Mental Health Specialist

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (ODOC)

Mental Health Specialist

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION
 These positions exist within the Counseling and Treatment Services of the Oregon Department of Corrections in Salem. This recruitment will be used to add names to the list of applicants and may be used to fill vacancies as they occur.

Applicants will be subject to a Computerized Criminal History and Motor Vehicles Division check as well as a thorough background investigation. Adverse background information may be grounds for disqualification.
 
All department employees are responsible for upholding the mission of ODOC by promoting public safety, holding offenders accountable for their actions and reducing the risk of future criminal behavior. ODOC employees oversee and manage inmates in order to maintain safe, civil and productive institutions. They are responsible for the safety of inmates and protection of property at their work site. All department employees have a significant impact on the success of the ODOC mission and need to understand the fundamentals of the Oregon Accountability Model.
 
The Oregon Accountability Model emphasizes the importance of criminal risk factor assessment, inmate work and programs to mitigate identified risks, staff-inmate interactions that support positive change, inclusion of families and children as a positive support in an inmate’s life, successful reentry into the community, and ongoing community supervision and programming. Staff interactions with inmates on a daily basis are, without doubt, the most powerful tool to reinforce pro-social behavior. Thus, the nature of interactions with inmates is core to the ultimate success of corrections and community safety. Each employee is expected to model appropriate pro-social behavior, support positive change in individual offenders and actively support the Oregon Accountability Model through day-to-day interactions with others.
 
The Oregon Department of Corrections is an innovative leader in the field of corrections and community safety and has been nationally recognized for accomplishments in all six components of the Oregon Accountability Model.

 
TO QUALIFY
You must have:

 two years of experience treating clients suffering from either alcohol/drug abuse or mental/emotional disturbance AND a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology or a closely related field; OR an equivalent combination of training and experience.


A Master’s degree in Psychology or a closely related field may be substituted for one year of the required work experience.

NOTE: For these positions, experience treating persons suffering from substance abuse or mental retardation is not applicable toward the two year minimum requirement.

Transcripts must be submitted for all required and/or related courses.
 
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
These positions coordinate mental health services for mentally ill inmates and have responsibility for identifying problems and developing treatment plans for these inmates. The following duties pertain to the positions assigned to the Special Management Unit:conduct mental status examinations on inmates to assess the existence of mental disorder or the status of mental disorder; utilize criteria from the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual disorders; enters results of assessments into Health Services records; coordinate mental health services for mentally ill inmates, identify problems and develop treatment plans for inmates; directly participate in and monitor implementation of treatment plans by correctional officers responsible for security in the unit; participate in treatment team meetings to present progress reports; provide input in diagnostic formulation; provide progress summaries every 30 days; generate discharge summaries for all chronically medically ill inmates admitted to the unit;
facilitate process groups and conduct individual therapy sessions as needed; develop classes and modules used to enhance curriculum for the program; refer to institution mental health programs and follow course of inmate treatment; oversee program compliance with admission and discharge criteria; and set and attend meetings to ensure coordination within and across institution programs; meets with security staff to ensure continuity between treatment and security; assist Release Services in preparation of plans for prison release.


The Mental Health Specialists assigned to the general population perform the following duties:identifies inmates entering the institution who have been diagnosed as mentally ill according to specific criteria; enrolls other inmates in caseload who are identified as mentally ill during the course of their incarceration; maintains regular schedule of contacts with all identified inmates to assess their mental status; conducts mental status examinations on inmates to assess the existence of mental disorder or the status of mental disorder; utilizes criteria from the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; enters results of assessments into Health Services records; evaluates inmates referred because of mental illness and formulates a crisis intervention plan; either continues to counsel the inmate through the crisis, or refers and provides follow-up to appropriate mental health services;
refers to institution mental health programs and follows course of inmate treatment; oversees program compliance with admission and discharge criteria; and sets and attends meetings to ensure coordination within and across institution programs; meets with security staff to ensure continuity between treatment and security; assists Release Services in preparation of plans for prison release.

 

SALARY: $3,466 - $4,788/month plus excellent benefits. 

 

Job announcement #LECO0118C and State of Oregon application may be obtained through any Oregon Employment Department or log onto our website at http://www.odocjobs.com.

 

Application review begins April 11, 2008.  AA/EOE