Psychological Services Associate 1 (Local Government) - Bedford County MH/ID

NOTE: THIS IS A REPOSTING OF CS-2024-95704-L0771. IF YOU APPLIED UNDER THE PREVIOUS POSTING WHICH WAS OPEN FROM OCTOBER 11, 2024 TO OCTOBER 24, 2024, YOU CANNOT SUBMIT A NEW APPLICATION.

This Psychological Services Associate will provide school-based counseling services in schools and outpatient services in the Bedford County Clinical Services Unit. This professional will be responsible for attending individual and group supervision meetings and assisting with presentations/trainings to other agencies, community organizations, and/or other interested parties regarding County Clinical Services and Developmental & Behavioral Health Services as requested. This therapist will also have the opportunity to participate in staff development trainings to further their education and expand their job knowledge to provide better services for the community.

Under the guidance of a supervisor, the School Based Counseling (SBC) duties will include:

• Providing group, individual, and play therapy to children and adolescents in the school
• Providing consultation and education to school personnel, other program areas, community individuals, and agencies relating to mental health issues and resources.
• Working on-site to complete school mental health assessments/intakes for students identified by the school
• Assessing student needs and complete appropriate referrals
• Working with Crisis Intervention staff in handling mental health emergencies in schools

Under the guidance of a supervisor, the Outpatient Services duties will include:

• Providing individual therapy, family therapy, couples counseling, and group counseling to people of all ages utilizing various professional techniques
• Collaborate with clientele and in conjunction with the Supervisor, establish within the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) a strengths-based, goal-specific treatment plan
• Discussing mental health cases with other staff, program areas, and community individuals or agencies on assigned cases
• Performing Therapy Diagnostic Evaluations in order to enroll clientele in counseling and psychiatric services as well as to assess areas of need that might be effectively addressed by other MH programs and services
• Making medically necessary referrals to other programs as warranted.
• Assisting and coordinating care with the Crisis Intervention staff in an effort facilitate crisis assessments related to voluntary hospitalizations when necessary
• Providing an eight-week, hourly group session related to the Extended Out Patient Program focusing on topics that promote self- care, self-management, and self-recovery, roughly once a year

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• This position reports to the DBHS Office for work.
• Full-time employment
• Work hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with a 30-minute lunch.
• Hours must be adjusted as needed based upon consumer requests for evening appointments.
• On occasion, staff may need to work hours outside of the set work week to complete projects, meet work demands, or in the event of an emergency.
• New staff will be on probation for 6 months.
• New staff may be eligible for a hybrid of on-site and remote work after 3-months of employment.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• A master's degree in psychology or a closely related field.
• Applicants will be considered to have met the educational requirements once they are within 3 months of graduating with a qualifying degree.

Other Requirements:

• PA residency requirement is currently waived for this title.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements:

• You must pass a background investigation.
• This position falls under the provisions of the Older Adult Protective Services Act.
  • Under the Act, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports, including but not limited to, PA State Police and FBI clearance.
• This position falls under the provisions of the Child Protective Services Law.
  • Under the Law, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports including, but not limited to, PA State Police clearance, PA Child Abuse history clearance, and FBI Fingerprint clearance.

How to Apply:

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. *7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.employment.pa.gov/Additional%20Info/Pages/default.aspx and click the Veterans' Preference tab or contact us at ra-cs-vetpreference@pa.gov.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

• Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).
• Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions.
• Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
• You must provide complete and accurate information or:
  1. your score may be lower than deserved.
  2. you may be disqualified.
• You may only apply/test once for this posting.
• Your results will be provided via email.