Behavioral Health Counselor MS

Position Title

Behavioral Health Counselor – MS Department: Psychiatry ECR Location: 1200 West White River Blvd. Muncie, IN 47303 Shift: Full-Time Day Monday-Friday (On-Site) 8:00 am -4:30 pm 40hrs

Position Overview

The Behavioral Health Counselor facilitates patient involvement in treatment and education within a multidisciplinary healthcare setting. This role involves individual, group, and family counseling, discharge planning, utilization review, and crisis intervention. The counselor collaborates with healthcare teams, community agencies, and protective services to ensure patients receive safe, timely, and resource-rich care. The position also manages complex cases such as abuse, neglect, guardianship, and high-risk crises, utilizing de-escalation and safety techniques as needed.

Key Responsibilities

Facilitate patient involvement in treatment, education, and recovery through individual, group, and family counseling. Conduct psychosocial assessments evaluating prior functioning, support systems, reactions to illness, and coping strategies. Provide mental health assessments upon physician referral and deliver therapeutic interventions, including crisis and community resource referrals. Support complex discharge planning, including guardianship, foster care, adoption, and mental health placements. Serve as the primary point person for cases involving child abuse/neglect, adult/elderly abuse/neglect, institutional abuse, and domestic violence. Act as liaison between IU Health, protective teams, law enforcement, and community agencies. Respond to dangerous or potentially dangerous situations with clinical intervention and de-escalation techniques. Support patients in acute crises, utilizing de-escalation skills to prevent violence. Support and lead decision-making and goals of care conversations to ensure excellent care. Develop and maintain strong working relationships with community organizations, law enforcement, schools, probation, and other agencies. Provide clinical supervision and opportunities for ongoing professional development. Document all assessments and interventions accurately within the electronic medical record system.

Qualifications

& Requirements: Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or related field. Requires 0-3 years of relevant healthcare, mental health, or community-based experience. Must have a minimum of a permanent LSW, LMHC-A, or LMFT-A upon hire. BLS certification may be required. Knowledge of psychosocial assessments, therapeutic counseling, and crisis intervention techniques. Understanding of disease processes and human behavior in relation to health-related social needs. Knowledge and implementation of evidence-based practices (CBT, MI, DBT). Knowledge of legal mandates for child and adult protective services at the state and county levels. Understanding of growth and development principles over the lifespan. Ability to maintain principles and techniques of crisis intervention and de-escalation. Ability to create a safe and therapeutic environment, including instruction of daily activities and programming. Basic proficiency in Electronic Medical Records and MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with community, medical, law enforcement, APS/CPS, schools, probation, and other agencies.