Staff Associate II (Mufson Lab)

The Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute is dedicated to advancing the understanding, prevention, and treatment of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults. The division integrates clinical care, research, and education, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based practice. DCAP supports a diverse portfolio of federally funded research, innovative clinical programs, and training initiatives aimed at improving mental health outcomes and promoting resilience across development.

This full-time position is part of a PCORI-funded study comparing brief interventions (Safety Planning Intervention plus follow-up contact vs. ultra-brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents, crisis version) with youth aged 12-19 presenting to the emergency department for suicidal ideation and behavior.

The candidate must be comfortable interacting with diverse suicidal youth and their families in a fast-paced emergency setting (with training and supervision); the ideal candidate will be a licensed clinician who has clinical experience working with adolescents in crisis settings. Candidates must be highly organized, thorough, and detail-oriented, as they will be responsible for assessing and documenting suicide risk in a complex, multi-site longitudinal clinical trial. The ideal candidate will have prior experience providing emergency assessment, clinical services, and/or crisis stabilization to at-risk adolescents from diverse ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds as well as participating in the conduct of research.

The licensed study clinician will be part of a research team assisting the Principal Investigator, Laura Mufson, PhD, and Co-investigator, Christa Labouliere, Ph.D., with many aspects of study implementation including: recruitment; obtaining informed consent/assent; conducting baseline and follow-up assessments; maintaining ongoing contact with participants and their families and providing support to them throughout the study period; facilitating connection to ongoing services; and facilitating engagement/information exchange between participants and the study team. The licensed clinician will assist the research team with providing psychosocial support to and maintaining continual good communication with participants and their families, as well as facilitating communication with the clinical sites at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital and external collaborators/sites.

Responsibilities:

• Assist in identifying and assessing participant eligibility and assisting in conduct of consent/ assent meetings.
• Conducting clinical risk assessments of the participants at baseline and follow-up assessments. Administer the C-SSRS to participants during assessment and as needed, along with supportive safety planning and clinical risk management activities.
• Providing clinical risk management coverage for research staff for assessments and participant communication.
• Assist in implementing study interventions for participants and provide clinical care for participants post-study as needed.
• Assist in case management for participants to ensure connection with outpatient services after study interventions are completed.
• Work collaboratively with the clinical services providing the study interventions and support care of participants.
• Performs related duties & responsibilities as assigned/requested.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in counseling, psychology, or social work
• Bilingual in Spanish
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills based on assessment
• At least 1-2 years of experience (could be during training or on the job) providing clinical care to adolescents with mood and anxiety disorders
• Experience conducting suicide risk assessments and clinical experience with diverse adolescents
• Ability to effectively use Microsoft computer software (Word/Excel/Powerpoint), and REDCap

Preferred Qualifications:

• Licensure or license eligible as a mental health clinician, such as a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) or licensed mental health clinician (LMHC)
• Master’s degree in counseling, clinical psychology, or social work
• 1 year in a crisis setting with experience conducting suicide risk assessments using standardized measures.
• At least 4 years of experience preferred.

Tagged as: Life Sciences