SUICIDE AND CRISIS INTERVENTION COUNSELOR

GENERAL DEFINITION

This is mental health work providing counseling, referral and information services to individuals having mental, emotional and social problems including suicidal behavior. Work involves frequent telephone contact with patients, social service agencies and mental health agencies and providing consultative and advisory services to mental health practitioners and the public in regard to suicidal and emotional crises. Significant aspects of the work include providing emergency counseling to individuals contemplating or in the process of committing suicide or experiencing emotional crisis, and providing immediate alternatives or commitment service for them. Work is performed under the general supervision of a technical superior.

ALLOCATING FACTORS: (The following conditions must be met for a position to be allocated to this class.)

· The position must perform the work in the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services.

· The position must provide counseling and emergency assistance to individuals experiencing a suicidal or emotional crisis.

TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF WORK (ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY)

Receives emergency assistance telephone calls from individuals experiencing a suicidal or emotional crisis; evaluates extent of crisis and provides immediate counseling and service.

Contacts police, hospitals, relatives, friends and mental health centers to secure transportation, or medical or psychiatric attention for individuals experiencing a severe mental crisis.

Interviews referrals and clients who walk into the office requesting help; provides counseling and support to clients as needed until long term care can be assumed by the appropriate agencies.

Contacts individuals who have attempted suicide to evaluate their situation; assists them in formulating appropriate plans to alleviate their problems and if necessary, makes referrals for additional help.

Counsels families in which someone has committed suicide and makes referrals for further professional help if needed.

Approves requests for involuntary evaluations and commitments for individuals who show signs of mental illness or present a danger to themselves or others.

Investigates problems and complaints involving service received by clients in the mental health system; interprets agency policy and procedural requirements for mental health practitioners.

Advises clients, social workers, psychiatrists and others on the provisions of the Pennsylvania law and regulations governing mental health and intellectual disabilities, particularly those sections pertaining to commitment procedures.

Approves requests for mental health centers for deficit funding for hospitalization for patients without coverage.

Gathers and records clinical and research data required to develop factual knowledge essential to an understanding of suicide and its prevention; maintains logs and completes patient contact forms.

Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• the functions and resources of public and private social, medical and mental health agencies

• the theories, principles and techniques of working with people with several emotional, mental and social problems

• the causes of social maladjustment and other social factors which result in the need for placement or institutionalization

• the suicide problem and its effect on the family and community

ABILITY TO:

• recognize symptoms of emotional illness in general

• assess and interpret an individual's emotional and social problem situation and to make a sound evaluation and recommendation for a solution

• function under pressure and in stress situations

• assemble, evaluate and interpret pertinent data, and make sound recommendations based upon such information

• present ideas effectively both orally and in writing

• establish and maintain effective working relationships with individuals with emotional, mental and social problems, their families and other involved persons and community agencies

• determine the need for commitment of individuals

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE (The following statement represents the minimum training and experience standards which will be used to admit or reject applicants for tests. Applications submitted by candidates for this class will be reviewed based on training and experience requirements as approved on 4/81.)

EDUCATION:

Completion of a bachelor's degree program at an accredited college or university with major course work in psychology, sociology, related social sciences, or nursing.

AND

GENERAL EXPERIENCE:

One year of experience counseling individuals with emotional or social problems in a mental health setting.

AND

SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE:

One year of suicide intervention counseling experience.

OR

Any equivalent combination of education and experience which has included completion of a bachelor's degree program as an educational minimum.

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

Class Established 4/68

Spec. Revision:

CSC - 2/96

Ad. Board - 5/96

Latest Spec. Revision:

CSC - 3/17

Ad. Board - 4/17