
Sea Mar Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) founded in 1978, is a community-based organization committed to providing quality, comprehensive health, human, housing, educational and cultural services to diverse communities, specializing in service to Latinos in Washington State. Sea Mar proudly serves all persons without regard to race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, or sexual orientation, and regardless of ability to pay for services. Sea Mar's network of services includes more than 90 medical, dental, and behavioral health clinics and a wide variety of nutritional, social, and educational services. We are recruiting for the following position:
Sea Mar is a mandatory COVID-19 and flu vaccine organization
The Child and Family Therapist provides diagnostic assessments, referrals for psychiatric services, case
management in coordination with other teams or parties involved in the treatment of children and
families. In addition, the Child and Family Therapist provides evidence-based individual and family
counseling, crisis stabilization, suicide risk assessment, treatment plans, and leads groups in office,
school, and/or community settings. Assistance to the Director in program development, policy and
procedure development, compliance with WACS and RCWS, and other administrative tasks performed
are as directed. This job description does not suggest or imply that these are the only duties to be
performed by this employee. The person in this position will be required to follow other instructions
and to perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.
Duties and Responsibilities
As a mission-driven organization, the core values of, and the services offered at Sea Mar are basedon thebelief that everyone deserves to be respectfully treated in a way that preserves dignity andenhances self-worth. Sea Mar is an advocate for its clients and aims to achieve industry-leading, client-centered,culturally awareservices.
Sea Mar employees serve as an extension of this mission and demonstrate their commitment to an
excellent client experience by:
Understanding and empathizing with client needs
Surpassing client expectations
Demonstrating a high level of integrity
Exhibiting compassion and commitment
Advocating for social justice
Taking pride in individual work as well as that of the team
Continually learning to stay current with industry standards, best practices and technology
As a Sea Mar employee, the individual in this position commits to adherence to these values totheir
utmost ability and endeavors to strengthen and embody this mission daily.
Essential duties and responsibilitiesinclude the following. Other duties may be
assigned.
ADMINISTRATIVE
Assists in insuring agency compliance with WAC's,RCW's, and other pertinent laws,regulations, and contracts.
Assists in developing and implementing policies and procedures as directed by the ProgramDirector.
Educates staff regarding the process for mental health service referrals and regarding "psycho-educational topics” (suicide risk assessment, behavior modification, etc.) as directed by theProgram Manager.
Maintains documentation of mental healthservices andfollow through in patient charts.
CLINICAL DUTIES
Provide developmentally and culturally appropriate formal and informal diagnostic assessmentsfor each patient during the program. Document outcomes, justify diagnoses, and communicatewith the collaborative partners regarding outcomes and recommendations. It is suggested thatthis individual communicate with the Primary Care Physicians, Substance Abuse Counselors,schools, case workers, or others involved in the care of the patient.
Demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of thepatients served, specifically children and families.
Provide information about assessments and involve family members as active participants in theassessment process and in treatment planning, where appropriate.
Collaborate with other professionals in conducting family-centered assessments and treatmentplanning, when appropriate.
Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span.
Able to identify and categorize each patient’s age-specific grouping of needs, such as those forinfant, adolescent, adult or geriatric patients.
Refer patients to psychiatric and medication management services as appropriate. Gatherrecord materials and background information as needed by the community mental health center(See Policies and Procedures). Actively collaborate with the psychiatric service provider toensureaccuracy of presentation and that identified needs are addressed. Provide monitoringregarding the effects of medications, and feedback to the psychiatrist regarding effects/sideeffects.
Provide individual and/or family counseling, in coordination with other system as needed.
Provide suicide risk assessment and develop treatment plans to address suicidal ideation orgestures. Use case management as needed to provide follow through and build communitysupport as follow through. Provide other crisis stabilization as needed.
Gather information regarding past mental health services to be used in the individual’s treatmentplan development. Provide mental health services referrals to patients prior to or followingadmission, and exchange information with outside service providers.
Support other staff regarding mental health needs of staff or patients. Maintain confidentiality,prevent splitting between staff and patients, and offer concrete ideas on handling challengingsituations.
PRODUCTIVITY STANDARD
Produce a minimum of 80 encountersmonthly,that will equal at least 80 hours of face-to-face contact.
Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentialfunctions.
An understanding of the Behavioral Health Organization, County, and/or MCO contracts withthe ability to tier clients in a managed care system. The ability to work effectively with allpersons and groups with an open mind towards cultural differences and knowledge of cultures.
The ability to accurately diagnose mental health issues and develop treatment plans based upondiagnoses. The ability to NOT diagnose behavioral problems as mental illnesses unlessappropriate.
An understanding of chemical dependency treatment and an ability to coordinate mental healthservices with chemical dependency treatment providers if necessary.
Must complete an annual clinical competency test as a mental health therapist.
The Child and Family Clinical Therapist must sign a permanent oath of confidentiality coveringall patient related information.
This person must pass a background check.
LANGUAGE SKILLS
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenanceinstructions, and procedure manuals.
Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.
Spanish speaking preferred
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers,common fractions, and decimals.
Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
REASONING ABILITY
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situationswhere only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Education and Experience, Certificates, Licenses, Registrations, and Medical Screening
EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE
A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in psychology, counseling, or socialwork which includescourseworkin psychological diagnostics. Must meet criteria of aMental HealthProfessional (MHP). Must possess a Child Mental Health Specialist credential or beworking towards credential. Must hold and maintain an active Washington StateAgency AffiliatedCounselor License (may be pending for up to 60 days if applied for within 7 daysof beingoffered employment) or mental health Associate License (includes Marriage andFamily Therapist, Mental Health Counselor, and Clinical Social Worker).
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
This position must obtain Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR within 90 days of hire date and isrequired to maintain current BLS CPR throughout employment.
Must take a TB test annually and at time of hire.
Annual influenza vaccine required. Only exception is for employees with a medical or religiousexemption approved by Administration. Employees with an approved medical or religiousexemption mustalways wear a maskduring the flu season.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employeeencounters while performing the essential functions of this job, including work within office, school andcommunity settings. Counselors are required to commute between clinics and schools to which theyare assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to performthe essential functions.
Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee tosuccessfully perform the essential functions of this job, while working in an office setting as well asschool and community settings. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals withdisabilities to perform the essential functions.While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger,handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.The employee frequently is required tostand, walk, and sit. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch,or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/ormove up to 50 pounds. The employee may be required to travel to, and between, office, school andcommunity settings to perform duties. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision,distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus
Salary - Salary Plan, 85,000.00 USD Annual
What We Offer:
Sea Mar offers talented and motivated people the opportunity to work in a dynamic and growing community health organization. Working at Sea Mar Community Health Centers is more than just a job, it’s a fulfilling career with opportunity for advancement. The fringe benefits surpass most companies. For example, Full-time employees working 30 hours or more, receive an excellent benefit package of:
Sea Mar is an equal opportunity employer.
Please visit our website to learn more about us at www.seamar.org. You may also apply thru our Career page at this link.

Sea Mar Community Health Centers is a community-based organization committed to providing quality, comprehensive health, human, housing, educational and cultural services to diverse communities, specializing in service to Latinos.
Sea Mar is one of the largest community health centers in the country with 34 medical clinics, 26 dental clinics, 36 behavioral health clinics and several human and educational services across 13 counties in Washington state. Sea Mar continuously strives to engage, strengthen and respond to the needs of its communities. By doing so, Sea Mar has evolved into more than a health center; it has become an essential resource to patients and families. From the north in Bellingham to the south in Vancouver, Sea Mar provides affordable and quality care for communities throughout western Washington.