State of Maryland

A Mental Health Associate I provides the entry level of work 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 provide guidance to less experienced personnel.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a licensed professional staff member or other designated mental health professional.  Employees in this classification may be required to work evenings, weekends, 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 I, Mental Health Associate II, and Mental Health Associate III are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Mental Health Associate I learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The Mental Health Associate II performs duties under close supervision at times and under moderate supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Mental Health Associate III performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision. 

Assists mental health professionals in providing direct client services in a State residential facility or local health department;

Conducts client, family and peer intake interviews and home visits to obtain pertinent data regarding the client’s mental health history for treatment plan development;

Conducts individual counseling sessions;

Observes and records clients’ behavior in order to maintain records of their social, physical and psychological programs and provides advice for treatment plan preparation based on observed behaviors;

Participates in planned client treatment plan activities and programs;

Directs, escorts and assists clients in program activities and services;

Explains program services to clients, their families and community groups to promote understanding of the agency’s programs, policies and goals;

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

May be responsible for the overall behavior management and personal care needs of a group of patients;

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

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

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of theories and principles of human behavior and personality development and the dynamics of interpersonal relations;

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

Knowledge of mental illness and treatments;

Ability to observe, recognize and report clients’ behavior;

Ability to obtain and report relevant background information by interviewing clients and third parties;

Ability to work with groups and individuals who may display abnormalities in personality or behavior;

Ability to conduct therapeutic activities as specified in treatment plans;

Ability to access community resources and to advocate for clients’ rights;

Ability to comply with established standards of ethics and confidentiality;

Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with clients, co-workers, supervisors, community members and the general public;

Ability to communicate effectively with clients, treatment team members and the general public.

Education:  Completion of 60 credit hours at an accredited college or university including 15 credit hours in a human service program. The program must have included either a supervised practicum in providing counseling or other therapeutic services to the mentally ill or at least nine credit hours in psychology, including abnormal psychology.

Experience: None.

Notes: 

1. Candidates may substitute one year of experience providing counseling or other therapeutic services in a mental health setting under the supervision of a licensed professional staff member or a Master’s degree prepared mental health professional for the required practicum.

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

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 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.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance levels in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.