State of Maryland

A Mental Health Associate IV is the advanced or lead level of work providing counseling or other therapeutic services in the field of mental health in a State residential facility or local health department.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions, but may train and assign, review and approve the work of lower-level Mental Health Associates and other health care staff.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a licensed professional staff member or other designated mental health professional.  Employees in this classification may be required to work evenings, holidays or rotating shifts.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by 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 the class specification.

The Mental Health Associate IV is differentiated from the Mental Health Associate III in that the Mental Health Associate IV serves as a subject matter expert in one or more areas or functions as a lead worker, while the Mental Health Associate III performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.  

Assists mental health professionals in one or more areas of direct client services in a residential facility or local health department in the Maryland Department of Health;

Plans and implements treatment activities and specialized programs designed to meet the specific needs of an assigned group of clients;

Observes and evaluates client behavior in relation to prescribed treatment activities or programs, records observations and conclusions, recommends possible program modifications or suggests the need for specialized services for individual clients to the treatment team;

Participates in staff planning sessions regarding both specific clients and overall programs in order to share and discuss information, to receive advice and to assist in decision making;

Provides information to clients, their families and community groups concerning available activities and programs;

Makes necessary contacts and arrangements for the utilization of community resources for service delivery;

May direct and evaluate subordinate workers in conducting individual or group counseling or community projects;

May serve as an instructor for segments of inservice training presentations or instruct client groups in specified areas;

May interview and counsel family members of clients to gain a thorough understanding of problems in conjunction with the treatment team;

May solicit support for the development of new programs within a community or institutional setting;

Performs other related duties.

Class Descriptions 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. 

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

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 not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded 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.