About Delaware Guidance Services

Delaware Guidance Services for Children and Youth, Inc. (DGS) is the largest provider of outpatient behavioral health services to children and families in Delaware. We operate offices in Wilmington, Newark, Dover, Lewes, and Seaford, and we are the only statewide not-for-profit outpatient behavioral health organization for children and adolescents accredited by JCAHO. In 2020, we were honored as a Compassionate Champion for our dedication to serving youth and families using a trauma-informed approach.  

Through DGS, clients and families have access to outpatient counseling, group therapy, parent-child interaction therapy, and school-based services. Our community-based service lines serve youth and families who require a more intense therapeutic protocol. DGS’ 24-hour statewide Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) dispatches skilled crisis intervention clinicians to provide immediate care to children experiencing behavioral health crises. Therapeutic options are available for a wide range of diagnoses including depression, anxiety, mood disorders, eating disorders, traumatic stress-related disorders, and suicidal ideation. In 2021, DGS clinicians provided over 54,000 direct care hours to children, youth, and families in Delaware. Over 93% of clients report improvement in their level of functioning following treatment, and therapeutic benefits derived from trauma-informed care extend to clients’ siblings, caregivers, classmates, and peers.  

Our client population is racially and ethnically diverse; 80% of DGS clients are Medicaid recipients and 90% have household incomes under $30,000. Many of our clients present with significant treatment challenges including learning impacts due to missed school and negative economic impact due to parental missed work. We provide care to anyone in need, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay for care. DGS also provides services specifically tailored to meet the unique behavioral health care needs of child welfare-involved families and foster youth

Why Work at Delaware Guidance Services? 

DGS strives to build a collaborative, flexible, and client-focused work environment. Employee wellness is a top priority. In addition to offering flexible work arrangements, DGS offers a comprehensive and competitive employee benefits package including the following:

• Competitive Compensation
• Incentive Pay for Specific Roles
• Generous Paid Time Off (starting at 44 days of paid leave a year)
• Up to 8% Annual Contribution to Your Retirement Fund
• Free Professional Development Opportunities
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance 
• Life and Long-term Disability Insurance

Position Highlights:

• Flexible / Hybrid work environment (community based)
• Salary + $3,500 Program Premium 
• Generous benefits and time off policies
• Ability to work with children through a mission driven organization

Summary/objective 

Under the supervision of the Crisis Clinical Coordinator, the Crisis Clinician will provide rapid response screening and assessment and counseling intervention services to youth and families experiencing urgent psychological and emotional problems (ie. aggressive and defiant behavior due to problems with emotion regulation, suicidal/homicidal ideation, plans, or attempts, family conflicts, etc.) while maintaining safety and implementing therapeutic treatment plans in a community-based setting. The incumbent is responsible for conducting risk assessments, consulting with appropriate supervisors or DPBHS workers to make decisions about level of care needed to maintain safety, and providing short-term, therapeutic crisis intervention services for up to 30 days. In addition, the incumbent is responsible for therapeutic documentation of cases from intake through discharge.

Essential functions:

Risk Assessment

• Maintain professional, trauma-informed, and empathetic interactions during crisis interactions with families and all stakeholders
• Use critical thinking and risk management skills when assessing and making decisions about the least restrictive level of care
• Understand and utilize knowledge about warning signs and risk factors associated with suicide risk and risk of harm to others
• Develop comprehensive skills in planning for safety and providing evaluations, diagnosis and therapeutic crisis intervention services to children, adolescents and their families.

Case Management

• Provide therapeutic recommendation and referrals for children, adolescents, and their families referred for assessments and follow-up services
• Communicate with and provide appropriate documentation to the DPBHS team
• Communicate with appropriate stakeholders to maintain a systems-based approach to stabilization of crisis situations
• Maintain complete, accurate, and timely documentation

Therapeutic Crisis Intervention

• Plan and administer solution-focused and trauma-informed interventions to maintain safety, build skills, and address problem solving, communication, and relationship conflicts.  

General Responsibilities

• Uphold professional standards of treatment and the mission of the organization
• Maintain a quality code of conduct, ethics and professionalism 
• Provide goal-directed and team-oriented services 
• Communicate effectively and professionally with all stakeholders 
• Participate in Clinician On-Call rotation
• Rotation of on-call telehealth for after hours 11p-7a 2-3 days a month

Competencies/ Capabilities:

• Reliability & Flexibility 
• Customer Service
• Written and Verbal Communication
• Collaboration and Teamwork
• Assessment and Intervention Skills

Supervisory responsibilities: None

Work environment: Community-Based, Office location in Lewes, Dover, or Newark, DE

Travel required: Travel to locations where the client resides or is located

Minimum qualification:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited school in a Human Services field
• Valid driver’s license and satisfactory driving record

Preferred qualification:

• Master’s degree from an accredited school in a Human Services field
• Education/Training in suicide risk prevention and intervention

EEO: 

Delaware Guidance Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Other duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.