(Yucaipa, Mentone, San Bernardino)

Mental Health Counselor (Trainee)

Population Overview

A New Focus is a residential treatment center for adolescent youth of varying ethnicities ranging from the ages of 14-18. A New Focus serves a varying number of residents located at 3 different homes. Residents present with problems ranging from legal and adjustment issues to severe persistent mental disorders, to crises. Many residents have no diagnosis, but of those that do, the most common diagnosis is ADHD, with conduct disorder and oppositional, defiant disorder being the next two most common. In addition, a number of the clients are diagnosed with mood disorders, psychotic spectrum disorders, learning disorders and/or PTSD.

Position Description

The Mental Health Counselor (Trainee) will complete a mini-assessment of each resident to gather history and assess their current level of distress, quality and extent of support system, coping resources, and potential needs of the resident. The program generally employs a cognitive-behavioral treatment model. The primary treatment modality is individual and group therapy, but family and psycho-educational interventions are also used. Trainees may participate in individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, family therapy sessions, and outreach consultation. Trainees will also be available for crisis management issues that may occur throughout the course of a normal day. The position involves working specific shifts and such positions are under the direct supervision of the Program Director and the Clinical Supervisor(s).

Responsibilities:

Mental Health Counselors are involved in crisis management and preventative counseling as it relates to the young people residing in residential care.

1. Potentially work long, irregular hours including nights and weekends.
2. Assist individuals and groups with their personal problems in order to help them become more self-sufficient.
3. Concentrate on promoting optimum mental health through various programs and services.
4. Help individuals deal with suicidal impulses, self-esteem issues, addictions and substance abuse, stress management, job and career concerns, educational decisions, and issues associated with emancipation.
5. Make and record observations that help determine a treatment plan that will accomplish the resident’s goals.
6. Work closely with other mental health professionals including therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers to ensure that all of the resident’s needs are being met.
7. Responsible for maintaining records of all services, and making sure that all records are kept confidential.
8. Required to meet weekly with the Clinical Supervisor(s) for total of 104 weeks. (2-hours per week in a group setting for 52 weeks; at least one hour of one-on-one, individual, face-to-face supervision for 52 weeks.)
9. Responsible for recording their weekly supervised hours on the BBS Experience Verification and Weekly Summary of Hours of Experience forms. (A supervised week is any week in which the Intern meets with an individual supervisor for one hour or a group supervisor for two hours.)
10. Provide general supervision of residents in accordance with the policies of the facility.
11. Maintain basic disciplinary and behavioral control of the residents, observing them closely and regularly to detect any potentially problematic behavior.
12. Stimulate the residents’ interest in various activities and programs provided by the facility; supervise their participation in those activities.
13. Attempt to ease the adjustment of each resident to placement at the facility by means of personal contact and counseling techniques.
14. Assign and supervise the residents in various daily maintenance tasks expected of them (i.e., cleaning room, making beds, dusting furniture, mopping floors, assisting in mealtime setup and cleanup procedures.
15. Administer first aid as required, and administer medication as permitted by the policies of the facility.
16. Note daily activities in the unit logs, including references to at least the following: intake and release statistics (separate log book), safety and security checks, any unusual or problematic behaviors on the part of the residents, arrival and departure of any person who visits the residents, documenting daily case notes for submission to Clinical Supervisor(s) for reports, and any other pertinent information.
17. Participate in group sessions employing the treatment model of the facility, and work with the assigned therapists with specific treatment plan for each resident.
18. Attend staff training sessions as required and as scheduled.