Mental Health Counselor - Acute Care

Show Map Location 4300 Bartlett St, Homer, AK, 99603, United States Job Category Clinical Professional, Behavioral Health, Social Work Employee Type Active - Full-Time Description Make a meaningful impact in both acute care and psychiatric emergency services by providing critical clinical support, crisis intervention, and care coordination for patients facing some of life's most complex and challenging situations.   Dual Practice Opportunity: Serve as the primary social worker for an acute care unit while providing dedicated, scheduled coverage in Psychiatric Emergency Services, offering a unique blend of inpatient medical and behavioral health practice.   HIGHLIGHTS Community-Centric: Pairing small town values with industry-leading standards, South Peninsula Hospital values and invests in our staff and deeply cares about our patients. Benefits: South Peninsula Hospital provides a competitive salary and industry-leading benefits, including Health/Dental/Vision Insurance with up to a $2k HRA and generous PTO. Loan forgiveness and tuition reimbursement programs are available.   RESPONSIBILITIES Conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments and develop individualized care plans for patients with complex medical, behavioral health, and social needs. Provide crisis intervention, supportive counseling, de-escalation, safety planning, and trauma-informed care to patients and families. Coordinate complex discharge planning, referrals, and transitions of care with healthcare providers, community agencies, and behavioral health resources. Assess and respond to safety concerns, including suicide risk, self-harm, violence, abuse, neglect, and other psychosocial crises. Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams through rounds, family meetings, care conferences, and emergency behavioral health evaluations.   KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE Master's degree in Social Work from a CSWE-accredited program or equivalent. Current unrestricted Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) license in the state of employment. Experience in acute care, emergency services, inpatient behavioral health, crisis intervention, or other high-acuity clinical settings. Strong skills in psychosocial assessment, crisis management, discharge planning, care coordination, and clinical documentation. Working knowledge of behavioral health disorders, substance use disorders, social determinants of health, community resources, and applicable legal and reporting requirements. Ability to make sound clinical decisions in fast-paced environments with competing priorities and rapidly changing patient needs. Proficiency with electronic health records and healthcare technology systems. Physical Requirement: Ability to move throughout clinical care areas, communicate effectively in person and electronically, and respond promptly to urgent patient care situations. ENVIRONMENT The South Peninsula Hospital is a combined 22-bed Acute Care Critical Access Hospital and 28-bed Long Term Care facility located at the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula in South-Central Alaska. This position is primarily based in an acute inpatient hospital setting with scheduled coverage in Psychiatric Emergency Services. The work environment is fast-paced and dynamic, requiring frequent collaboration with physicians, nurses, behavioral health professionals, case managers, and community partners to support patient care and safe transitions. Staff must be comfortable managing frequent interruptions, emotionally charged situations, and rapidly changing patient priorities. Job Hazards: Employees may be exposed to infectious diseases, emotionally distressed individuals, behavioral crises, and occasional unsafe or unpredictable behaviors, requiring adherence to workplace safety protocols and crisis response procedures.     Additional Information FTE 1 Position type Non-Union Shift Type Days EEO Notice We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any prohibited characteristics.