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Posted: 15-May-26
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Categories:
Internal Number: 266149
At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.
About Duke University Hospital
Pursue your passion for caring with Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, which is consistently ranked among the best in the United States. The largest of the four Duke Healthhospitals with 1062 patient beds, it features comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including a regional emergency/trauma center, an endo-surgery center, and more.
Job Overview
The Duke Cancer Patient Support Program offers medical family therapy to individuals, couples and families to help them manage the emotional impact of the cancer on their lives and relationships. This Medical Family Therapist role will support adult cancer patients and their loved ones who are receiving cancer care. This role will also lead 1-2 virtual Cancer Support groups for patients and caregivers that are held monthly in the evenings. This position will be based at the Duke Cancer Center location in Durham, NC. The Medical Family Therapist works collaboratively within the interdisciplinary cancer care team to ensure whole-person care. This position is a hybrid role, working 2 days per week onsite and 3 days per week remote.
General Description of the Job Class
Medical Family Therapists are individuals who have demonstrated professional expertise in healthcare in the field of Medical Family Therapy. Medical family therapist provides clinical care using a relational and systemic lens. Provides relationally-based therapy to patients and families coping with medical illness. Facilitates collaboration with, and provide consultation to, the patients' medical team and health system. Supervises medical family therapy interns (graduate students) in their clinical practice and development of their clinical knowledge and skills.
Duties and Responsibilities of this Level
- Provide professional medical family therapy services, inpatient and/or outpatient, to patients and their families that are enrolled in care with a medical provider and/or medical team.
- Formulate, develop, and implement treatment plans that comprise mental health, behavioral health, and physical health in combination. Provide one-on-one, couple, family, and group therapy
- Develop individualized treatment plans for each patient and family.
- Provide in-patient consultations to patients with acute psychological, behavioral, or medical concerns.
- Meet individually with group patients who appear to have acute needs. Assess patients identified to have potential psychological or behavioral emergencies.
- Consult with colleagues and/or Risk Management, as necessary for acute or emergency cases.
- Possess knowledge of psychopharmacology and pharmacology relevant to the target clinical population and the biopsychosocial effects of these medications and adjusts care accordingly or provides consultation to medical team.
- Understands common biological and mental/behavioral comorbidities of various health conditions with consideration of cultural and spiritual beliefs and practices, and adjusts care accordingly or provides consultation to medical team.
- Provide consultative services to health care team members on behavioral health.
- Supervises medical family therapy interns (graduate students) in their clinical practice and development of their clinical knowledge and skills.
- Provide guidance and coaching to staff members working with clients as needed.
- Facilitate problem solving between providers, staff, and/or clients.
- Design, implement, and deliver medical family therapy-based group therapy sessions for patients and families.
- Provide education to patients and families related to biopsychosocial issues that impact medical care.
- Contributes to knowledge base regarding current empirical trends and current policies relevant to interdisciplinary collaboration and behavioral health care.
- Conduct lectures and participates in community outreach activities.
- Serve as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
- Maintain detailed medical records for every patient/family contact, session, or clinical phone call.
- Provide appropriate referrals to outside mental health services, as indicated or requested.
- Provide patients with information about support groups and/or additional educational resources, as indicated or requested.
- Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein.
Required Qualifications at this Level
Education:
- Work requires a Master's degree in Psychology, Counseling or Marriange and Family Therapy
Experience:
- None required beyond education/training requirement.
Degrees, Licensure, and/or Certification:
- Licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) by the NC Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board or Licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (LMFTA) by the NC Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board
Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.
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Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.