Clinical Therapist - Lancaster - Lancaster, CA

The Clinical Therapist provides comprehensive, client-centered behavioral health services to

children, youth, adults, and families served by Masada Community Mental Health Services. Working under

the supervision of the Clinical Supervisor, the Clinical Therapist provides timely clinical interventions,

including psychotherapy, ongoing assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, crisis intervention, care

coordination, and other services appropriate to the client's needs and assigned program.

Annual Salary Range

BBS Registered: $75,001-$95,000

Licensed: $85,001-$105,000

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• ONGOING CLINICAL ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS: Continuously assesses behavioral health

symptoms, functioning, strengths, risks, treatment response, environmental factors, and changing clinical

needs throughout the course of services. Reviews and integrates relevant behavioral health,

developmental, psychosocial, family, medical, educational, substance-use, trauma, and systems

information. Updates diagnoses, differential diagnoses, case conceptualizations, clinical formulations, and

assessment documentation when new information, changes in presentation, treatment response, functional

changes, regulatory requirements, or clinical circumstances indicate that reassessment is necessary.

Completes comprehensive, focused, or supplemental assessments when clinically indicated or required by

the assigned program. Applies current DSM diagnostic criteria and sound clinical judgment to ensure

diagnoses remain accurate and clinically supported.

• TREATMENT PLANNING, LEVEL OF CARE, AND SERVICE DELIVERY: Develops, implements,

reviews, and updates individualized treatment and service plans based on ongoing assessment, medical

necessity, client needs, strengths, preferences, culture, developmental considerations, treatment response,

and program requirements. Continuously evaluates whether the client is receiving services at the

appropriate level of care and whether the type, intensity, frequency, duration, and setting of services remain

clinically appropriate. Adjusts treatment interventions and service delivery in response to changes in

symptoms, functioning, risk, engagement, treatment progress, and level-of-care needs. Coordinates

consultation, referral, transition, step-up, or step-down to another level of care when clinically indicated.

• TIMELY TREATMENT AND CLINICAL INTERVENTION: Provides timely, clinically appropriate

treatment interventions based on assessed client need, risk, functioning, treatment goals, and level of care.

Provides individual, family, and group psychotherapy using evidence-based, evidence-informed, and

clinically appropriate interventions within professional scope of practice. Provides rehabilitation, case

management, collateral services, care coordination, crisis intervention, outreach and engagement, and

other behavioral health services as clinically appropriate and consistent with assigned program

requirements. Modifies interventions promptly when the client's presentation, response to treatment, safety

needs, or level-of-care needs change.

• CLIENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT: Establishes effective therapeutic relationships with clients,

caregivers, and support systems. Promotes meaningful client and family participation in ongoing

assessment, treatment planning, service delivery, outcome review, and transition planning. Identifies and

builds upon strengths and incorporates client voice, choice, culture, preferences, and recovery goals into

treatment.

• OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT: Conducts outreach and engagement activities when clinically or

programmatically indicated to support treatment participation, reduce barriers to care, maintain continuity

of services, and engage clients and families who may be difficult to reach or at risk of disengaging.

Collaborates with multidisciplinary team members and community partners to address barriers affecting

treatment participation and stability.

• RISK ASSESSMENT, CRISIS RESPONSE, AND LPS RESPONSIBILITIES: Maintains an active Los

Angeles County LPS designation throughout employment and exercises designated authority in

accordance with applicable law, county requirements, agency policy, and professional scope of practice.

Continuously assesses for suicide risk, self-harm, danger to others, grave disability, abuse, neglect,

exploitation, substance-related risk, and other urgent safety concerns as clinically indicated. Provides crisis

assessment, timely therapeutic intervention, safety planning, stabilization, and coordination with emergency

and crisis resources when necessary. Initiates or participates in LPS evaluation and involuntary detention

processes when clinically and legally indicated and within designated authority. Completes mandated

reporting responsibilities and promptly communicates significant clinical and safety concerns to the Clinical

Supervisor and treatment team. Participates in the agency's after-hours and on-call crisis response

schedule as assigned and responds in accordance with program, agency, and county requirements.

• LEVEL-OF-CARE MONITORING, REFERRALS, AND CARE COORDINATION: Routinely evaluates

the appropriateness of the client's current level of care based on symptoms, functioning, risk, treatment

response, engagement, support needs, medical necessity, and available clinical information. Uses clinical

judgment and agency- or LACDMH-designated assessment tools to support level-of-care decisions. Makes

clinically appropriate referrals and coordinates services when clients require additional, different, more

intensive, or less intensive services. Collaborates with internal and external providers to support continuity

of care and effective transitions between levels of care.

• MULTIDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION: Collaborates regularly with Clinical Supervisors, Program

Managers, therapists, case managers, psychiatry, nursing, occupational therapy, integrated care

management, peer and family support staff, and other members of the treatment team. Coordinates as

appropriate with schools, healthcare providers, child welfare, probation, managed care organizations,

county agencies, community partners, and other systems involved with the client. Uses multidisciplinary

consultation to inform diagnosis, treatment planning, risk management, level-of-care decisions, transitions,

and coordination of services.

• DOCUMENTATION: Completes accurate, thorough, clinically appropriate, and timely documentation of

ongoing assessments, diagnostic updates, treatment plans, progress notes, psychotherapy and other

treatment interventions, crisis services, collateral contacts, care coordination, level-of-care determinations,

discharge or transition activities, and other required services. Documentation reflects current client

presentation, medical necessity, treatment response, progress toward goals, identified barriers, changes in

risk or functioning, and the clinical rationale for continued, modified, stepped-up, stepped-down, transferred,

or discontinued services.

• OUTCOMES, LOCUS, AND CLINICAL MEASURES: Completes required clinical outcome measures,

reassessments, and agency- or LACDMH-designated tools within established timelines. This includes the

Level of Care Utilization System (LOCUS) for applicable adult clients, the Integrated Practice - Child and

Adolescent Needs and Strengths (IP-CANS) for applicable children and youth, and other required outcome

or clinical measurement tools. Reviews and incorporates outcome-measure findings into ongoing

assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, clinical decision-making, treatment interventions, service

intensity, level-of-care recommendations, and evaluation of treatment progress. Use changes in outcome

data and clinical presentation to identify when treatment should be modified or when transition to another

level of care may be appropriate.

• PRODUCTIVITY AND PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS: Meets productivity, caseload, service delivery,

documentation, scheduling, client-contact, field-based, and other performance expectations established by

the agency, assigned program, contractual requirements, and internal policies. Prioritizes timely clinical

intervention according to client need and manages assigned workload effectively. Communicates promptly

with the Clinical Supervisor regarding barriers that may interfere with timely treatment, client safety,

continuity of care, achievement of treatment goals, or the ability to provide services at the clinically

appropriate level.

• FIELD-BASED AND COMMUNITY SERVICES: Provides services in office, clinic, home, school,

community, field-based, telehealth, or other approved settings according to clinical need and assigned

program requirements. Meets applicable field-based service expectations and travels independently to

service locations as necessary. Transports clients only when authorized and required by assigned program

responsibilities and agency policy.

• CLINICAL CONSULTATION AND SUPERVISION: Participates actively and punctually in individual

and group supervision, multidisciplinary team meetings, case consultation, case presentations, in-service

training, conferences, and other required clinical activities. Appropriately utilizes the Clinical Supervisor for

changes in diagnosis, complex clinical presentations, risk and safety concerns, mandated reporting, ethical

issues, treatment planning, treatment response, medical necessity, level-of-care determinations, transition

planning, and other matters requiring clinical consultation.

• CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AND TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICE: Demonstrates respect for the

intrinsic value, individuality, identities, backgrounds, experiences, and cultures of clients, families,

colleagues, and community partners. Provides services using culturally responsive, trauma-informed,

strengths-based, recovery-oriented, and client- and family-centered practices. Demonstrates cultural

humility and sensitivity to the impact of trauma, systemic involvement, social determinants, and

environmental factors on behavioral health and treatment outcomes.

• ETHICS, CONFIDENTIALITY, AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Performs all responsibilities within

professional scope of practice and applicable ethical, legal, licensing, confidentiality, and regulatory

standards. Maintains appropriate professional boundaries, safeguards protected health information,

protects client rights, and maintains strict confidentiality of client records and information.

• CLINICAL TECHNOLOGY AND SYSTEMS: Demonstrates proficiency in the electronic health record

and other agency-approved clinical platforms, including Greenspace, Eleos, iDashboards, and designated

assessment or outcome measurement systems as applicable. Accurately enters required clinical

information and uses available technology to support ongoing assessment, documentation, outcome

measurement, treatment decision-making, communication, and coordination of care.

• QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT: Participates in quality assurance and

quality improvement, documentation review, utilization review, peer review, audit, corrective action, and

other compliance activities as assigned. Responds to clinical and documentation feedback and completes

required corrections within established timelines. Complies with agency policies, LACDMH requirements,

Medi-Cal Specialty Mental Health Services standards, medical necessity requirements, contractual

requirements, and applicable federal, state, county, and licensing requirements.

• COMMUNICATION AND PROFESSIONALISM: Demonstrates effective written, verbal, interpersonal,

organizational, problem-solving, and clinical decision-making skills. Communicates changes in client

needs, diagnosis, risk, functioning, treatment response, treatment recommendations, level of care, service

barriers, and follow-up needs clearly, professionally, and in a timely manner. Demonstrates reliability,

accountability, sound judgment, and professional conduct.

• TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Completes required agency, clinical, regulatory,