CASEWORKER II

This is a highly responsible position in the combined Information & Referral and Crisis Intervention Unit. The Crisis Intervention Unit is licensed for telephone, walk-in, and mobile services through OMHSAS. Regulations for licensing of these services require a crisis worker to qualify as a mental health professional. Crisis workers who are not mental health professionals must be directly supervised by a mental health professional. Information & Referral duties include processing referrals to all DHS offices and providing information about DHS services and community resources.

Examples of duties and responsibilities of a Crisis Counselor / Information & Referral Caseworker:

Obtain information from clients, members of their families, and others necessary for the identification of social, economic, emotional, health, or physical problems and for assisting clients in obtaining a wide variety of services on the basis of established policies, regulations, and statutes.

Responsible to:

• Pursue training opportunities to keep abreast of new treatment trends, improving assessment and clinical skills, and of changes or understanding or interpreting Mental Health Laws and Procedures.
• Possess knowledge of current social case management principles, techniques, and methods.
• Recognize the symptoms of mental illness in order to provide thorough and clinical mental health assessments.
• Screen, triage, and handle all requests for mental health and DHS services via telephone, outreach, or walk-in referrals. Outreach visits and on-site assessments will be the preferred method of assessment whenever possible.
• Offer outreach and/or face-face assessments prior to considering involuntary treatment. Outreach contacts also must be made before referring any individual to the case management unit to process a 304 commitment.
• Work cooperatively and professionally with consumers, family members, police, hospital, co-workers, DHS personnel, and all other agencies to assure that a consumer receives services in a prompt and effective manner.
• Prioritize the need for services and be able to problem solve the situation after an assessment has been completed.
• Recognize potential danger when dealing with a consumer/family in crisis on the telephone or in person and to utilize police as needed. Responsible for learning effective verbal de-escalation methods/techniques to calm a volatile situation or person.
• Adhere to all confidentiality standards in the Mental Health Act, HIPAA, and protocol developed by the office of MH/MR/D&A and the Department of Human services.
• Become familiar with all sections of the Mental Health Procedures Act. This includes all duties related to both voluntary (Section 201) and involuntary (section 302) evaluation procedures.
• Accompany and support consumers/family members in crisis to assure accessing of needed services in a counselor's own automobile or county vehicle. Must have a valid driver's license.
• As a mandated reporter, report any incidences of suspected child abuse to ChildLine and the Office of Children and Youth. To accurately complete CY47 form.
• Fulfill duty to warn obligations as directed by thee guidelines of the County of Lehigh.
• Ensures appropriate linkages are established by accompanying clients to referral agencies and assisting with procedural intake requirements. Advocates on behalf of clients to ensure satisfactory and continued service delivery.
• Read all on-going cases, alerts of the work shift and to follow up with intended plan.
• Always notify your co-workers, supervisor and / or answering service of the cell phone number, your intended location / destination and identified partner when leaving the Crisis Office. Telephone calls should only be forwarded to the answering service when absolutely necessary. Calls from the answering service must be answered. Messages left by the service must be answered within ten minutes or less.
• Assist in completing the day to day office operations on all shifts. This includes but is not limited to copying, filing, labeling records, etc. In addition, must be able to efficiently operate and care for office equipment such as copier, pager, FAX, computer, desk telephones, cellular phones, etc.
• Carry all pertinent forms, and equipment necessary to efficiently function while working in the field.
• Act as a petitioner on 302 or 304 commitments when no alternative petitioner is available.
• Assist in research of community resources and in the updating of community resource databases.

Responsibilities as a petitioner:

• To attend mental health review hearings.
• Make sure the necessary paperwork is completed by hospitals when submitting two-doctor 302's. Responsible for retrieving a completed Act 77 form after a 302 is completed from the hospital involved in the evaluation.
• Respond to Police 302's where ever they may occur and assisting police officers with accurately completing the 302 forms.

RECORD KEEPING - it is a crisis counselor's responsibility to be proficient at completing the following paperwork and computer functions:

Ability to:

• Use CPR software system to enter identifying demographic information, clinical notes, billing, and all other pertinent information.
• Use eCIS, and/or EVS to interpret information to determine Medical Assistance coverage.
• Use KEA system to document Information Only contacts and to complete referrals to DHS offices.
• Utilize DHS offices programs as needed to look up individuals active with the department
• Complete all paperwork for an involuntary commitment. This will include the "Application for Involuntary Examination and Treatment under the Mental Health Providers Act of 1976, Section 302", Patient Rights Reporting Form, and Explanation of Warrant.
• Record all hours of work on personal Time Sheet at the start and end of each work shift
• Use appropriate forms for time off and overtime in accordance with existing policy.
• Maintain a log of all training attended and maintain certificates of attendance and credits.

Supervision/Training:

Responsible to:

• Meet with the Assistant Director of the Crisis Unit on a regular basis or as needed to review the on-going and/or problematic cases or other related job functions. The Assistant Director may request individual conferences to discuss cases or procedural problems.
• Attend monthly staff meetings and additional meetings or training that may be scheduled.
• Attend MH/ID/D&A staff meetings as scheduled by the Administrator.
• Attend any in-service training as given by the DHS or County of Lehigh.
• Attend outside training as approved by the Deputy Mental Health Administrator or his/her designee.

Any other duties as assigned by the employee's immediate supervisor, Administrator and/or his/her designee.