Mental Health Counsellor at Critical Recue International (CRI)

Competency requirements

• Indicators
• Personal values
• Passionate about Mental Health
• Understands concept of wellbeing and promotes mental health wellbeing
• Commitment to own personal and team development

Education & Qualifications

• A good Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, Medical Social Work or Mental Health Counseling
• In addition, therapists should possess a certification or training in the use of a specialized therapeutic technique such as; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Existential-Humanistic Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic, Life Coaching, or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness.
• Must have completed the N.Y.S.C
• Membership of appropriate professional bodies such as the Nigerian Association of Clinical Psychologists (NACP)

Experience and abilities

• At least 18 months year post-qualification/Internship experience in counseling and client management
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to empathize with clients
• High level of professionalism
• Strong problem-solving abilities
• Knowledge in Employee Wellness Initiative, stress management etc.
• Experience in writing assessments and reports to monitor client progress
• Strong computer skills
• Ability to leverage internal and external resources as part of a client treatment plan
• Ability to respond promptly, yet calmly, to crisis situations and quickly build rapport with callers
• Must demonstrate compassion and understanding for people dealing with potentially life-threatening situations and be able to correctly assess serious issues, such as the potential for suicide or harm to others
• Should also be able to maintain professional boundaries and be able to effectively manage high levels of stress.
• Willingness to work on-call
• Must be available to work on some holidays and weekends
• Ability to react immediately, yet calmly, to crisis situations and quickly build rapport with your callers
• Should also be able to maintain professional boundaries and be able to effectively manage high levels of stress.

Responsibilities

The main responsibilities of Mental Health online counselor cover crisis intervention, mental health education, psycho-education, supportive counseling and psychotherapy. They help people deal with mild to moderate life stressors or overwhelming situations; they are also trained to make referrals in more severe cases. For example, they might help clients through grieving, transition, stress management, anxiety, depression, treatment adherence etc. in addition to

• Answering incoming client phone calls and take appropriate action for each call
• Using company policies to determine if there can be an immediate resolution to a client issue or if that issue requires managerial input
• Collecting information about clients through telephone interviews
• Evaluating clients’ needs and create a custom engagement plan
• Providing counseling with emphasis on wellness
• Working with employees to promote optimum mental health.
• Helping individuals deal with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; suicide; stress management; problems with self-esteem; and issues associated with aging and mental and emotional health
• Encouraging clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, and help them to develop insight into themselves and their relationships via online platforms.
• Teaching coping mechanisms, adjusting to life, and making changes - via online media
• Guiding clients in the development of skills and strategies for dealing with their problems.
• Helping clients/employees with the resources needed to reach personal goals
• Monitoring client’s progress and adjust their engagement plan as needed
• Discussing with individual patients their plans for life after counseling.
• Maintaining customer satisfaction ratings based on explicit criteria set forth by the company
• Maintaining adequate client call database, maintaining confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
• Preparing and maintaining all required treatment records and reports, with emphasis on confidentiality.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of counseling programs and clients' progress in resolving identified problems and moving towards defined objectives.
• Attending mandatory training sessions to stay updated on product or company policy changes
• Learning about new developments in their field by reading professional literature, attending courses and seminars, and establishing and maintaining contact with other social service agencies.
• Communicating and reporting to their Line managers