Mental Health Clinician 2 (PCN 20-6580, 20-6879, 20-8719)

Full Job Description

What You Will Be Doing:

Under the direction of the Mental Health Clinician 3, this position provides solution-focused mental health treatment by work directly with the incarcerated population either individually or in a group setting at the state’s all-female institution, Hiland Mountain Correctional Center.

Through direct interviews, clinical observations, and evaluation of existing history, this position will apply clinical expertise to complete mental health screenings, evaluations, and treatment plans.

The position will be required to assess an individual’s diagnosis and risk, respond effectively to emergent situations, and make clinical recommendations on appropriate treatment.

This position will assist with the coordination of release planning, psychiatric treatment, and case management.

Our Mission, Values, and Culture:
The HARS Mission Statement: To provide timely access to essential care through an evidence-based multidisciplinary approach. We are committed to a culture of professionalism, quality and safety.

We seek applicants who are interested in furthering the HARS Mission and who will strive to uphold the Division's Core Values of Respect, Integrity, Compassion, Teamwork, Safety and Growth.

Benefits of Joining Our Team:The Working Environment You Can Expect:
Hiland Mountain Correctional Center (HMCC) in Eagle River, Alaska is a secure facility for incarcerated females with maximum capacity of approximately 400. As the state’s only all-female facility that also serves the greater Anchorage area as a booking facility, this position will work in a collaborative environment with a multidisciplinary team working to secure the best possible outcome for each individual.

Who We Are Looking For:
We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies:

• Psychology: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of human behavior and performance in various contexts, mental processes, or the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Decision Making: Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.
• Oral and Written Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral and written presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

Requirements

Competency Based Minimum Qualifications Instructions

This job class uses competency based minimum qualifications.

Please ensure your application (through work history, volunteer experience (duties summary), training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.

Competency Description

The competency description(s) listed below have been designed to promote a common understanding of the essential elements of the job class.

They highlight the more general and customary knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), tasks, and behaviors used to describe the competency.

They typically list expectations, as opposed to specific tasks, and are to be used only as parameters and guidelines.

A competency’s description is not intended to exclusively define every KSA, task, and behavior needed to successfully meet the competency, but rather to provide the manager/agency with a broad reference of options as to how an applicant can meet the job expectation.

Master’s degree from an accredited college in counseling, psychology, social work, child guidance, vocational rehabilitation, or a closely related field.

AND

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities in:

• Analysis and Assessment: Uses information technology in accessing, collecting, analyzing, maintaining, and disseminating data and information.
• Decision Making: Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.
• Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.
• Psychology: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of human behavior and performance in various contexts, mental processes, or the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Therapy and Counseling: Knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental ailments, and career guidance.

Equivalent to those typically gained by:

Professional experience performing psychotherapeutic casework.

“Professional experience” means work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment.

"Training" and "education" in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction.

It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, and on-the-job), from accredited and unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post-secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.

"Typically gained by" means the prevalent, usual method of gaining the competencies expected for entry into the job.

Special Note:

Some positions require the incumbent be licensed as a Clinical Social Worker or a Licensed Professional Counselor. This requirement will be addressed in the job posting.

Qualifications

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

If selected for an interview, the applicant must provide the following:

• Official or unofficial transcripts from the highest level of education completed
• Three professional references
• Resume

RECRUITMENT DIFFICULTIES

Starting salary may be approved up to Step D - $3,170.25, if criteria are met.

LEGAL EMPLOYMENT

The State’s online recruitment system, Workplace Alaska, requires applicants to certify that they have a legal right to accept employment in the United States.

It is the responsibility of the employee to maintain the appropriate documentation to accept or continue legal employment. The State of Alaska does not function in the role as an employer sponsor.

EDUCATION

If post-secondary education is required to meet the minimum qualifications, you must fill in the Education section of the application.

If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed.

Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials if used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position.

Transcripts can be attached at the time of application or provided at the time of interview, at the discretion of the hiring manager.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION

Education completed in foreign colleges, universities, or high schools may be used to meet the minimum qualifications listed above.

If utilizing this education, you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S.

education programs; or an accredited U.S.

post-secondary institution reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the post-secondary institution or high school.

It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

WORK EXPERIENCE

If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer’s name, job title, employment dates, and whether full or part-time.

Applications will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and if minimum qualifications are clearly met.

If they are not, the applicant may not advance to the recruitment interview and selection phase.

Note: Attaching a resume is not an alternative to filling out the application in its entirety. Noting, "see resume" or any similar response on any portion of your application may lead to a determination that your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.

PREA NOTIFICATION

The Department of Corrections follows and maintains federal and state requirements standards including, but not limited to, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards which apply to all public and private institutions that house adult or juvenile offenders.

PREA standards preclude the department from hiring or promoting anyone who has engaged in, or been convicted of any conduct which would violate PREA standards related to sexual assault including:

• Sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility, or other institution;
• Convicted of engaging or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse; or
• Has been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in the activity described above.

CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECKS/APSIN/ACOMS

Please be aware – this position requires the use of the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN)/Alaska Corrections Offender Management System (ACOMS).

A security clearance issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is necessary to use APSIN/ACOMS.

DPS will deny security clearance for any applicant who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in this state or another jurisdiction, or who may be a fugitive from justice.

Additionally, security clearance will be withdrawn if DPS discovers that material information was falsified or omitted at the time of the initial application for security clearance.

FINGERPRINT NOTICE

All Department of Corrections employees are required to be fingerprinted. The successful candidate must pass a criminal history check.

MULTIPLE VACANCIES

This recruitment may be used for more than one (1) vacancy.

The applicant pool acquired during this recruitment may be used for future vacancies for up to ninety (90) days after this recruitment closes.

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply to each recruitment notice to ensure consideration for all vacancies.

EEO STATEMENT

The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Individuals with disabilities, who require accommodation, auxiliary aides or services, or alternative communication formats, please call 1-800-587-0430 or 465-4095 in Juneau or (907) 465-3412 (TTY) or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at: P.

O. Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal-opportunity employer.

WORKPLACE ALASKA APPLICATION QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE

Questions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1-800-587-0430 (toll-free) or (907) 465-4095 if you are in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to recruitment.services@alaska.gov.

For applicant password assistance, please visit: https://www.governmentjobs.com/OnlineApplication/User/ResetPassword

Additional Information

Kim Curtis
Deputy Chief Mental Health Officer
907-269-7313
kim.curtis@alaska.gov