COMMUNITY-BASED / SCHOOL-BASED THERAPIST CLINICIAN

COMMUNITY-BASED / SCHOOL-BASED THERAPIST CLINICIAN – QMHP

Position Title: Community-Based / School-Based Therapist Clinician – Qualified Mental Health Professional

Employment Status: Regular Full-Time
FLSA Status: Exempt
Employment Relationship: At-Will
Location: Community-Based / Schools / Kanza Mental Health & Guidance Center offices in Hiawatha and/or Holton, with regular travel to client homes, schools, community partner locations, Kanza locations, healthcare facilities, and other approved service locations as necessary.

PURPOSE

The Community-Based / School-Based Therapist Clinician provides high-quality, person-centered behavioral health services to children, adolescents, adults, and families receiving services through Kanza Mental Health & Guidance Center (Kanza MHGC).

This position primarily provides therapy and behavioral health services in community-based and school-based settings. Responsibilities include clinical assessment, diagnosis within professional scope of practice, individualized treatment planning, psychotherapy, crisis assessment and intervention, care coordination, referral and transition planning, and timely clinical documentation.

Services may be provided in schools, client homes, Kanza MHGC offices, primary care clinics, hospitals, correctional settings, community partner locations, through telehealth, or in other locations approved by Kanza MHGC based upon client access, clinical need, program requirements, and organizational needs.

As part of Kanza MHGC's Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model, the Therapist Clinician works collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team to promote timely access to coordinated, comprehensive, evidence-based, trauma-informed, and person-centered behavioral health care.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Clinical Assessment and Treatment

1. Provide individual, family, and group psychotherapy within the clinician's professional license, training, competence, and scope of practice.
2. Maintain an assigned community-based and/or school-based clinical caseload and provide services in settings appropriate to client needs and organizational requirements.
3. Conduct comprehensive behavioral health assessments and gather relevant psychosocial, medical, behavioral, family, educational, developmental, environmental, and substance use information necessary to identify client needs.
4. Diagnose behavioral health conditions within the clinician's professional scope of practice and in accordance with applicable professional licensing requirements.
5. Develop individualized, person-centered treatment plans in collaboration with clients, parents, guardians, caregivers, and treatment team members when clinically appropriate.
6. Establish measurable treatment goals and objectives and routinely assess client progress toward those goals.
7. Review and update treatment plans within required timeframes and whenever significant changes occur in the client's needs, functioning, environment, diagnosis, safety, or treatment circumstances.
8. Utilize agency-approved assessment, screening, and outcome measurement tools, including DLA-20, CAFAS, PECFAS, and other instruments applicable to the population served.
9. Utilize evidence-based, evidence-informed, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and developmentally appropriate therapeutic interventions based upon client diagnosis, strengths, needs, culture, environment, preferences, and treatment goals.
10. Provide services to individuals experiencing a variety of behavioral health conditions, including Serious Mental Illness (SMI), Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED), co-occurring disorders, and Substance Use Disorders (SUD), when consistent with the clinician's training, competence, and scope of practice.

Crisis, Safety, and Mandatory Reporting

1. Assess clients for suicide risk, self-harm, homicidal ideation, abuse, neglect, exploitation, substance use concerns, deterioration in functioning, and other safety risks as clinically indicated.
2. Develop and implement safety plans and coordinate crisis intervention, emergency services, hospitalization, or other higher levels of care when clinically necessary.
3. Provide crisis assessment and intervention during scheduled working hours when clinically necessary and consistent with professional scope of practice.
4. Participate in crisis coverage or on-call responsibilities when assigned or applicable, consistent with organizational requirements, employee scheduling, licensure, training, and scope of practice.
5. Comply with all applicable mandatory reporting requirements and Kanza MHGC procedures regarding abuse, neglect, exploitation, threats of harm, and other reportable circumstances.

School-Based and Community-Based Services

1. Regularly provide services outside of a traditional office environment, including schools, client homes, community agencies, healthcare facilities, and other approved service locations.
2. Travel between assigned schools, Kanza locations, client homes, community partner locations, and other approved service sites as required to meet client and program needs.
3. Collaborate with parents, guardians, caregivers, teachers, school counselors, school administrators, special education personnel, school nurses, and other educational professionals when clinically appropriate and proper authorization is in place.
4. Participate in school meetings, treatment team meetings, multidisciplinary meetings, care conferences, and other collaborative planning activities when appropriate to support client treatment.
5. Maintain appropriate professional, clinical, and confidentiality boundaries while providing services within schools, homes, community agencies, and other nontraditional treatment environments.

Care Coordination and Interdisciplinary Collaboration

1. Coordinate care with Kanza MHGC psychiatrists, advanced practice providers, nurses, case managers, care coordinators, school liaisons, wraparound staff, peer support specialists, crisis staff, substance use treatment providers, community-based staff, and other members of the interdisciplinary treatment team.
2. Collaborate with hospitals, primary care providers, schools, child welfare agencies, courts, probation, juvenile justice programs, community organizations, and other external providers when clinically appropriate and proper authorization is in place.
3. Facilitate referrals to behavioral health, medical, educational, social, community, and supportive services based upon identified client needs.
4. Participate in interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, clinical consultations, case reviews, staffing meetings, quality activities, and other collaborative activities as assigned.
5. Participate in discharge, transition, and continuity-of-care planning to help ensure clients have appropriate follow-up services and support.
6. Maintain knowledge of community resources and assist clients and families with accessing appropriate supports and services.

Documentation and Productivity

1. Complete all clinical documentation accurately, thoroughly, professionally, and within organizational, payer, Medicaid, Medicare, CCBHC, contractual, licensing, and regulatory timelines.
2. Maintain documentation that clearly supports the medical necessity of services provided and demonstrates the relationship between identified client needs, treatment goals, interventions, and client response or progress.
3. Complete assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, discharge summaries, safety plans, releases of information, care coordination documentation, clinical reports, and other documentation required by Kanza MHGC.
4. Complete reports and clinical documentation requested by authorized schools, courts, child welfare agencies, healthcare providers, payers, and other entities within required timeframes.
5. Maintain an appropriate caseload and meet established organizational expectations related to scheduled appointments, client access, clinical productivity, billable or service expectations, documentation, travel, attendance, and service delivery.
6. Monitor client engagement in treatment and appropriately respond to missed appointments, barriers to treatment, changes in clinical status, changes in the client's home or school environment, and concerns regarding continuity of care.
7. Maintain flexibility in scheduling and service location based upon client, family, school, program, and organizational needs.

Professional and Organizational Responsibilities

1. Maintain professional and ethical boundaries with clients, students, families, caregivers, school personnel, coworkers, community partners, and external providers.
2. Protect confidential client, employee, and organizational information in accordance with HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2 when applicable, Kansas law, professional licensing requirements, ethical standards, and Kanza MHGC policies.
3. Maintain all professional licenses, registrations, continuing education requirements, certifications, credentials, and training necessary for the position.
4. Participate in required supervision, training, professional development, organizational meetings, quality improvement activities, and other assigned activities.
5. Utilize Kanza MHGC's electronic health record, telehealth systems, communication platforms, and other approved technology appropriately and in accordance with organizational policy.
6. Provide court-related reports, testimony, specialized assessments, or other specialized clinical services when specifically assigned and when consistent with the clinician's education, professional license, training, competence, organizational policy, and scope of practice.
7. Represent Kanza MHGC professionally when interacting with schools, community agencies, healthcare providers, referral sources, courts, community partners, clients, families, and members of the public.
8. Participate in community outreach, health fairs, educational activities, school-based events, or other activities when assigned and appropriate to the position.
9. Follow all Kanza MHGC policies, procedures, ethical standards, safety requirements, clinical protocols, and applicable federal and state regulations.
10. Perform other duties as assigned that are reasonably related to the general responsibilities, qualifications, and scope of the position.

CCBHC RESPONSIBILITIES

As an employee of a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, the Community-Based / School-Based Therapist Clinician supports Kanza MHGC's commitment to coordinated, accessible, comprehensive, culturally responsive, and person-centered behavioral health care.

Responsibilities include:

• Supporting timely access to behavioral health assessment and treatment.
• Providing services in settings that reduce barriers to care when clinically appropriate.
• Participating in coordinated and integrated treatment planning.
• Collaborating across mental health, substance use, medical, crisis, school-based, and community-based services.
• Coordinating with families, schools, healthcare providers, community partners, and other systems involved in the client's care when authorized and clinically appropriate.
• Supporting continuity of care following hospitalization, crisis services, changes in placement, school transitions, or transitions between levels of care.
• Providing trauma-informed and recovery-oriented services.
• Incorporating client and family preferences, strengths, culture, environment, and identified needs into treatment.