SOCIAL WORK/COUNSELOR III- CMHHIP

**This position is open to current Colorado Residents Only** **Please note: This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.** **** As a cornerstone of the Pueblo community for over a century, Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo (CMHHIP) is a leading employer, provider of quality mental health services, and a community partner. CMHHIP is a 24 hour behavioral health acute care facility that is intended to provide a safe, secure, and therapeutic setting for patients with both psychiatric and medical issues. The services provided include evaluation and treatment for patients who are severely mentally ill, and the goal of this facility is to return patients to their optimal level of functioning and assist them in returning to the community as appropriate. This work unit exists to provide inpatient psychiatric evaluations and treatment for severely emotionally disturbed and/or cognitively impaired older adults who cannot be safely or adequately treated in the community. The treatment program is designed to eliminate symptoms and behaviors of patients such as suicidality, assaultiveness, psychosis, depression and agitation which make them a danger to themselves or others, or gravely disabled, although the majority of patients are hospitalized with a forensic legal status. The purpose is to increase their mental health capacity in order to return them to their community to live safe, productive lives. Direct treatment utilizing individual, family, group work and psycho-educational treatment is provided. **You are required to work at your assigned work location during your scheduled work times.** **Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the CMHHIP Campus** **Please note: These working arrangements are subject to change.** **About the Position:** This position exists to provide therapeutic interventions including psychosocial therapies, individual, family and group treatment to severely emotionally disturbed/cognitively impaired patients and their families. This position completes assessments and disposition planning, interagency communication with residential care facilities, social services, community mental centers, etc., to ensure continued appropriate level services following discharge. Individualizes psychosocial therapy approaches to meet the specific needs of the patient population. Provide training and consultation to other professional staff. Duties in the position include: **Assessments:** - Completes a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment of patients being admitted for inpatient psychiatric treatment - Interviews the patient assuring that assessment data is as reliable as possible, that the patient is engaged in a supportive and educative manner, that confidentiality is maximized, and that symptoms and behaviors are thoroughly evaluated and handled in a sensitive and safe manner - Contacts/ engages parents/ family members, significant others, guardians, and referring agency personnel to interview and obtain relevant collateral and supporting information to enhance the understanding and dynamics of the patient’s situation - Completes the Colorado Client Assessment Record (CCAR) and the bio-psychosocial component of the hospital’s Integrated Initial Assessment document - Completes re-assessments of the patient’s situation and response to treatment as frequently as daily and documents patient progress in progress notes, weekly progress notes, and treatment plan reviews - Collaborates with and inform team members of relevant assessment information **Community Reintegration:** - Coordinates discharge planning through evaluation and assessment of patient’s needs as they relate to available community resources and exploring and mobilizing those resources - Is the liaison between hospital and community agencies. Identifies and chooses appropriate community placements and treatment programs - Provides case management by making appropriate referrals to community agencies, networking and directing reciprocal relat…