Program: Access/Triage
Location: Lebanon
Hours: Day/Evening Combination
Degree: BA
Description
The goal of Lebanon County Crisis Intervention and Referral Services is to provide Lebanon County with prompt clinical assessment, intervention and referral services for individuals experiencing acute symptoms related to mental illness or emotional distress. These crisis intervention services are available twenty-four hours per day, seven days per-week. Mental health workers are expected to provide these services in a manner that is respectful of the individual’s ethnic, sexual, religious, socioeconomic and cultural background. With the consent of the persons served, crisis intervention staff may facilitate the involvement of significant others and family members in the process of resolving the immediate crisis of a client. When indicated, crisis intervention initiates a crisis intervention safety plan and/or may refer the individual to the appropriate level of care. Such levels of care may include community support services, support groups, outpatient therapy, day hospitalization or participation in inpatient psychiatric hospitalization or drug and alcohol services. When necessary and clinically appropriate, crisis staff provides emergency mental health delegate services to ensure the safety of the individual referred for services as well as the safety of the community. The professional mental health workers of crisis intervention (commonly referred to as crisis counselors) provide assessment, counseling, outreach and information and referral services to individuals experiencing an emotional crisis or having difficulty coping with a personal problem. Crisis intervention services are designed to provide intervention which lessen or resolve precipitating stress, acute trauma or mental health emergencies. Crisis intervention counseling is a short term strategy that employs support and problem solving to assist a person in changing behavior patterns and return to a pre-crisis level of functioning. Crisis counselors meet with an individual in crisis either via phone, on-site within the community or within the Good Samaritan Hospital to conduct an in-depth, comprehensive assessment of his or her current problems, psychiatric history, substance abuse history, medical history and family issues. Based upon the initial assessment, recommendations will be made to the client and/or their family.
Population
Lebanon County Crisis Intervention and Referral Services provide assessment and crisis intervention to individuals within Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Services are provided to all ages. All consumers served by crisis intervention have the right to receive services that are reasonable, cost efficient and consistent with the highest standards of professional mental health crisis services. Treatment is provide in a context that is sensitive to cultural and social diversity, the least restrictive and meeting the most immediate needs of the client at the time of crisis.
Program's therapeutic approach
Lebanon County Crisis Intervention and Referral Services provide walk-in counseling, individual mobile crisis services and telephone crisis services out of two locations within the county. The main office is located at 4th and Walnut Streets in Lebanon, Pennsylvania in the basement of the Good Samaritan Hospital. The second office is located at 283 South Butler Road in Mt. Gretna, Pennsylvania within Philhaven Hospital’s Access Center. Crisis intervention staff are on duty twenty-hour hours a day, seven days a week. Clients can also receive services by entering the local emergency rooms at the Good Samaritan Hospital or Lebanon Veterans Administration Hospital. Clients can also receive services by presenting in person to the main entrance at Philhaven Hospital.
Internships
4- Bachelor level Internships of at least 100 hours or more.
The intern will be required to:
- Answering the crisis hotline and becoming familiar with services within Lebanon County
- Understand and learn correct documentation standards
- Understand and comply with HIPAA and safety issues for clients
- Develop relationships with clients
- Assist staff in preparing each type of group and helping to present materials
- Documenting appropriate client information into a database
- Making sure office documents are stocked
- Assist staff in preparing each type of group and helping to present materials
