Jr Psych Health Coordinator

Expectations / Tasks

• Provide Mental Health Counseling.
• Maintain a 24/7 crisis phone through calls and texts for Soldiers and their family members (i.e. spouses children and parents).
• Understand the military culture and rank structure of the Vermont National Guard as well as the culture of Vermont.
• Perform mental status exams and other mental health evaluations.
• Attend weekly staff meetings
• Navigate complex military health systems (i.e. The Department of VeteransAffairs and The Department of the State Surgeon) support programs (i.e. the Army Substance Abuse Program the family readiness program the J9 Directorate/ IPPW and other community resources) and military / civilian legal systems.
• Facilitate Behavioral Health briefs to units with 20-60 Soldiers.
• Facilitate Behavioral Health briefs to groups of 100 - 300 Soldiers and Family Members both pre- and post-deployment.
• Advise unit leadership / unit commanders on situations involving their Soldiers mental health and fitness for duty.
• AdviseBattalion Brigade and organizational leadership on behavioral health situations and fitness for duty.
• Facilitate group therapy sessions after critical incidents such as death and/or serious injury of a unit member.
• Provide mental health counseling / therapy to Soldiers struggling with substance use/misuse/abuse and suicidal ideations.
• Assist Soldier and Family Members in finding a counselor / therapist in the community and develop / maintain relationship with community-based clinicians in order to expedite the process of helping Soldiers link up with them.
• Work with community-based counselors / therapists in navigating military requirements surrounding mental health issues (i.e. deployments require letters of stability and other documentation for Soldiers being prescribed certain behavioral health medications or diagnosed with certain behavioral health conditions).

The ideal candidate for this position would:

• Maintain the 24/7 mental health crisis phone
• Be a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor or be skilled and interested in working with clients dealing with issues surrounding substance use/misuse/abuse.
• Be informed in evidence-based practices involving suicidal ideations.
• Be comfortable delivering behavioral health briefs to large groups of Soldiers and their Family Members.
• Have the ability to be brought into crisis situations and work with the Soldier and several other people in developing solutions in a cohesive manner.
• Be extremely skilled in self-care and maintaining boundaries when required and appropriate.

Required Experience:

Junior IC