Therapist (Registered/Licensed)

Except in the case of an undue hardship, La Familia provides reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities when the accommodations are necessary to enable the persons to perform the essential functions of the job. The Agency also provides reasonable accommodations when necessary based on religious needs. Individuals requiring workplace accommodations must discuss their needs with La Familia Human Resources. Individuals seeking accommodations for disabilities are typically required to provide medical documentation supporting the existence of a disability, the need for the accommodation, and what workplace modifications will enable the employee to perform the essential functions of the job.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Under the direction of the Clinical Supervisor, the Staff Therapist provides direct clinical services to Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) referred by Merced County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) in-person behavioral health services for outpatient contracted FSP programs. The Staff Therapist is responsible for completing initial and updated assessments, developing client-centered treatment plans, providing individual and family therapy, and collaborating as needed with the FSP team. The Staff Therapist will use evidence-based practices, including but not limited to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-informed care, and motivational interviewing, and ACT and FACT model of service. The Staff Therapist is also responsible for meeting all service delivery requirements and program KPIs. This role will uphold and champion the agency’s mission, vision, and values and contribute to a collaborative and inclusive work culture.

This position is covered under the SEIU 1021 Collective Bargaining Agreement. In addition to the established base pay, members will receive negotiated annual increases as follows:

• January 2027: 3% base pay increase

Future increases will be subject to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Duties & Responsibilities:

Direct Services

• Makes psychological evaluations of assigned clients; determines appropriate diagnostic procedures and tests to be used; clinical interviews with clients and other interested persons to develop information pertinent to diagnosis and treatment.
• Interviews clients and families to gather social and psychiatric data; prepares mental health/environmental case histories for use in diagnosis; and participates in developing psychological treatment programs and case planning for clients.
• Provides direct behavioral health services, delivered via telehealth and/or in-person, for outpatient-contracted programs.
• Provides individual and family psychotherapy in alignment with monthly/annual goals.
• Meets with clients (and families) for regular therapeutic interviews; guides the client (and family) in understanding his/her illness and contributing personal, social, and economic factors; assists client (and family) in developing realistic plans; advises client/family on community resources; and makes referrals and other arrangements as necessary.
• Collaborate with service providers and participate in multidisciplinary team meetings.
• Responsible for providing clinical direction for the FSP team members assigned to the FSP team.

Documentation and Compliance

• Complies with all agency’s policies and procedures and maintains strict HIPPA guidelines.
• Submits records of service information and tracking consistent with program policies.
• Follows appropriate charting and documentation requirements and agency regulations in a timely manner.
• Provides input and feedback on potential related projects/programs, as appropriate.
• Supports agency-wide Quality Improvement efforts.

Clinical Service

• Works effectively with staff and other health professionals to assess, plan, implement, evaluate and improve patient care.
• Demonstrates knowledge of and compliance with practice standards and regulations applicable to the area of specialty, including justice involved interventions.
• Is competent to access facility information systems to retrieve and utilize pertinent information for the provision of patient care or in the performance of other job-related responsibilities.
• Provides education to patient/family appropriate to age, condition, culture and learning readiness.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with the recipients of psychological services.
• Develop evidence-based intervention plans specific to the service delivery goals.
• Implement interventions informed by the current scientific literature, assessment findings, diversity characteristics, and contextual variables.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply the relevant research literature to clinical decision making.
• Modify and adapt evidence-based approaches effectively when a clear evidence-base is lacking.
• Evaluate intervention effectiveness and adapt intervention goals and methods consistent with ongoing evaluation.
• Knowledge of community resources for client referrals.
• Attends work regularly and adheres to policies and procedures regarding absences and tardiness. Provides adequate notice to supervisor and management with respect to vacation time and time-off requests.
• Demonstrates knowledge of legal issues including client confidentiality and risk management in all aspects of client care and department functioning.

Other

• Assumes responsibility for doing assigned work and for meeting deadlines.
• Completes assigned work on or before deadlines in accordance with directives, policies, standards and proscribed.
• Demonstrates an awareness of and sensitivity to clients including cultural and ethical beliefs; and implements care in a thorough, skillful, consistent and continuous manner.
• Attend trainings and participate in events relevant to key responsibilities.
• Track and regularly report on key metrics for the responsible function areas.
• Leads and collaborates on projects supporting Agency objectives.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

Leading the self:

• Demonstrates ethics and integrity
• Displays drive and purpose
• Manages self and adapts to change
• Exhibiting leadership stature
• Practice self-awareness and continuous learning

INCLUSION, RESPECT, AND COLLABORATION:

• Practices cultural humility and cultural responsiveness when engaging with individuals from diverse backgrounds and life experiences, while practicing appropriate boundaries.
• Develop relationships with their teams and across the organization to foster cultural humility and cultural responsiveness, teamwork, and collaboration, ensuring positive outcomes for the organization both internally and externally.
• Utilize effective communication skills to listen and respond with empathy, while adopting a proactive and collaborative approach to drive innovative change. This approach should be sensitive to the organization's culture and its role within the community.