Clinical Intern

SCOPE OF WORK: This position is established to serve refugee and asylum-seeking participants who seek counseling services and psycho-social support from the IRC Therapeutic Services (TS) program. The Clinical Intern provides quality services through the demonstration and application of cultural humility and trauma-informed care and by ensuring appropriate interpretation. In addition, they will collaborate with IRC staff, other resettlement agencies, school counselors, community agency personnel, and other partners and stakeholders to meet the needs of the participants. The Clinical Intern will carry their own caseload, work within a team environment and practice strength-based and person-centered approaches. Counseling services will be conducted primarily through telehealth and in-person. The position will report to one of the Clinical Therapists (LMSW or LAC) and to the Clinical Supervisor who is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Arizona.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform additional internship-related duties and responsibilities as requested. Provide intake, individual/family/group counseling services to assigned clients using a trauma informed approach that maximizes their resiliency and associated skills.
• Manage assessment, development, and implementation of treatment plans that best meet the needs of clients.
• Assess and provides appropriate counseling services and interventions for individuals, families, and groups presenting with problems related to general mental health that are within the scope of the counselor’s license, education, and skills.
• Provides support for group counseling including preparation and co-facilitation.
• Provide education, assistance and support to family members and others involved with clients to enhance awareness of mental and emotional illness and to increase their ability to contribute to the healing process.
• Evaluate effectiveness of counseling services and interventions regularly and facilitate the most beneficial interventions and/or referrals.
• Conduct risk and safety assessment and develop a safety plan with each assigned client.
• Assess emergency and crisis situations and take appropriate and necessary steps to ensure clients’ safety. Notify supervisor of actual or potential challenges, exercise judgment, responds calmly and quickly. Display teamwork during emergencies.
• Collaborate with the therapeutic services team and other internal and external health care providers for shared clients for continuity of care and client advocacy.
• Develop partnerships with outside agencies for coordination of care.
• Participate in collaborative team and management meetings.
• Make referrals to other service, supports and resources when needed.
• Arrange and utilize appropriate interpretation services where needed.
• Maintains a case load of approximately 5-10 clients.
• Provides accurate and detailed clinical documentation, program reports and program tracking in a timely manner.
• Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients’ treatment.
• Attend clinical supervision, professional development training, orientation as scheduled.
• Provide clinical services both through telehealth and in-office as appropriate to each case.
• Visit clients to obtain signatures for required documents when necessary.
• Comply with all IRC policies, procedures and protocols.
  
  

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Knowledge of the role of racial, ethnic, and cultural heritage, nationality, socioeconomic, status, family structure, age, gender, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual beliefs, occupation, and physical and mental status, and equity issues in a community counseling setting.
•  Understand the roles of community counselors and the relationships between counselors and other professionals in a community agency setting.
• Demonstrate and understanding of ethical and legal considerations specifically related to the practice of community counseling and engage in appropriate ethical behavior in clinical situations.
• Understand and demonstrate basic and advanced helping skills with a variety of clients with diverse presenting problems and trauma.
• Understanding of how to apply appropriate individual, couple, family, group, and systems modalities for initiating, maintaining, and terminating counseling. This includes the use of crisis intervention, and brief, intermediate, and long-term approaches to counseling that demonstrate a collaborative endeavor between counselor and client.
• General principles of assessment and an understanding of symptoms to look for when conducting a thorough psychosocial assessment in all counseling settings.
• Evaluate effectiveness of interventions provided.
• Prepare and maintain records required.
• Learn to use individual supervision effectively.
• Engage in the ethical practice of psychotherapy according to the laws and regulations of the State of Arizona, the discipline of counseling/or social work, and the ACA Code of Ethics/or The NASW Code of Ethics.