State of Maryland

A Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) Associate Lead is the lead level of work providing counseling or other therapeutic mental health services to children and adolescents with serious behavioral health diagnoses in State inpatient, residential, community-based or in-home treatment settings. Employees in this classification assign, review and approve the work of and train lower-level CAMH Associates. Employees in this classification do not supervise.   

Employees in this classification receive general administrative supervision from a CAMH Associate Supervisor, a licensed health professional or a mental health professional. Employees receive clinical supervision from a licensed health professional or a mental health professional. Employees may be assigned to day, evening or rotating shifts to include holidays and weekends and are subject to call-in and overtime based on staffing needs and program responsibilities. Employees may be required to restrain clients displaying violent or aggressive behavior. The work may involve lifting wheelchairs and other heavy objects.

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology. The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work Sections of a class specification.

The CAMH Associate Lead is differentiated from the CAMH Associate III in that the CAMH Associate Lead assigns, reviews and approves the work of lower-level CAMH Associates while the CAMH Associate III performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision. The CAMH Associate Lead is differentiated from the CAMH Associate Supervisor in that the CAMH Associate Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level CAMH Associates.

Provides training to lower-level CAMH Associates and assigns and reviews their work;

Assists mental health professionals in providing direct counseling and other therapeutic services to children and adolescents with serious behavioral health diagnoses in State inpatient, residential, community-based or in-home treatment programs;

Uses counseling techniques to work with children and adolescents with serious behavioral health diagnoses using therapeutic communication skills;

Observes behavior of children and adolescents, records pertinent observations, maintains records of their social, physical and psychological behavior and makes recommendations to the treatment team for possible program modifications or the need for specialized services;

Plans, develops, implements and evaluates prescribed therapeutic treatment activities and programs designed to meet the mental health treatment goals and the emotional, social, recreational, cognitive and physical developmental needs of the assigned children or adolescents;

Leads children and adolescents in planned recreational, occupational and other adaptive programs in accordance with individual treatment plans;

Interviews clients and their families or custodial caregivers to obtain mental health histories and to explain program services to them;

Makes home visits and contacts employers, clergy, schools and community sources to obtain additional background information on clients and acts as advocate for clients ensuring protection of their rights in interactions and collaborative associations with their families, community and school sources and other agencies;

Refers or escorts children and adolescents to appropriate institutional, community and therapy services and assists them in using these services;

Maintains safety and other standards set by the facility staff and surveying agencies;

Participates in multidisciplinary team and staff meetings and in-service training activities;

May co-lead group therapy sessions with a licensed mental health professional;

May provide home intervention services for children and adolescents with serious behavioral health diagnoses;

May be responsible for the overall behavior management and personal care needs of a group of children and adolescents with serious behavioral health diagnoses including limit setting, crisis intervention and advocacy;

May assist in ordering and maintaining supplies and equipment and in developing the unit budget;

May coordinate the unit program with other programs, services or community organizations;

May lead in-service training activities;

May assist in the collection of data and implementation of study projects;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the theories, principles and practices of growth and development, behavior and personality development;

Knowledge of the dynamics of interpersonal relations, including family dynamics, and patterns of adjustive behavior related to the mental health of children and adolescents;

Knowledge of suicide theory and intervention techniques;

Knowledge of the roles and functions of human service and mental health professionals, programs and institutions;

Knowledge of federal and State laws and regulations and professional standards governing the care and treatment of children and adolescents including basic rights of children, confidentiality and child abuse issues;

Knowledge of the kinds, symptoms and causes of behavioral health diagnoses and emotional disturbance in children and adolescents;

Knowledge of methods of treatment of behavioral health diagnoses and emotional disturbance in children and adolescents;

Knowledge of basic and alternative communication skills and therapeutic interaction techniques used with children and adolescents; Skill in conducting therapeutic activities specified in individual treatment plans;

Skill in identifying stressors that may interfere with growth and development;

Skill in developing and implementing therapeutic milieu structures and programs that meet the treatment goals and developmental needs of assigned children or adolescents;

Skill in teaching problem solving and decision making, and assisting children and adolescents in developing effective coping mechanisms;

Skill in processing crises and incidents;

Skill in implementing appropriate behavioral consequences and physically intervening in a behavioral crisis;

Ability to train CAMH Associates and assign and review their work;

Ability to communicate effectively and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with child and adolescent clients, mental health professionals, human service professionals, health care professionals, families and community resource groups.

Education: Completion of 60 credit hours from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 12 credit hours in mental health, health, human services, education, or related behavioral sciences including six credit hours in psychology, counseling, addictions or mental health.

Experience: Three years of experience providing counseling or other therapeutic mental health services to children and adolescents with serious behavioral health diagnoses.

Notes:

1. A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with 30 credit hours in mental health, health, human services, education, or related behavioral sciences including six credit hours in psychology, counseling, addictions or mental health may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in Mental, Addictions or Behavioral Health Counseling and Psychology classifications or Mental, Addictions or Behavioral Health Counseling and Psychology specialty codes in the counseling field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience and education.

1. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

2. Employees in this classification may be required to successfully complete cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and maintain current certification.

3. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties in a swimming program. Employees assigned such duties may be required to obtain certification in Life Saving and Water Safety.

1. Persons appointed to positions in this classification must successfully complete an in-service training program and examination approved by the hiring facility prior to a permanent appointment.

2. Applicants are subject to a background investigation by the Maryland State Police before a permanent appointment can be made. A criminal conviction record may be grounds for rejection of the applicant by the hiring agency.

3. Employees in this classification will be required to provide the facility with a telephone number at which they can be reached.

4. Employees in this classification are subject to substance abuse testing in accordance with Code of Maryland Regulations 17.04.09, Testing for Illegal Use of Drugs.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.  

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit D, Health and Human Service Nonprofessionals classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.  

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.