Intake Therapist

Fair Haven Community Health Care 

For over 54 years, FHCHC has been an innovative and vibrant community health center, catering to multiple generations with over 165,000 office visits across 21 locations. Guided by a Board of Directors, most of whom are patients themselves, we take pride in being a healthcare leader dedicated to delivering high-quality, affordable medical and dental care to everyone, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Our extensive range of primary and specialty care services, along with evidence-based programs, empowers patients to make informed choices about their health. As we expand our reach to underserved areas, our commitment to prioritizing patient needs remains unwavering. FHCHC's mission is to enhance the health and social well-being of the communities we serve through equitable, high-quality, and culturally responsive patient-centered care.

Job purpose

FHCHC is seeking a qualified and experienced Intake Therapist to help provide crisis emergency care and perform comprehensive psychosocial assessments

Duties and responsibilities

Reporting to the Director of Behavioral Health, the Intake Clinician will work in a community behavioral health and addiction setting, providing services to individuals experiencing a mental health and/or substance use disorder need. Typical duties include but are not limited to:

• Triages clinical emergencies and implements program specific safety and consultation protocols
• Tasks include telephone triage, risk assessments, de-escalation, safety planning, working with EMS as needed, facilitating referrals to emergency department, community mental/substance abuse treatment and other linkages in the community
• Completes crisis assessments of adults and/or children who are in crisis in a comprehensive manner attending to their safety and needs
• Develops treatment plans with and for the person in crisis that utilize community-based health, behavioral health, and social services that will ameliorate the presenting crisis
• Completes a diagnostic assessment, for voluntary outpatient program and other supporting documentation at first meeting; along with orienting new clients to the different services offered in our outpatient clinic
• If appropriate they will work with the client on making referrals to other services to meet the full spectrum of client needs assessed
• Works closely with our behavioral health patient navigators, BH Director, and team of clinicians to ensure a smooth transition from enrollment to ongoing treatment
• Completes required evidence-based screening tools, such as GAD, PHQ-9 and CSSR, CAGE, and social determinates of health (SDOH), among others.
• Completes required administrative documentation, consents, agreements, acknowledgements and enrollment forms
• Completes required documentation in a timely manner, meeting regulatory standards
• Collaborates and communicates with the Billing Department in regards to medical insurance issues and payment options
• Works collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team

• Be bilingual in English and Spanish.
• Have clinical skills in assessment and diagnoses as well as experience working with a broad range of clinical presentations and age ranges from young children to elders.
• Demonstrate knowledge of psychopathology, crisis theory and other behavioral health concerns and primary modalities of psychotherapeutic intervention
• Be able to function independently and be able to seek guidance when necessary
• Have extensive experience working with culturally diverse urban populations, a wide age range, and a variety of clinical presentations and knowledge of behavioral health, child welfare systems, and community resources
• Strong diagnostic, assessment and treatment planning  skills for individuals, families and children Knowledge of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V)
• At least a Master’s degree (M.A., M.F.T., M.S.W.) in a clinical behavioral health field (e.g. social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy)
• Must be licensed or license-eligible in the State of Connecticut (LMSW, LCSW, LMFT, LPC, PsyD, or PhD)

American with Disabilities Requirements:

External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled, must be able to perform the essential job specific functions (listed within each job specific responsibility) either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by the organization on a case by case basis.

Fair Haven Community Health Care is an Equal Opportunity Employer. FHCHC does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.