QMHP A/T/C

Position Title: Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP)
Department: Behavioral Health Services
Reports To: Program Director / Clinical Supervisor
Employment Status: Full-Time / Part-Time / PRN
Location: Community-Based / Office-Based as assigned

Position Summary

The Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) provides person-centered behavioral health services to individuals experiencing mental health, emotional, behavioral, and functional challenges. The QMHP works under appropriate clinical supervision and provides services within the individual's authorized service plan, agency policies, payer requirements, and applicable Virginia regulations.

The QMHP assists individuals with symptom management, crisis prevention, development of coping skills, independent living skills, treatment adherence, community integration, and linkage to behavioral health and community resources.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The QMHP will:

• Provide behavioral health interventions consistent with the individual's assessment, ISP, and identified treatment goals.
• Conduct ongoing assessment of the individual's functioning, symptoms, strengths, needs, risks, and progress.
• Assist individuals in identifying triggers, warning signs, and symptoms associated with psychiatric deterioration.
• Teach and reinforce coping skills, emotional-regulation techniques, problem-solving skills, and crisis-prevention strategies.
• Provide skill-building interventions addressing daily living, community functioning, medication-management skills, appointment adherence, and use of community resources when applicable to the service.
• Monitor for changes in mental status, suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, self-harm risk, substance use, or other significant safety concerns.
• Implement and review individualized safety and crisis plans.
• Immediately follow agency emergency procedures when an individual presents an imminent danger to self or others.
• Coordinate care with LMHPs, physicians, psychiatric providers, hospitals, CSBs, case managers, outpatient providers, and other treatment professionals when authorized and clinically appropriate.
• Assist individuals with accessing medical, psychiatric, housing, transportation, benefits, employment, and other community resources.
• Participate in discharge and transition planning to promote continuity of care and prevent unnecessary hospitalization or recurrence of crisis.
• Maintain professional boundaries and protect individual confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA and agency requirements.

Documentation Responsibilities

The QMHP is responsible for completing accurate, individualized, and timely clinical documentation, including:

• Progress/BIRP notes
• Service-plan documentation
• Safety-plan documentation
• Crisis/risk assessments as applicable
• Care-coordination documentation
• Discharge and transition documentation
• Incident documentation
• Other clinical records required by Changing Lives Family Care, LLC or the applicable payer/service

Documentation must accurately reflect the individual's presentation, interventions actually provided, response to intervention, progress or lack of progress, and plan for continued treatment.

Crisis and Safety Responsibilities

The QMHP will recognize and appropriately respond to behavioral health emergencies. Responsibilities include assessing observable changes in risk, notifying the appropriate clinical supervisor or LMHP, implementing established safety procedures, and facilitating access to emergency/crisis services when clinically indicated.

The QMHP must immediately report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, serious incidents, or other reportable events according to agency policy and applicable requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

The employee must meet the applicable Virginia QMHP qualification and registration requirements for the population and service being provided and maintain all required credentials throughout employment.

The employee must also:

• Successfully complete required background checks.
• Maintain current CPR/First Aid certification when required by the program.
• Complete orientation and mandatory annual training.
• Maintain required continuing education and credentialing documentation.
• Demonstrate competency in behavioral health documentation, crisis response, professional boundaries, confidentiality, and person-centered services.
• Possess effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Be able to work independently in community settings while following clinical supervision requirements.

Knowledge and Skills

The QMHP should demonstrate knowledge of mental health disorders, crisis intervention, suicide-risk awareness, trauma-informed care, person-centered planning, de-escalation, community resources, cultural responsiveness, and professional ethics.

Performance Expectations

The QMHP is expected to maintain complete and timely records, attend required supervision and staff meetings, maintain assigned caseload responsibilities, comply with authorization limitations, and provide only services that are medically necessary and actually delivered.

Falsification, duplication, backdating, or documentation of services not provided is prohibited.

Confidentiality

All individual information must be maintained in strict confidence. The QMHP must comply with HIPAA, agency confidentiality policies, individual-rights requirements, and applicable federal and state privacy standards.