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Behavioral Health Therapist (Licensed)- Jail Based Services

Arlington County

93k - 145k USD/year

Office

Arlington, VA, United States

Full Time

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Arlington County requires all applicants to thoroughly complete each section of the application, including prior job responsibilities, duties, and supplemental questions. While you may attach a resume, it will not replace a completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Arlington County's Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking a Behavioral Health Therapist (Licensed), to be one of three clinicians assigned to the On-Call role providing crisis intervention services at the Arlington County Detention Facility.

Arlington County DHS is committed to delivering client services in an effective, equitable, respectful, and trauma-informed manner. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring our clients are approached, engaged and cared for in ways that demonstrate competency, sensitivity and awareness of factors which impact the client experience including but not limited to: cultural identity, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, religious/spiritual ascription, physical capability, cognitive and literacy levels, sexual orientation, and linguistic needs.

Specific duties include:

  • Triage referrals and assign clinicians tasks. 
  • Conduct intake evaluation, interviews and assessments as well as discharge planning;
  • Provide crisis intervention and assists inmates in obtaining emergency medical/psychiatric treatment;
  • Refers clients to appropriate services and agencies, and coordinates program services with involved medical/psychiatric personnel, classification and security staff, probation/parole officers and/or other services providers;
  • Work closely with Arlington County court system and attorneys to see if competency is a concern and/or provide appropriate services for clients once released;
  • Carry a caseload of individual’s experiencing mental health concerns and difficulties adjusting to incarceration;
  • Assess clients for Emergency custody Order (ECO);
  • Consult and collaborate with other professionals and supervisor regarding client’s needs and treatment recommendations;
  • Completing all documentation within expected timeframes including treatment plans, progress notes, etc; and

Attends staff meetings to discuss procedural and administrative developments as well as difficult cases. Attends applicable training sessions, conferences, and workshops provided by the department, other agencies and organizations

The ideal candidate will have a vast knowledge of the criminal justice system as well as insight into best practices in treating behavioral health needs, addiction, and substance use disorders.

Qualifications

Note: Please refer to the guidelines for registration and licensure set forth by the Virginia Department of Health Professions prior to completing this application.
 

Therapists may be hired at one of the following levels:
 
Minimums: 
Behavioral Health Therapist (Licensed):

  • Possess one of the following professional licenses from the Virginia Department of Health Professions: LPC, LCP, LMFT, or LCSW.

Behavioral Health Therapist (Non-VA Licensed): 

  • Possess a license in a jurisdiction other than Virginia and are performing supervised assessment and evaluation, diagnostic, treatment planning, case management and counseling work while awaiting licensure from the Virginia Department of Health Professions of the following professional licenses related to a behavioral health discipline: (LPC), (LCP), (LMFT), (LCSW); and
  • License must be obtained within 90 days of hire.

Behavioral Health (Resident/Supervisee): Perform supervised assessment and evaluation, diagnostic, treatment planning, case management, and counseling work as a trainee in order to obtain one of the following professional licenses related to a behavioral health discipline in the state of Virginia:

  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
  • Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LCP)
  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
  • Must meet  (apply for and receive)  the educational requirements to obtain a temporary license as a Resident in Counseling (for LPC or LMFT) or Resident in Clinical Psychology (for LCP), or register as a Supervisee in Social Work (LCSW) with the Virginia Department of Health Professions within 90 days of hire; and
  • Obtain appropriate licensure within three years of hire.

 

Education: Completion of the requirements for obtaining a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in a clinical discipline such as Counseling, Psychiatric Social Work, Psychology, Art Therapy, or other directly related clinical discipline with internships and practicum requirements specified by the Virginia Department of Health Professions.

Desirable: Preference will be given to candidates with one or more of the following:

 

  • Experience working in a correctional setting;

  • Experience in case management; and/or

  • An active Clinical License in the State of Virginia (LPC, LCP, LCSW)

Special Requirements

 

Background Check: A pre-employment criminal records check will be conducted. It may include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history. You may be required to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain your background information. A pre-hire federal background check and State of Virginia Central Registry check will also be completed before hire. 

 

Driver’s License: The applicant must possess, or obtain by the time of appointment, a valid motor vehicle operator's license from the applicant's place of residence and authorize Arlington County to obtain, or the applicant must provide, a copy of the applicant's official state/district driving record. An offer of employment may be contingent upon a favorable review of the applicant’s driving record. 

 

Employment restrictions: To ensure that dual relationships are avoided and that employees who are also clients do not relate to their service provider as co-professionals, employees will not be hired by the County to provide or support services to the team or program in which they are current clients:

  •  You cannot concurrently receive behavioral health services from Arlington County Community Service Board (CSB) programs while employed in an Arlington County CSB program (exception Crisis Intervention services).
  • At least 24 months must have passed between receipt of CSB services from Arlington County and employment in an Arlington County CSB program.

 

Additional Information

Work Hours: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Some evening, weekend or holiday work will be required. 

 

Working Conditions:

  • The worker must be available to work after hours and in emergency situations.
  • Work is performed as part of a 24/7 operation and the worker must be available to work shifts as necessary, based on assignment.
  • The duties of these positions may be performed in an office environment and, based on assignment, may also be performed at locations throughout the community, including client homes, hospitals, and other facilities.

 

The selected candidate will be hired at one of the following levels based on qualifications. The salary for each level is below: 

  • Behavioral Health Therapist (Licensed) and Behavioral Health Therapist (Non-VA Licensed): $93,496-$144,892.80 Annually 
  • Behavioral Health Therapist (Resident/Supervisee): $80,724,123.20 - $125,112 Annually

 

Your responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire are considered part of the selection process. Please do not enter "see resume" as a response to the questions. 

Each section of the application must be completed. A resume may be attached; however, it will not substitute for the completed application.

This position is eligible for County government employee benefits that include health, dental, vacation and sick leave, commuter transportation subsidies, tuition reimbursement, as well as a generous retirement plan. 

For more information on Arlington County’s generous benefits and retirement plan, click here.

Arlington County is committed to advancing diversity, equity, access, and inclusion across all our services, activities, and programs. Learn more about our commitment.

NOTE:  This position is listed as "open continuous."  Interested applicants are advised to submit their applications as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed, and qualified applicants referred on a continuous basis. Interviews will be conducted on a regular basis throughout the recruitment with candidates whose qualifications best fit our needs. If your application is received later in the recruitment process, it may not be reviewed or considered. The application process will close when the position has been filled or when a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received.

 

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Behavioral Health Therapist (Licensed)- Jail Based Services

Office

Arlington, VA, United States

Full Time

93k - 145k USD/year

August 15, 2025

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Arlington County

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