Sioux Trails Mental Health Center
Job Description
Mental Health Practitioner
Primary Clinic Location:
Supervisor:
Effective Date:
All locations
Director of Rehabilitative Services
January 1, 2013
General Summary:
This is professional, client centered behavioral health work performed in a variety
of settings including: client homes, schools and clinics. The Mental Health Practitioner
may provide Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services, (ARMHS) and Children’s
Therapeutic Services and Support, (CTSS).
The Mental Health Practitioner, under the direction of the Director of
Rehabilitative Services, is accountable for providing instruction, support and assistance
to clients with mental health disabilities in developing and maintaining skills essential for
living in the community as independently as possible and to enhance psychiatric
stability, social competencies and personal and emotional development.
Essential Job Functions:*
 Teach Basic living and social skills; including but not limited to:
 Interpersonal communication skills
 Community resource utilization and integration skills
 Crisis assistance
 Relapse prevention skills
 Budgeting and shopping skills
 Healthy lifestyle skills and practices
 Cooking and nutrition skills
 Transportation skills
 Mental health management skills
 Household management skills
 Employment-related skills
 Transition to community living
 Provide medication management education both individually and in a group setting.
 Educate clients about mental health and symptoms
 Educate clients about treatment of symptoms and the role of medication in
such treatment.
 Educate clients about the effect of various medications as well as the side
effects of medication.
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 Assist and teach clients various interventions to increase client involvement in the
community.
 Identify interventions designed to reduce or alleviate a recipient’s barriers
to community integration or independent living or to minimize the risk of
hospitalization or other more restrictive living arrangement
 Conduct community engagement interventions when appropriate.
Other Duties and Responsibilities:
 Performs other duties as required.
The above list is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being
performed. A position may not be assigned all the duties listed and the listed examples
do not include all the duties that may be assigned.
Minimum Education/Skills/Experience/Training Required to be Considered for
Employment:
 Bachelor’s degree in one of the behavioral sciences or related field and at least
2,000 hours of supervised experience in the delivery of services to persons with
mental illness.
 Note: Equivalent combinations of education, experience or relevant certifications
will be considered and may be substituted for the degree requirement on a year-foryear basis.
Skills/Experience/Training Required to Adequately Perform Job Duties:
 Skills and ability to listen empathetically.
 Skill and ability in dealing with boundary issues.
 Ability to function as part of an interdisciplinary treatment team.
 Ability to relate to a variety of clients, especially children and adults with severe
emotional disturbance or other mental health diagnosis and their families.
 Ability to interact effectively with other agency staff in a variety of situations and
circumstances.
 Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.
 Excellent interpersonal and problem solving skills.
 Knowledge of and ability to understand behavioral health care procedures,
regulations and laws pertaining to the behavioral health care system.
 Knowledge and experience using computer applications.
Physical and Mental Demands: (included but are not limited to)
Frequent standing, sitting, walking; ability to concentrate and apply other
cognitive, intellectual and mental functions, and ability necessary to address and handle
a wide variety of human relations issues; cognitive, intellectual and mental functions and
ability necessary to handle more than one complex task at a time; manual ability and
dexterity to use keyboard for prolonged periods of time; strong verbal ability; frequent
lifting or moving up to 30 pounds; accurate close and distance vision.
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Within the requirements and framework of the law, reasonable accommodation
will be made to enable an otherwise qualified individual to perform the essential
functions of the job.
Extensive local travel.
* External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled
as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, must be able to perform the
essential job functions either unaided or with assistance of a reasonable
accommodation, to be determined based on individual assessment.
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