Mental Health Therapist - School-Based, Mercer Middle School

School Based Mental Health Therapists provide mental health services to children and teens within the school-based health center setting and in accordance with the Mental Health Scope of Services. They focus on the full spectrum of care, from promoting healthy development and preventing problems, to long-term intervention and support for students unable to obtain adequate mental health care from other organizations or in a non-school context. Emphasis is on asset and strengths-building; symptom reduction; increasing, stabilizing, and maintaining functioning; and on individual, family, and group modalities. School-based Mental Health Therapists provide services with a variety of therapeutic techniques, including evidence-based practices.  

• →Provide high quality, strengths-based services to clients with the Scope of Services and productivity expectations. 
• →Assist students, parents and school personnel in efforts to remove psychosocial and mental/emotional health obstacles to students’ healthy functioning and academic performance.  
• →Provide individual, family, and group therapy; case management; classroom presentations; and psycho-educational services in accordance with the needs of the specific school population and as specified by applicable funding contract(s).  
• →Participate in school-wide interventions as appropriate.  
• →Assess mental health needs and develop individualized treatment goals for each caseload client.   
• →Review and revise treatment goals as clinically appropriate, and at least as frequently as required by applicable funding contract(s). 
• →Exchange information within legal and ethical guidelines, with the goal of providing the best individual and team care. 
• →Participate actively in multidisciplinary team care provision, including but not limited to, coordinating and integrating client care with other providers within and outside of Neighborcare Health.
• →Work with school staff, Neighborcare Health staff, and community providers to maximize students’ access to health services, within Neighborcare Health and/or with other organizations.   
• →Report all known and suspected abuse or neglect per Washington State Law. 
• →Perform other duties as assigned

• Ability to work effectively and respectfully with students of varying ethnicities, cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and gender/sexuality identities.   
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development, group dynamics, and family systems  
• Knowledge of mental health diagnoses  
• Knowledge of school systems and local resources  
• Ability to identify factors putting students at risk for mental health and/or substance issues  
• Ability to complete assessments, and to make and carry out a plan of care for individuals with mental health and psychosocial issues  
• Ability to apply evidence-based and other therapeutic methods to provide effective individualized care  
• Ability to read, write and communicate in English   

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling or related field, or PhD in Psychology  
• Active Licensure (LICSW, LMFT, LMHC) in the State of Washington and are able to independently bill for services.

A full job description is available upon request.