Human Services Practitioner

Human Services Practitioner provides mental health support within the prenatal care clinic and coordinates referrals to external services as needed. 

This position requires a Level 2 Background Screening and Drug Screen.

This position is grant funded.

This position is time limited.

Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Collaborate with the patient’s primary obstetric provider and other mental health providers to support mental health care. 
• Screen and assess patients for mental health and substance use disorders. 
• Educate patients about common mental health and substance use disorders and treatment options. 
• Monitor patients for changes in symptoms, treatment side effects, or complications, in person or by phone. 
• Support medication management prescribed by obstetric care clinicians, focusing on adherence, side effects, and treatment effectiveness. 
• Provide psychoeducation on medication risks and benefits during pregnancy/postpartum. 
• Deliver brief interventions using evidence-based techniques like Behavioral Activation, Problem Solving Treatment, or Motivational Interviewing. 
• Facilitate referrals to evidence-based psychotherapy treatments (e.g., ERP, DBT) as needed.
• Encourage patient engagement and follow-up in care. 
• Track patient follow-up and outcomes using a registry; document encounters and use the system to reengage patients. 
• Document patient progress and treatment recommendations in the registry for sharing with the care team.
• Facilitate treatment plan changes for patients who are not improving as expected in consultation with the obstetric care team maternal-fetal medicine, psychiatry and psychology consultants. These may include changes in medications or psychotherapy treatments or appropriate referrals for additional services. 
• Facilitate referrals to services outside the prenatal clinic (e.g., social services, specialty care, substance abuse treatment). 
• Develop relapse prevention plans for patients in remission

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Commitment to providing culturally competent, non-judgmental treatment to our patient population. 
• Experience in perinatal mental health. 
• Experience in screening, assessment, and treatment planning for mental health and substance use disorders. 
• Working knowledge of differential diagnosis and evidence-based psychosocial treatments for common mental health disorders. 
• Familiarity with brief intervention techniques (e.g., Motivational Interviewing, Behavioral Activation). 
• Basic knowledge of psychopharmacology for mental health disorders, within the provider's scope of practice. 
• Experience collaborating effectively in a team setting. 
• Ability to maintain professional relationships with patients and the care team. 
• Ability to navigate mandated reporting guidelines while prioritizing informed consent, patient advocacy, and minimizing harm. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. 
• Comfort with the pace of prenatal care. 
• Ability to engage patients in a therapeutic relationship, virtually or in person.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in education, Special Education, Psychology, Social Work, or other field appropriate to the program content.

• Bachelor's degree candidates must have at least two years of applicable experience. 

   

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in education, Special Education, Psychology, Social Work, or other field appropriate to the program content.
• Appropriate training and clinical licensure to provide psychotherapy (e.g., Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Social Worker, Certified Counselor, Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Registered Nurse
• Experience in a prenatal setting 
• Bilingual in Spanish and English.

Senate Bill 1310- The Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1310) is
conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S.
 

SB 1310: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Education Requirements

A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed:

• (a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
• (b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree;
• (c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree;
• (d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or
• (e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree

Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment.

Minimum Qualifications that require a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310.