Bilingual (Spanish-English) Mental Health Therapist (Pediatrics)
The Department of Pediatrics is seeking a full time Bilingual (Spanish-English) Mental Health Therapist. The successful candidate will work with the Refugee Health and Asylum Collaborative (HEAL) program in the Hospitalist division to provide assessment, evaluation, and treatment of clients participating in Steps to Success – a federally funded project aimed at expanding access to mental health and other supportive services for limited English proficiency Spanish speaking youth who have experienced human trafficking. This project is coordinated through HEAL and Asylee Women Enterprise (AWE). The Mental Health Therapist will provide care for clients at community sites and Johns Hopkins (JH).
Specific Duties & Responsibilities
- Provides comprehensive psychological evaluation, treatment planning and implementation for limited English proficiency Spanish speaking youth ages 15 - 25 at community sites.
- Provides direct clinical care for clients at the time of initial evaluation for diagnostic assessment, urgent and walk-in care, and triage.
- Documents of psychiatric issues and needs identified during counseling sessions.
- Establishes goals and objectives to meet the psychological needs of clients in collaboration with other members of the clinical care team and project partners.
- Conducts ongoing counseling sessions as deemed clinically appropriate.
- Trains and supports a community health worker (CHW) to provide mental health screening, referrals, interventions.
- Develops brief mental health assessments and triage algorithms to be implemented by CHW in community settings.
- Works collaboratively with, and provides leadership for, a multidisciplinary team to optimize team performance and client outcomes.
- Maintains a resource network for the purpose of referrals and consults that impact treatment progress of the client.
- Provides client education in all aspects of mental health, including how to cope with issues specific to the migration and trafficking experiences and uses of psychiatric medications.
- Collaborates with other members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team to achieve stated goals for enhanced mental health.
- Participates in relevant training, clinical supervision, conferences, and multidisciplinary client care.
- Develops and maintain a thorough knowledge Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Grant Program and stays informed of programmatic updates and training opportunities.
- Ensures complete, accurate, and timely documentation for each case file in accordance with grant requirements.
- Collaborates across organization programs and grant partners to ensure client and organization goals are met.
- Must be comfortable working with the participant population.
- Flexible hours required.
Additional Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
- Ability to use independent judgment and give exceptional attention to detail.
- Knowledge of established diagnostic criteria for substance use and psychiatric disorders.
- Ability to develop therapeutic approaches for treating clients with these mental health issues.
- Ability to develop, implement and modify a clinical intervention plan which flexibly and feasibly meets the resources of the community.
- Ability to judge when to seek supervision, experience with treatment of major mental illness including addressing suicide and/or violent behaviors.
- Good communication skills, both oral and written.
- Knowledge and understanding of federal statutes regulating confidentiality of drug and alcohol records and laws for reporting of child and elder abuse.
Minimum Qualifications
- Masters' Degree in Counseling, Psychology, Social Work or a closely related field.
- Two years professional experience (post- graduate).
- Professional licensure by the appropriate licensing board.
- Additional education may substitute for required experience, and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with chronic mental illness, alcohol/substance use disorder, migrant population, and adolescents and young adults.
- Experience/training in motivational interviewing.
- Experience with computers including word processing, databases and spreadsheets.
- Experience working with uninsured low-income immigrants with limited English proficiency.
Classified Title: Mental Health Therapist
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Bilingual (Spanish-English) Mental Health Therapist (Pediatrics)
Role/Level/Range: ACRP/04/MC
Starting Salary Range: $48,000 - $84,100 Annually ($75,000 targeted; Commensurate w/exp.)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: M-F 8:30 - 5pm
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/School of Medicine Campus
Department name: SOM Ped EB Hospitalists
Personnel area: School of Medicine