 25 lbs. for various classroom and event needs.
• Ability to move in outdoor weather conditions.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employee(s) will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.