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.

Knowledge of group dynamics, group leadership techniques and the theories and principles of human behavior;

Knowledge of assessment methods, counseling techniques and treatment interventions for individuals, including physical, psychological, educational and social methods of intervention;

Knowledge of the dynamics of interpersonal relations and patterns of adjustive behavior;

Knowledge of federal and State regulations affecting the treatment of mentally ill persons;

Knowledge of available resources;

Ability to observe, evaluate and report significant aspects of clients’ behavior and to make treatment recommendations based on these observations;

Ability to develop and carry through specific client programs in the area of individual or group therapy, rehabilitation, human service and community work as part of a treatment team;

Ability to comply with established standards of ethics and confidentiality.

Education:   Completion of 60 credit hours at an accredited college or university 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: Four years of post-education experience providing counseling or other therapeutic services to the mentally ill including 100 hours of clinical supervision and 25 hours of inservice training in mental health

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 or for the 100 hours of clinical supervision and 25 hours of in-service training. Each year of experience may be credited only one time toward either the educational or experience requirements.

2. Candidates may substitute additional education from an accredited college or university in a human service program at the rate of 30 credits for one year for up to two years of required experience.

3. Candidates should list the course titles and credits received in the social and behavioral sciences or human service area on the application form along with a detailed description of the clinical practicum.

4. Documentation of the required clinical supervision and inservice training in the form of a letter of verification from all supervisors during the training period must be attached to the application form. 

5. 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 experience and 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.