The full-time Behavioral Health Counselor (BHC) will be responsible for providing individual, family, and parent management treatment in an outpatient multidisciplinary program that targets children/youth with mental health issues and Problematic Sexual Behaviors (PSBs) and their families.  This program provides treatment services for these three populations: 1. children/youth have engaged in sexually inap­propriate behaviors with intrafamilial victims, 2. children/youth who have engaged in sexually in­appropriate behaviors with extrafamilial victims, and 3. children/youth who display self-focused and ex­hibitionistic problematic sexual behaviors.  Effective treatment for children, including children with PSB, actively involve the caregiver(s) in treatment.   

Based on the needs of the families and the child/teen, treatment will be provided in the office, or via telehealth. The BHC will provide evidence-based treat­ment (Cognitive-Behavioral and skills based) that is developmentally appropriate, and trauma informed as we consider past trauma and current coping mechanisms. Since parental involvement have been shown to have the best outcome in treatment, our treatment actively involves the caregivers in treat­ment by having weekly sessions and supporting the caregiver’s application of effective strategies to manage the child’s/teen’s behavior. 

The BHC will assess, treat, and follow these children/youth and their families. This population varies widely in terms of its levels of identified psychiatric disorders, sexual behaviors, and/or other behavioral problems. Treatment is often directed towards broad targets (e.g., treatment motivation, perceptions of the problematic sexual behaviors, history of trauma, social and relationship skills, affect regulation, and dealing with family’s reactions, family communication etc.) and may require various methods, such as child skills training and individual psychotherapy, parent training and treatment, parent-child/youth sessions, medication, and school consultation. The BHC will conduct clinical assessments and gather data via face-to-face interviews, phone interviews, and self-report measures from a variety of data sources (e.g., youth, parents, teachers, referral sources, other collateral sources).     

The BHC will work as part of a multidisciplinary team with the Allegheny County Office of Children, Youth and Families, Family and Juvenile Court, Child Advocacy Centers, Victim’s Advocates, Victim’s therapists, and other mental health professionals. The BHC will schedule and organize monthly treatment progress multidisciplinary meetings with CYF, victim’s therapists and other providers. The BHC will attend the CHP Child Advocacy Center Multidisciplinary Meetings on a monthly basis. The BHC will attend other treatment team meetings as requested by the court and/or referral source. This program has a weekly treatment meeting. 

The BHC will work a flexible schedule (3 or 4 evenings per week) to meet families’ needs.  This program is funded by the Allegheny County Children, Youth, and Families.  All Cases are referred to the program by the Allegheny County Office of Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) and we do not bill for any services.

Responsibilities:

To assist in the scheduling, preparation, and administration/completion of intake (e.g., screening) and discharge clinical evaluations designed to address the clinical mission of this program.   To conduct direct treatment with an individual, parents, and family basis by conducting specialized parent, parent-child, and/or family interventions, as needed, especially in addressing difficult case targets, issues, or obstacles.  To do this, the clinician will work a flexible schedule which may require evening or weekend appointments (availability of 3 to 4 evenings per week required).  To develop, document/monitor, and address an individualized treatment plan for each patient that outlines the clinical goals, targets, and services to be provided to the youth and his family, as needed (e.g., based on initial evaluation findings, etc.).  To assist in coordinating, organizing, and continuously developing/revising psychosocial assessment and treatment materials/procedures designed to evaluate and/or change common clinical targets (e.g., reduce deviant sexual behavior/arousal, enhance prosocial skills and community coping, manage aggressive behavior) in both the youth and their parents/families.  This includes maintenance of the program protocol binder and dissemination of new materials and identification of needed therapeutic directions/methods. to asses current and on-going safety concerns and risk. Working to mitigate those concerns with a comprehensive safety planning and crisis management. To attend the Multidisciplinary meetings. To attend treatment team meetings with other providers. To promote the extension of treatment efforts to the home/community and, where necessary, the school or other service providers, via generalization programming to reach other changes agents (e.g., parents, community teachers, therapists), and, where applicable, to maintain contacts with all involved parties. To provide, as necessary and/or indicated, court testimony as relevant to case assignments.  To do so, the clinician will communicate with WPH legal department and collaborate with caseworkers and probation officers. To work cooperatively/constructively with the full treatment team in order to enrich the environment, enhance treatment procedures and all related program operations, and improve staff performances via assistance, training, and routine feedback.  To do so, the clinician will demonstrate collegiality and provide supervision, instruction, and guidance to affiliated staff/students in the form of an effective leader/educator to assure the integrity of the program and maximize client improvements.  This includes helping staff to address emergent clinical problems and treatment obstacles that may require alternative programming. To provide, as necessary and/or indicated, basic administrative support and liaison with others (program staff, WPH clinics, community agencies/partners).  This includes public relations efforts and efforts to procure needed resources, helping to organize all meetings, and raising system or collaboration issues, especially identifying and seeking to resolve any concerns, questions, or interpersonal conflicts/problems, in an appropriate meeting/setting. To maintain basic case management functions such that all relevant materials, documents, and files are complete, clinical issues evaluated and reviewed in supervision, and identified decisions or solutions implemented effectively.  This includes discharge planning and helping to support continued follow-up work.  To monitor/document and enhance the quality and effectiveness of all clinical applications of existing treatment procedures through individual supervision, case reviews, and tape reviews.  Feedback based on court staff observations and reports of client outcomes (improvement) will be incorporated in this task. In all of these efforts, there is a need to maintain professional demeanor and good judgment in all contacts with staff, administrators, and clients, and to serve as an appropriate role model for clinic staff.