Position Summary

The Behavioral Health Counselor (BHC2) works with an interdisciplinary team to meet the needs of persons of all ages whose lives are disrupted or complicated by trauma, mental illness, behavioral disturbances, substance use issues, interpersonal challenges, and/or the inability to function or maintain in the community. The BHC2 provides both initial and ongoing assessment and care of clients in all stages of acuity for the community. The BHC2 will provide individual, family, and group counseling in the following settings: Outpatient, Intensive Outpatient, In-Home, Transitional Living, and In-Community. The BHC2 will assist in curriculum and program development as needed. The BHC2 will also serve to coordinate care for clients needing referrals internally and externally to the Pueblo.

Our philosophy is built on the principles of integrity, fairness, collaboration, communication, and recognition for performance excellence. Meeting all performance standards leads to attracting and retaining a qualified workforce, provides opportunities for qualified team members, and contributes towards the ongoing success of the Pueblo of Sandia today and in the future.    

 Essential Duties And Responsibilities

1. Policies and procedures - Maintain established departmental policies and procedures, objectives, and quality assurance programs
2. Professional development - Enhance professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, reading current literature, attending in-services, meetings and workshops.
3. Provides comprehensive emergency client evaluations whenever necessary, at the Sandia Health Center and in the community.
4. Provides outpatient counseling, and de-escalation, brief interventions, crisis stabilization and case management to community members.
5. Provides in-person interventions, telehealth, phone triage, and support to clients in need of crisis and case management services.
6. Attends departmental huddles and uses daily management systems as well as community meetings for proper coordination of care and team communication.
7. Provides in-person interventions, telehealth, phone triage, and support to clients in need of behavioral health intervention and follow up.
8. Develops and maintains recovery- oriented therapeutic relationships with individuals in crisis through ongoing assessment and stabilization efforts.
9. Collaborates with interdisciplinary team to develop person-centered, trauma informed, strengths-based safety planning.
10. Makes referral arrangements with emergency personnel or resources to provide next step care for clients and families.
11. Assesses client’s behavioral health and substance use status and provides evidence-based intervention strategies.
12. Provides suicide and risk assessment and abatement, intervention to include Certificate for Evaluation as needed as part of the interdisciplinary team.
13. Collaborates with all members of the multi-disciplinary team to coordinate care.
14. Documents all patient contacts, client compliance, coordination of care, and other information in the electronic health record system.
15. Provides community outreach and education.
16. Provides flexibility and accommodation as needed.
17. Ability to provide rapid clinical psychosocial assessments and treatment/management.
18. Demonstrates cultural sensitivity and competency in age specific behaviors.
19. Serves as an information resource to clinical team.
20. Collaborates with peers/staff to develop client treatment strategies and formulate diagnoses.
21. Participates in job-related training sessions and seminars.
22. Maintains prompt and regular attendance.
23. Transports and/or arranges for client transportation as needed.
24. Ensures all documentation requirements and billing procedures are completed and submitted in a timely manner to ensure accurate and timely reimbursement of agency services.
25. Ensures that all Tribal, State, Federal, and accreditation oversight regulations are strictly adhered to.
26. Ability to ensure the security and confidentiality of client information and records in a manner consistent with professional codes of ethics, and hospital policies and procedures.
27. Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.
28. Punctual and regular attendance is an essential responsibility for all team members and are expected to report to work based upon the assigned schedule each day in accordance with the Attendance Policy for Pueblo of Sandia. 

 Additional Responsibilities

1. Organizational skills - Excellent administrative and organizational skills, clinical and research ethics are a must.
2. Relationship-focused - The relationship between staff and others is respectful, trusting, empathetic, collaborative, and mutual.
3. Recovery oriented – Identify and build on strengths and empower clients to choose for themselves, recognizing that there are multiple pathways to recovery.
4. Responsiveness - Position requires someone able to be thoughtful and responsive to multiple internal and external stakeholders.
5. Trauma informed care- Recovery support utilizes a strengths-based framework that emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety and creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.
6. Person/family centered - Services are always directed by the person and/or family participating in services and aligned with the specific hopes, goals, and preferences of the individual served and to respond to specific needs the individuals has identified
7. Resourcefulness and flexibility - Requires resourcefulness, follow-through and flexibility.

 Key Performance Indicators

This position has Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) identified as a measurement of success.  KPI’s will be shared with all team members who work in this job title and feedback will be provided regarding the successful completion of the KPI’s as part of the performance review process.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

1. Possesses knowledge of specific substance use/psychiatric illnesses, procedures, and treatments.
2. Ability to provide rapid clinical psychosocial assessments and treatment/management.
3. Demonstrates cultural sensitivity and competency in age specific behaviors.
4. Knowledge of life span development.
5. Knowledge of community resources.
6. Ability to advocate/negotiate systems for patients.
7. Ability to gather and analyze data, draw conclusions, and make recommendations.
8. Ability to prioritize decisions based upon multiple criteria and identifiable standards.
9. Ability to maintain objectivity and confidentiality.
10. Ability to use reliable personal transportation and a clean driving record.
11. Experience working with diverse ethnic/racial populations and individuals from rural communities.
12. Experience providing outreach and support.
13. Experience engaging and collaborating with stakeholders.

   Education And Experience  

Required

1. High School Diploma or GED.
2. Bachelor’s degree in related field.
3. Master’s degree in counseling, social work, clinical psychology, or closely related field.
4. Four (4) years proven experience in mental health, substance abuse or related field.
5. Licensure in New Mexico as an LISW, LCSW, LMFT, or LPCC.
6. Beginner to intermediate experience with Microsoft Office products including Word

and Outlook.

1. Experience in or the ability to learn how to use an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, which includes appointment scheduling, authorization, tracking, assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, and discharge summaries.
2. Ability to be credentialed in New Mexico.

Preferred

1. Experience with Native communities.
2. Trained in Matrix, CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing.
3. Multi-lingual.
4. Board Approved supervisor in New Mexico
5. CEU Provider in New Mexico

License/Certifications/Registrations

1. Licensure in New Mexico as an LISW, LCSW, LMFT, LPCC or LPAT
2. Active and unrestricted New Mexico driver’s license.
3. Ability to become credentialed.
4. Must be able to successfully pass a stringent background investigation and character investigation in compliance with PL 101.630.
5. Will require a pre-employment and random drug screening.

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions

The following selected physical activities are required to perform the essential functions of this position

Physical Requirement

Description

Balancing

Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling and walking, standing, or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. This factor is important if the amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.

Crouching

Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.

Feeling

Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.

Finger Dexterity

Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.

Grasping

Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.

Hearing

Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discriminations in sound.

Kneeling

Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.

Lifting

Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles. (Up to 10 lbs.)

Pulling

Using upper extremities to exert force to draw, haul, or tug objects in a sustained motion. (Up to 10 lbs.)

Pushing

Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force to thrust forward, downward, or outward. (Up to 10 lbs.)

Reaching

Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

Seeing

The ability to perceive the nature of objects by the eye.

Walking

Job requirements include, in the performance of duties, walking throughout the work area, on various work surfaces throughout internal or external locations.

Sitting

Particularly for sustained periods of time.

Standing

Particularly for sustained periods of time.

Stooping

Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.

Talking

Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.

List Working Conditions Required

1. Work is performed indoors.
2. May work extended hours and evening or weekend hours at times.
3. Subject to hazardous materials which may cause bodily harm: smoke, common colds, influenza, dust, odors and elevated noise levels.
4. Tasks may be performed on uneven, inclined, challenging, soft carpeted floors, cement structures, and surfaces.

The Content Of This Job Description Does Not Restrict Management’s Right To Assign Or Reassign Duties

And Responsibilities To This Job At Any Time.

The Job Description Reflects The Assignment Of The Essential Functions Of The Current Position But Does Not Prescribe Or Restrict Tasks That May Be Assigned. The Essential Functions Are Specified But Are Subject To Change At Any Time For Various Reasons, Including Management Discretion.

The Pueblo Of Sandia Reserves The Right To Make Changes To The Job Description Whenever Necessary.

Selected Candidates Must Submit To And Pass A Pre Employment Drug And Alcohol Screening As Part Of The Pre Employment Process.  Drug And Alcohol Screening Will Continue Through Post Hire Testing To Be Conducted By A Third Party Random Number Generator.  Selected Candidates Must Submit To And Pass A Criminal Background Screening As Part Of The Pre Employment Process.

The Pueblo Of Sandia Is An Equal Opportunity Employer (Eoe). Qualified Applicants Are Considered For Employment Without Regard To Race, Color, Religion, Sex, National Origin, Age, Marital Status, Disability, Sexual Orientation, Or Any Other Characteristic Protected By State Or Federal Law.