GME Mental Health Wellness Counselor

Job Summary and Responsibilities

Job Summary :

A Graduate Medical Education (GME) counselor is a mental health and wellness professional who can help trainees with a variety of issues (listed below). Responsible for the wellness and academic success of physicians in training (residents and fellows). The Graduate Medical Education (GME) Counselor provides mental health, emotional wellness, and academic and professional development support services to the St. Joseph's Medical Center GME programs, residents, and fellows. Conducts individual consultation, assessments, and support for physicians in training who require support with well-being, professional or academic challenges, and those seeking to improve performance. Provides linkage and referrals to outside resources as required. Ensures compliance with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) policies and requirements. This position also requires education delivery to residents and faculty, where appropriate. Experience in higher education, specifically counseling and academic coaching, is required. This position does not support medical students. It supports physicians in training (residents and fellows).

Job Details :

Coaching and Counseling Areas :

• Depression Providing support and promoting healing through hopelessness, low motivation and energy, sadness, irritability, sleep disturbance, and loss of interest and pleasure in life.
• Anxiety, panic and worry Coping with excessive worry, nervousness, or stress; intense discomfort in social settings; sudden and intense feelings of panic.
• Time management, organizational skills, fatigue management, Stress management Strengthening effective ways of coping with the stress of life and change; managing expectations of self and others.
• Compassion fatigue; “burnout” moral crisis and injury
• Secondary trauma
• Personal and Professional Identity development Understanding, accepting, and strengthening one’s sense of self through the exploration of family, work, and personal and professional values.Cultural adaptation - Exploring topics of racial, cultural, and ethnic background as it relates to one’s family origins and personal identity.
• Self-esteem Cultivating self-compassion, assertiveness, and confidence.Coping strategies to reduce suffering, anxiety, social withdrawal, and self-neglect.
• Emotion regulation Learning how to identify, express, and manage feelings in safe, in-control ways.
• Interpersonal difficulties Developing ways to maintain healthy relationships whether it be with family members, friends, romantic partners, peers, instructors.
• Career concerns Learning to utilize and highlight strengths, effective and practical stress-management, focusing on fulfillment, utilizing communication skills, and enhancing efficiency to reduce burnout.
• Academic issues, Academic stress and burnout Adjusting to studying and working; managing developmental and emotional challenges when studying for boards; balancing work and personal life.Issues secondary to academic struggles, remediation plans, and professionalism.Assists program leadership with academic and professionalism improvement plans and remediation.
• Substance abuse and self-harming behaviors
• Requests for referrals for mental health assessment GME counselors can also provide referrals for psychiatric evaluations, medication management, and / or longer-term psychotherapy.
• Will assist program leadership with acute crisis management.
• Presents sessions for residents, including wellness / well-being; stress management, learning and study strategies and organization, time-management, and efficiency-related topics.

The counselor will hold regular open office hours but will endeavor to have at least one introductory session with each resident, 1-2 times per year of their academic training.

GME counselor will provide a holistic program assessment by specialty :

Job Requirements

Requirements :

Preferred :

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Training

Where You'll Work

St. Joseph's Medical Center is a member of Dignity Health. The word dignity perfectly defines what our organization stands for showing respect for all people by providing excellent care. St. Joseph's Medical Center was founded in 1899 under the direction of the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael and is a not-for-profit, fully-accredited regional hospital with 395 beds, a physician staff of over 400 and more than 2400 employees. Specializing in cardiovascular care, comprehensive cancer services, and women and children's services, including neonatal intensive care, St. Joseph's is the largest hospital, as well as the largest private employer, in Stockton, California. Nationally recognized as a quality leader, St. Joseph's is consistently chosen as the most preferred hospital by local consumers.