Associate Therapist, Eating Disorders, Residential

Associate Therapist, Eating Disorders, Residential

The Associate Therapist works in a dynamic multidisciplinary team providing treatment services according to the Center for Discovery Clinical Model. Therapist responsibilities include ensuring patient safety, providing milieu interventions, leading psycho educational and process-oriented therapy groups, facilitating clinical assessments, conducting therapy sessions, and other case management tasks, as assigned.

Essential Job Functions:

• Ensure clinical documentation is completed timely throughout the course of treatment.
• Establish therapeutic rapport with patients and families/loved ones.
• Facilitate admission assessments and the admission process for new patients with professionalism, courtesy, and a welcoming attitude.
• Understands role in providing expeditious access to care for individuals seeking services.
• Participate in weekly treatment team and communicate weekly treatment goals with all team members.
• Complete appropriate number of therapy sessions weekly for patients, including family/support system sessions aligned with the patients’ level of care.
• RTC: two individual sessions and one family/support system session
• PHP: one individual session and one family/support system session
• IOP: one therapeutic session – individual or family/support system, as clinically indicated
• Facilitate the process oriented and psychoeducation groups one to two times, daily.
• Required to sit at a meal and/or snack a minimum of once per week.
• Facilitate multi-family groups, family program, and/or family weekend.
• Provide utilization reviews to insurance companies, providing appropriate clinical information to obtain initial authorization and continuing stay authorization, as necessary.
• Is appropriately accessible to family members or loved ones.
• Assess patients for suicidality and possibility of danger to self or others.
• May provide additional clinical support for other members of the clinical team in their absence.
• Communicate with the Utilization Review Department and Business Department regarding authorization and payment.
• Begin discharge planning on day of admission for all patients.
• Complete discharge session with patient to ensure coping skills, transition plan, and resources are understood and intact.
• Ensure discharge appointments are confirmed with patient and loved ones prior to discharge.
• Communicate with referral sources and outpatient providers for continuity of care upon admission, midpoint, and discharge.
• Facilitate patient transfers to a higher level of care, as needed.
• Actively participate in clinical outreach and program tours, as needed.
• Effectively manage crises in sessions and the milieu.
• Provide support to milieu staff in their interactions with patients and their loved ones.
• Work collaboratively with the entire treatment team and milieu staff to ensure the highest level of clinical quality at all times.
• Complete other tasks, as requested or assigned.
• RTC Only:
  Provide on-call support to facility at least 1x per month and return all program phone calls within 20 minutes, while on call. Communicate appropriately with On Call Administrator or Regional Director regarding pertinent facility issues, while on call.

Core Competencies:

• Ability to run groups effectively AEB providing a check-in, engaging all members, and providing structure to group format.
• Able to show effective writing and communication skills AEB documentation review, email timeliness, and verbal communication with staff and patients, add timeliness with documentation Ability to support in meal prep and meal support AEB accurate portioning, following proper kitchen safety & sanitation guidelines, engaging patients during meal, and able to provide redirection as needed.
• Ability to develop individualized treatment plans based on patient’s assessed needs, and according to policy AEB completing treatment plan inclusive of identified problems, goals, use of outcome measures, and needs stated by the patient.
• Ability to use clinical judgment to determine risk levels, document and respond accordingly AEB accurate and timely completion of the assessment and safety plan, if needed.
• Ability to build therapeutic alliance,…