Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Urgent Care Therapist

🎯 Role Definition

The Urgent Care Therapist provides rapid behavioral health assessment, crisis stabilization, short-term intervention, and coordinated disposition planning for individuals presenting to urgent care, walk-in behavioral health clinics, emergency departments, and telehealth urgent visit settings. This clinician evaluates acute risk (suicidality, homicidality, severe psychiatric symptoms), conducts safety planning, provides evidence-based brief therapeutic interventions, arranges follow-up care and community referrals, documents thoroughly in the EHR, and partners closely with multidisciplinary teams (nurses, physicians, case managers, community providers) to ensure safe, patient-centered outcomes. The role requires strong crisis management, cultural competence, knowledge of community resources and insurance/authorization processes, and comfort working variable shifts including evenings/weekends.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Licensed Associate Counselor / Associate Clinician in outpatient or community mental health
Behavioral Health Coordinator or Crisis Counselor
Emergency Department behavioral health technician with licensure

Advancement To:

Senior Urgent Care Therapist / Clinical Lead
Behavioral Health Clinical Supervisor
Manager or Director of Behavioral Health Urgent Care
Integrated Care Clinical Program Lead

Lateral Moves:

Care Coordinator or Case Manager (complex care management)
Community Crisis Response Program Clinician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Perform comprehensive, evidence-based mental health and risk assessments for patients presenting with acute psychiatric symptoms or behavioral health crises, documenting findings and level of care recommendations in the electronic health record (EHR).
Provide immediate crisis intervention and stabilization using best-practice approaches (safety planning, de-escalation, brief CBT skills, grounding techniques) to reduce imminent risk and restore patient safety.
Develop individualized safety and discharge plans that clearly articulate follow-up care recommendations, community resources, and contingency plans for symptom escalation.
Coordinate timely referrals and warm handoffs to outpatient therapists, community mental health centers, psychiatric urgent care, inpatient psychiatric units, and substance use treatment programs to ensure continuity of care.
Facilitate medication management communications with prescribing providers, including primary care and psychiatric consultants, to support safe transitions and appropriate medication adjustments.
Document all clinical encounters, risk assessments, safety plans, consent discussions, and disposition decisions in the EHR following organizational and regulatory standards, ensuring accuracy for billing and quality review.
Triage walk-in and telehealth behavioral health presentations, prioritize caseload by acuity, and manage multiple concurrent clinical responsibilities while maintaining therapeutic rapport.
Conduct brief therapeutic interventions (single-session therapy, crisis counseling, motivational interviewing) designed to stabilize patients and increase readiness for ongoing treatment.
Conduct suicide and violence risk assessments using standardized tools and clinical judgment, implement immediate safety measures when indicated, and arrange involuntary holds per local regulations when required.
Participate in multidisciplinary huddles and rounds with nursing, emergency medicine, social work, and security staff to coordinate patient flow and care planning.
Provide care for patients with co-occurring substance use disorders, including assessment of intoxication, withdrawal risk, brief intervention, and linkage to detoxification or medication-assisted treatment resources.
Serve as the behavioral health liaison for urgent care and emergency department workflows to reduce boarding, expedite disposition, and improve patient throughput.
Deliver culturally responsive, trauma-informed care that respects patient identity, language, and background while reducing barriers to engagement and follow-up.
Use telehealth platforms to deliver urgent behavioral health visits, ensure patient privacy and safety remotely, and provide virtual crisis interventions when appropriate.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of local community resources, housing supports, crisis lines, mobile crisis teams, and social services to create actionable discharge plans.
Educate patients and families about symptom management, crisis coping strategies, and next-step treatment options, documenting education and shared decision-making.
Monitor and track quality metrics (timeliness of assessment, documentation completeness, follow-up linkage rates) and participate in improvement initiatives to enhance urgent care behavioral health services.
Collaborate with administrative staff to assist with insurance authorizations, billing codes (ICD-10, CPT for counseling/telehealth), and documentation needed for reimbursement and reporting.
Provide direct supervision, mentorship, or training to psychology interns, social work students, and new clinicians on crisis assessment, documentation standards, and clinic workflow.
Participate in on-call rotations as needed for after-hours urgent behavioral health coverage, ensuring appropriate handoffs and post-call documentation.
Respond to behavioral health emergencies requiring immediate collaboration with security, law enforcement, or medical staff, ensuring patient and staff safety while preserving therapeutic engagement.
Lead case conferences for complex patients with repeated urgent presentations to develop cross-setting care plans and reduce recurrent crises.
Maintain licensure, required certifications (e.g., CPI de-escalation, ASIST, or equivalent), and complete continuing education relevant to crisis intervention and urgent behavioral health care.
Support population health initiatives by identifying high-utilizers, contributing to care coordination plans, and connecting patients to long-term supports.

Secondary Functions

Contribute to program development by proposing clinical protocols, triage criteria, and workflows that optimize urgent behavioral health operations.
Participate in community outreach and partnership-building to strengthen referral networks and increase awareness of urgent behavioral health services.
Collect and report clinically relevant data for performance measurement, grant reporting, and service expansion planning.
Provide education and in-service training to urgent care staff on behavioral health topics, including suicide prevention, trauma-informed approaches, and substance use recognition.
Assist with grant applications or program evaluation efforts that expand access to urgent behavioral health care in the community.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Licensed clinician credential (LCSW, LPC, LMFT, PhD/PsyD, or equivalent) in the practicing state with active, unencumbered license.
Clinical risk assessment and crisis intervention expertise, including suicide risk assessment and safety planning.
Proficiency with electronic health records (EHR) for timely, compliant documentation (experience with Epic, Cerner, or similar preferred).
Experience delivering brief evidence-based therapies and single-session interventions (CBT-informed, motivational interviewing, solution-focused brief therapy).
Telehealth clinical delivery skills and familiarity with HIPAA-compliant telemedicine platforms.
Knowledge of psychiatric medications and ability to coordinate with prescribing clinicians on medication-related concerns.
Strong knowledge of community mental health resources, crisis stabilization services, detox programs, and inpatient psychiatric admission criteria.
Ability to apply ICD-10 diagnostic coding and CPT billing practices relevant to behavioral health and telehealth services.
Familiarity with relevant legal and regulatory frameworks: confidentiality/HIPAA, mandated reporting, involuntary hold processes, and informed consent.
Experience with trauma-informed care approaches and culturally competent clinical practice.
Competence in de-escalation techniques and behavioral crisis management (CPI or similar certification a plus).
Data literacy for tracking outcomes and contributing to quality improvement (ability to use dashboards or basic spreadsheets).

Soft Skills

Calm, decisive clinical presence under pressure with excellent crisis communication and de-escalation instincts.
Strong oral and written communication skills for clear documentation, handoffs, and patient/family education.
Empathy and patient-centered approach that fosters trust quickly in high-stress encounters.
Collaboration and teamwork skills to work effectively with multidisciplinary staff, case managers, and community partners.
Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize competing clinical demands in a fast-paced environment.
Flexibility to work variable shifts, including evenings, weekends, and on-call rotations.
Cultural humility and adaptability to serve diverse populations with sensitivity to language, culture, and social determinants of health.
Problem-solving mindset with accountability for follow-through on referrals and care coordination tasks.
Resilience and self-care orientation to manage exposure to high-acuity cases and prevent burnout.
Teaching and mentoring ability to support trainees and colleagues in crisis care best practices.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Master's degree in Social Work (MSW), Counseling (MA/MEd), Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), or Clinical Psychology (PsyD/PhD) from an accredited program.

Preferred Education:

Advanced clinical licensure (LCSW, LPC, LMFT, PsyD) with post-graduate training in crisis intervention, trauma, or emergency behavioral health.
Certifications in crisis prevention/de-escalation (e.g., CPI), suicide prevention (e.g., ASIST), or trauma-informed care.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Clinical Social Work
Mental Health Counseling
Marriage and Family Therapy
Clinical Psychology
Behavioral Health or Public Health-related programs

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of direct clinical experience providing behavioral health assessments, crisis intervention, or outpatient therapy.

Preferred:

3+ years' experience in urgent care, emergency department behavioral health, mobile crisis, community mental health, or acute psychiatric settings.
Demonstrated experience with high-acuity patients (suicidality, psychosis, substance intoxication/withdrawal) and successful coordination of cross-system referrals.
Proven track record of high-quality documentation, adherence to protocols, and measurable outcomes in crisis stabilization and linkage to care.