Behavioral Health Therapist

Apicha Community Health Center aims to improve community health by providing access to comprehensive primary care, preventive health services, mental health, and supportive services. The center is dedicated to delivering high-quality, culturally competent services that enhance the quality of life. It also advocates for and offers a welcoming environment for underserved and vulnerable populations.

Position summary

Provides clinical behavioral health services to all age patients/families in Apicha Community Health Center. The scope of practice includes but is not limited to psychological assessments, diagnostic assessment, counseling, psychotherapy, brief treatment, behavior modification, crisis intervention and behavioral health consultation.

The major duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Conduct psychosocial assessment, assign diagnosis according to DSM 5 and ICD 10, create treatment plan, and implement treatment plan with patients in Primary Care clinic. Facilitates related services for Apicha’s patients as appropriate with respect to their confidentiality and privacy.

Provides treatment services to a caseload assigned, the caseload number being based on the following factors: show rate, modalities provided (i.e. Individual therapy only, group and individual therapy) and maintaining weekly utilization/billing targets. Provides psychotherapy and psychoeducation to a variety of patients, utilizing individual, family and group models.

Involves patients in their own treatment planning as well as their own education about their illness(es). Provides crisis intervention, which could include escorting patients to emergency room, assisting in the development of plan for patients at risk for suicide/homicide for patient who are in crisis. Collaborate with primary care providers and make referrals as required.

Collaborate and participate in multidisciplinary team meetings/case conference to discuss cases. Complete charting in electronic medical record (EMR) and concurrent documentation as well as all required paperwork in a timely manner. Contribute to Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance activities. Participate in the development and review of Apicha’s behavioral health policies and procedures.

Practice within the scope of license, training and credentialing, and in accordance with current standards of care and quality criteria adopted by the Apicha and the NYSDOH. Produce required reports in a timely manner. Perform other duties as required or assigned.

Qualifications

Must hold a valid New York State license to provide mental health services (LCSW, LMHC, LMFT) required. Advance degree in mental health counselling, social work or related field required. Experience working with target populations strongly preferred, including but not limited to Individuals with serious mental illness, developmental disabilities, serious substance use disorders (SUDs), individuals at high risk of or living with HIV/AIDS, chronic illness, Asians and Pacific Islanders, LGBTQ+, and immigrants.

Strong organizational skills to manage patient assessments and treatment plans. Experience in maintaining accurate electronic medical records and documentation. Excellent written and verbal communication skills Ability to build rapport quickly Ability to communicate with compassion and empathy Detail oriented Ability to work effectively in both a collaborative as well as individual setting.

Fluency in Spanish or one of Asian languages a plus. Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds in multicultural setting Ability to work with Limited English Proficient populations and interpretation support. Familiarity with e Clinical Works (eCW) preferred. Proficiency in Microsoft Office; ability to enter data accurately.

Ability to work flexible hours, including some evening(s) and weekend(s). At Apicha, we believe that serving the needs of our staff is just as important as serving the needs of underserved people of New York City as such we are proud to offer our team members a competitive employee benefits package which include 12 Paid Holidays, vacation and sick leave, Health Insurance Coverage, Flexible Spending Account, Life Insurance, Employee Assistant Program just to name a few.