Crisis Counselor of Project Impact

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) is a leading not-for-profit organization providing healing, justice and wholeness to people and communities. For over 150 years, LSSI has made a difference in the lives of children and families, and we continue that commitment to making a difference.

LSSI is hiring a Crisis Counselor position at Project IMPACT at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park
. Project IMPACT is a behavioral health crisis program that runs 24/7 in alignment with hospital emergency departments across Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois. Project IMPACT is comprised of crisis teams that engage in a multidisciplinary setting to prioritize patient well-being and assist with the coordination of a safe/appropriate plan of care. Project IMPACT crisis teams conduct onsite and phone intakes for the purpose of triage, evaluation, crisis intervention, disposition, admission, and linkage to resources.

Project IMPACT Crisis Counselors complete comprehensive assessments with patients in crisis who may benefit from linkage to various substance use, mental health, and behavioral health services up to and including inpatient hospitalization. Crisis Counselors operate in a dynamic environment with a wide array of patient presentations across the behavioral health spectrum.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Overnight 8:00pm to 9:30am

• Clinically assess patients, identify level of need for immediate intervention to safeguard patient wellbeing.
• Develop familiarity with local resources to best serve a wide variety of patients across a broad spectrum of presentation and need.
• Remain in compliance with HIPAA and privacy standards while maintaining efficiency and clinical guidelines with written documentation.
• Operate within a multidisciplinary setting with effective communication between supervisory staff, collateral contacts and agencies, and other involved teams for the treatment and wellbeing of the patient.
• Demonstrate an understanding of and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) across patient and multidisciplinary interactions.
• Ability to function within an emergency department setting with potential exposure to grotesque situations and other pathogens such as blood or other bodily fluids.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to complete training in a timely fashion.
• Both abilities to operate in a team setting as well as to work independently when required.
• Familiarity with various insurances, primarily Medicare/Medicaid, and the prior-authorization process for inpatient/behavioral health treatment (location dependent).

• Bachelor's degree in mental or behavioral health-related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Licensure in mental/behavioral health field preferred but not required. Examples: LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, CADC, etc.
• Preferred 1 year experience working within the behavioral health field.
• Strong communication, written, and documentation skills.
• Ability to adapt to a fast-paced, flexible environment with broad patient presentations.
• Understanding of HIPAA/privacy and documentation standards.
• Ability to pass IM-CATS training and credentialing exam.
• Familiarity with Electronic Health Record systems preferred.
• Basic understanding of Medicaid/Medicare and other insurances preferred.

• Adherence to ethical standards of practice and treatment.
• Proficiency in and completion of all required documentation in EHR system.
• Ability to provide and coordinate a wide scope of services between IMPACT and outpatient services with emphasis on continuity of care within the LSSI system where possible.
• Time management and organizational skills to adequately ensure the timely completion of tasks and assignments.
• Ability to operate proficiently within a team setting with emphasis on individual accountability for personal task completion and behavior.
• Completion and upkeep of required training standards.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, pregnancy, any other characteristic protected by law.