The Women’s Health Social Medicine Counselor (WHSMC) will be responsible for delivering team-based care in the women’s health clinic of Maniilaq Health Center, a tribally-governed critical access hospital in Northwest Alaska. This is a complex and dynamic role that involves addressing a wide range of social, structural, behavioral, and health education needs in a rural/remote Alaska Native population. The WHSMC draws on the fields of social work, counseling, and social medicine to improve care coordination, social support, and access to social and tribal services for clinic patients, with a particular focus on maternal and child health. The WHSMC will report jointly to the Psychiatric Clinical Lead, or designee.

• Performs behavioral health, substance use, and social needs assessments in the women’s health clinic, with additional outpatient clinic duties as needed;
• Delivering brief interventions in these settings to address social determinants of health, psychosocial aspects of care and disease management, and behavioral health and substance abuse needs;
• Applying behavioral principles to address modifiable lifestyle and health risk issues;
• Connecting patients to social and tribal services to address relevant social needs;
• Maintaining awareness and promoting coordination of social, tribal, health, legal, community behavioral health, and substance abuse treatment services in order to provide comprehensive and holistic patient care;
• Communicating effectively with the care team, including providers, nursing staff, patient advocates, CHA/Ps, behavioral health aides, and case managers;
• Documenting treatment process and progress in EHR to meet all relevant requirements and to support well-coordinated patient care;
• Working as part of a team to provide optimal behavioral health and substance abuse treatment services, which may include making referrals to other Maniilaq and non-Maniilaq programs;
• Maintaining confidentiality of patient records and treatment.

Required Skills

• Ability to work with sensitivity in a cross-cultural environment
• Must have a Master’s degree in Social Work, Professional Counseling, Psychology, or Family and Marital Therapy (or the like). Master’s degree must be an eligible Master’s for an Alaska State licensure at the time of hire.
• Candidate may have a provisional licensure in any state to practice social work, mental health counseling, or related practice.
• The ideal candidate will have a background working with rural American Indian/Alaska Native populations, as well as medical social work experience
• Provisional license will be considered on a case by case basis.

Benefits Include

• Relocation for the employee and family
• 5K Sign on and 3.5K Retention Bonus
• Yearly continuing education compensation
• Subsidized housing
• 41 days PTO earnings & cash out options
• Free health, dental, vision, life, short and long term disability insurance for the employee
• And more! Please contact Jeanne.greene@maniilaq.org for additional information

About Maniilaq Health Center- https://www.maniilaq.org Maniilaq Health Center is a modern, 17-bed 88,000 sq. ft facility with inpatient, ER, urgent care, and outpatient facilities. Dental, lab, radiology, pharmacy and long-term care facility are also on site. A non-profit corporation, Maniilaq provides health, tribal and social services to approximately 8,000 residents in Northwest Alaska.

Job Location- https://www.nwabor.org/village/kotzebue/ Kotzebue is located 549 air miles northwest of Anchorage and is 33 miles above the Arctic Circle. There are no highway systems that connect the region with the rest of the state, however Kotzebue’s Ralph Wein Memorial Airport supports daily jet service to Anchorage and Nome as well as smaller prop-driven aircraft to 11 surrounding villages.

Required Experience

Must have a Master’s degree in Social Work, Professional Counseling, Psychology, or Family and Marital Therapy (or the like). Master’s degree must be an eligible Master’s for an Alaska State licensure at the time of hire. Candidate may have a provisional licensure in any state to practice social work, mental health counseling, or related practice. The ideal candidate will have a background working with rural American Indian/Alaska Native populations, as well as medical social work experience. Persons with licensure are preferred. Provisional license will be considered on a case by case basis.  Ability to work with sensitivity in a cross-cultural environment.

• Ability to work with sensitivity in a cross-cultural environment
• Must have a Master’s degree in Social Work, Professional Counseling, Psychology, or Family and Marital Therapy (or the like). Master’s degree must be an eligible Master’s for an Alaska State licensure at the time of hire.
• Candidate may have a provisional licensure in any state to practice social work, mental health counseling, or related practice.
• The ideal candidate will have a background working with rural American Indian/Alaska Native populations, as well as medical social work experience
• Provisional license will be considered on a case by case basis.

Benefits Include

• Relocation for the employee and family
• 5K Sign on and 3.5K Retention Bonus
• Yearly continuing education compensation
• Subsidized housing
• 41 days PTO earnings & cash out options
• Free health, dental, vision, life, short and long term disability insurance for the employee
• And more! Please contact Jeanne.greene@maniilaq.org for additional information

About Maniilaq Health Center- https://www.maniilaq.org Maniilaq Health Center is a modern, 17-bed 88,000 sq. ft facility with inpatient, ER, urgent care, and outpatient facilities. Dental, lab, radiology, pharmacy and long-term care facility are also on site. A non-profit corporation, Maniilaq provides health, tribal and social services to approximately 8,000 residents in Northwest Alaska.

Job Location- https://www.nwabor.org/village/kotzebue/ Kotzebue is located 549 air miles northwest of Anchorage and is 33 miles above the Arctic Circle. There are no highway systems that connect the region with the rest of the state, however Kotzebue’s Ralph Wein Memorial Airport supports daily jet service to Anchorage and Nome as well as smaller prop-driven aircraft to 11 surrounding villages.