MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR 2 - PAHRUMP

Posting number: 2026-02959

Department: DHS - CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES

Job classification: MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR 2

Posting type: Open Competitive

Categories: Mental Health, Counseling

Summary

The Nevada DIVISION OF CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES (DCFS) is recruiting for a Mental Health Counselor 2 in the Pahrump Child Welfare Office. Counselors provide counseling, case management, direct clinical services,  community and home-based services, and behavioral and human services to mentally ill, developmentally disabled and/or  emotionally disturbed clients in an outpatient, residential, community or similar setting. To perform the full range of duties  Licensure is required: Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Clinical Alcohol &  Drug Abuse Counselor, or Licensed Practicing Counselor. Mental Health Counselors provide Intensive Family Services (IFS) to  families involved with the child welfare system in rural Nevada. Staff provides in-home, family-centered, intensive services  including counseling, skill-building, supportive services, advocacy, mental health assessments for children and their parents,  and clinical case management to complex, high-risk families. Mental Health Counselors with the Clinical unit provide  diagnoses to children in custody for access to services; higher level of care; crisis intervention; placement disruption services;  and case consultation services for other DCFS program staff. Clinical program does not replicate existing services and is not  considered a mental health program, but rather a clinical child welfare program designed to intervene quickly with families  where safety threats have been identified and removal of children is imminent without effective preventative services. The  Clinical program prioritizes efforts to enhance deficient caregiver protective capacities to mitigate safety factors. Incumbents  possess a degree of knowledge and proficiency sufficient to perform work independently with little or no additional training.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Mental Health Counselors provide counseling, case management, direct clinical services, program development, policy implementation, community and home based services, and behavioral and human services to mentally ill, mentally disabled and/or emotionally disturbed clients in an outpatient, residential, community or similar setting.

Examples of duties

Master's degree from an accredited college or university in counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology, social work or closely related academic field and two years of postMaster's degree professional mental health counseling experience; OR an equivalent combination of education and clinical experience at or above a Master's degree and experience as described above.

Qualifications

Conduct appraisals and assessments through interviews with the client, family members and community systems, personal observations, communication with clinicians and representatives of community agencies and organizations, and utilization of standardized techniques to determine client eligibility for services and appropriate course of treatment at the least restrictive level possible.

Conduct or participate in treatment planning by attending treatment team meetings in which client goals are determined, and appropriate strategies and plans are developed and modified as necessary; coordinate and integrate services among members of treatment teams and client support systems; monitor treatment plans and evaluate effectiveness.

Provide individual, family and group counseling and consultative services to clients, their families and support systems utilizing a broad array of intervention techniques required to effectively address client problems, which may include multiple psychosocial problems within the family unit.

Utilize a family and community systems approach to develop and implement treatment plans by working with families and significant others in addition to the client; resolve client problems to prevent reoccurrence; provide recommendations for family reunification and adoption preservation.

Develop and implement after care plans; advocate for clients through interactions with other agencies, organizations, community and support systems such as the courts, welfare, school, juvenile justice, probation and parole, or other similar agencies; monitor after care services to ensure achievement of the goals identified in the treatment plan; provide support and assistance to clients and their families to facilitate the return of clients to the least restrictive environment possible.

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