What we do here changes the world. UTHealth Houston is Texas’ resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That’s where you come in.

Once you join us you won't want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus:  

• 100% paid medical premiums for our full-time employees  
• Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year) 
• The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue! 
• Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service) 
• Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan! 

We take care of our employees! As a world-renowned institution, our employees’ wellbeing is important to us. We offer work/life services such as... 

• Free financial and legal counseling 
• Free mental health counseling services 
• Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs 
• Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc. 
• Resources for child and elder care 
• Plus many more! 

 Join a growing team!   With the opening of Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center/HCPC  at UTHealth Houston, we will soon have the largest academic psychiatric hospital in the country, serving the region with an 500+ bed facility.  Our dedicated health care employees will have the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of mental health specialties and cutting-edge research.    With exposure to a variety of specialties such as Acute, Subacute, and Intensive Outpatient, Continuum of Care, Mood Disorders, ECT, Early Onset Treatment , Adult General Psychiatry, Competency Restoration, Child and Adolescent, Juvenile Justice, Geriatric Psychiatry, Treatment Mall and Unit-Based Programming.

 This dedicated team will work in an integrated campus to bring world class resources to the community.  Apply today to be a part of this committed team serving the mental health needs of the area.

The UTHealth Houston Co-Occurring Disorders Stepped Care Program is a multi-level of care treatment program, affiliated with McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston). Located at the John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center at UTHealth Houston, our interdisciplinary team of psychologists, masters level clinicians, medical providers, recreational therapists will comprehensively provide evidence-based psychological individual and group treatments, medication management, and intensive case management to our Intensive Outpatient, and Partial Hospitalization Programs.

 

As a part of the UTHealth Houston Behavioral Sciences Campus, we operate out of the largest academic psychiatric hospital in the country. Located within the Texas Medical Center, we are uniquely situated to provide collaborative, interdisciplinary care for patients, and training for students, across departments and institutions. The UTHealth Affective Disorders Stepped Care Program mission is four-fold:

1.       Clinical: We aim to provide the Greater Houston community with the highest quality, accessible, cost-effective, research-supported treatment that our field has to offer.

2.       Research: We seek to engage in innovative research aimed at evaluating the implementation and outcomes of the treatment provided.

3.       Education: Our goal is to provide students and trainees across disciplines of behavioral sciences and psychiatry to improve the knowledge base and quality of care provided to individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. Additionally, to educate more broadly and reduce the stigma associated with mental health and addiction.

4.       Community: Through our community outreach efforts, we offer didactics on co-occurring disorders screening, assessment, prevention, psychoeducation, and treatment to community providers and families.

Position Summary:

The UTHealth Affective Disorders Stepped Care Program is seeking a full-time, licensed mental health professional (LPC, LCSW, LMSW) to provide clinical services across our Intensive Outpatient (IOP), and Partial Hospitalization (PHP) Programs with the potential for provision of select Outpatient (OP) programming for alumni of higher levels of care. Clinical responsibilities will include conducting comprehensive initial assessments, treatment planning, and therapy (individual, family, and group) for adults (18+) with affective disorders.

 

For our Co-Occurring Stepped Care PHP/IOP clinicians will administer a semi-structured interview guide and self-report measures to assess initial presentation and measure progress to goal.

 

Our PHP/IOP is soundly rooted in evidence-based interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Integrated Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Illness Management and Recovery (IMR), as well as psychoeducation, and multi-family group.

 Additional responsibilities include the opportunity to: engage in presentations geared towards the local community; contribute to implementation and outcomes research, attend regular interdisciplinary consultation team meetings; and meet individually for regular case consultation with the program director, Amanda Zold, PhD.

Applicants must demonstrate strong evidence of training and interest in evidence-based treatments chronic and persistent mental health disorders. While this position is for a primary clinician in our Affective Disorders Program, at times, it could involve coverage for our Co-Occurring Disorders program that treats individuals with substance use and mental health symptoms.

Applicants with prior training and experience with MI, CBT, DBT, IMR, and Cognitive Processing Therapy are strongly preferred. However, applicants with less training or experience that are eager to learn will be provided with significant opportunities for mentorship and training across all evidence-based treatments offered in the program and are encouraged to apply.

Location:  Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center/HCPC  at UTHealth Houston

Dept.:       BSC Programming

Status:      Full-Time

FLSA:        Exempt

Position Key Accountabilities:

1.  Provides indirect services to patients.  Acts as an advocate for the patient/family with the treatment team.
   2.  Provides direct services to patients including: biopsychosocial/psychosocial assessment, discharge planning, and treatment that includes: individual, group and family therapy, crisis intervention and treatment planning.
   3.  Provides oversight of patient’s care, progress in treatment, and progress toward discharge in order to prevent both the over-utilization and the under-utilization of inpatient treatment services.  This is accomplished through feedback to and from the patient, significant others, the treatment team, and UR and community resources.
   4.  Works with a multidisciplinary treatment team to develop an individualized treatment, and a discharge plan that enables patients to quickly return to outpatient treatment programs. Works closely with physicians in identifying diagnoses to assist in the treatment process. Develops a discharge plan that will support patient’s ongoing recovery and development.
   5.  Assesses the psychosocial functioning of patients at admission and throughout the treatment program; conducts interviews with patients and significant others to determine assets as well as challenges to optimal patient functioning both while in the program and upon discharge to a lesser restrictive level of care.
   6.  Establishes and maintains relationships with community resources to assist patients medical needs at discharge for on-going treatment, residence, financial support, transportation, education, and vocational rehabilitation.
   7.  Refers patients and family to community resources.
   8.  Applies for court ordered mental health services for patients unable or unwilling to consent to treatment deemed necessary to protect the life of the patient or others. Presents to the Probate Court, both in writing and in oral testimony, reports of the specific patients behaviors prompting the request for involuntary admissions for services.
   9.  Other duties as assigned.

DEPARTMENTAL PREFERENCES:

1. ·       Specialization or additional training in co-occurring disorders (substance use and chronic and persistent mental health problems)
2. ·       Experience in providing mental health and substance use disorder treatment, particularly in an PHP/IOP or similar setting.
3. ·       Knowledge of and experience with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Cognitive Processing Therapy.
4. ·       Prior use of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria for treatment planning.
5. ·       Experience with group, individual, family and couple’s therapy.