BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONSULTANT OPS

Behavioral Health Consultant – OPS

This position is a regional position and can be housed in (West Palm Beach Office). The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF or Department) is the state of Florida's social services agency. The agency oversees services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking, and public assistance. The agency's mission is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency. Within DCF, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program office is recognized as the single state authority for substance abuse and mental health services.

The Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) provides clinical expertise within the child welfare system, supporting the identification, engagement, and service resources of parents/caregivers with behavioral health needs—particularly those involving substance use disorders, with a concentrated focus on opioid misuse. The BHC works directly with Child Protective Investigators (CPIs) and dependency case managers to enhance recognition of behavioral health concerns, improve family engagement, and ensure timely access to appropriate treatment and support services.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

• Consult and collaborating with CPI and dependency case managers to help frontline staff identify behavioral health disorders particularly substance use disorders, enhance family engagement, and improve access to appropriate treatment, recovery support, and community resources.
• BHC actively builds relationships with investigative staff within co-located offices, providing regular education on behavioral health indicators, the effects of behavioral health conditions on parenting behavior, and engagement strategies.
• BHCs play a key role in educating and training investigative staff and case managers on the use and benefits of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT).
• Provides both in-field and office-based consultation during the pre- and post-commencement phases of child protection investigations.
• This includes participating in joint visits with CPIs, modeling effective family engagement techniques, and offering guidance on best practices for working with families affected by behavioral health issues, particularly opioid misuse.
• In addition, BHCs assist CPIs in understanding how a parent's behavioral health condition may impact their ability to safely and effectively care for their child, while identifying and recommending appropriate treatment and referral resources within the community to support the family's specific needs.
• Community collaboration and care coordination. Partner with behavioral health providers and the Managing Entity (ME) to maintain current knowledge of referral processes and treatment options, helping CPIs connect families to the most appropriate levels of care.
• Tracking and documenting all cases where the BHC provides support to child welfare staff, including staffings, joint visits, consultations, brief assessments, and any additional tracking as directed by the department, especially those impacted by substance use disorders.
• Participate in legal proceedings, multidisciplinary meetings, and family navigation staffings to support case progression and improve outcomes for children and families.
• Offer subject-matter expertise in the identification and care of substance-exposed newborns, including providing consultation on treatment options, supporting care coordination for mothers and infants, and ensuring access to early intervention and family stabilization services.
• May be called upon to perform duties beyond those outlined in this description to meet emergent organizational or regional needs.
• Work extended or irregular hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, and potentially operating from outside assigned duty location. Travel is required throughout the state and may include overnight stays.
• May also be called upon to assist with disaster recovery efforts and participate in Critical Incident Rapid Response Team (CIRRT) case investigations as needed throughout the state.
• Emphasis is placed on expertise in addressing opioid use disorders.
• Emergency Response: In response to emergency events, the incumbent may be required to work irregular hours, to work more than 8 hours per day, to work extended periods (including weekends and holidays), to work at locations other than their official headquarters, and to perform duties in addition to those outlined in the position description. Deploy to communities affected by natural disasters within 24-48 hours of impact to represent the organization to promote and implement post-disaster services.
• Assess the impact, needs and assist with the development of a response strategy and goals for the impacted community and implement disaster response plans.
• Coordinate psychological and mental health resources and services for individuals, first responders, and communities impacted by disasters.
• Provide critical information to the Regional Manager and Director of Regional Operations and Initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

• Strong working knowledge of the child welfare system, with demonstrated expertise in motivational interviewing and trauma-informed care approaches preferred.
• A minimum of three years of experience in the treatment of substance use disorders.
• Have a comprehensive understanding of how substance use, and mental health conditions affect parenting capacity and can compromise child safety.
• Proficiency in the identification and care of substance-exposed newborns is essential.
• Respond effectively to emergency events, demonstrating sound clinical judgment under pressure.
• Strong written communication skills are critical, including the ability to produce clear, thorough, and professional reports and presentations.
• Ability to evaluate and identify barriers to treatment access and navigate complex behavioral health systems to support families effectively.
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills are required, along with the ability to establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with internal and external partners.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to plan, prioritize, and manage multiple assignments in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Florida license in the areas of psychology, social work, mental health counseling, family and marriage therapy or registered intern, or master's level Certified Addiction Professional. Acceptable: LMHC, LCSW, LMFT, MCAP, Licensed Psychologist
• A minimum of three years of experience treating substance use disorders.
• Working knowledge of the child welfare and behavioral health systems and knowledge related to the impact of behavioral health conditions on parenting capacity.
• Knowledge/understanding of the impact of substance use disorders and mental health conditions on parenting ability and child safety.
• Valid Driver License

Preference will be given to applicants who have:

• Knowledge of the child welfare system and motivational interviewing is preferred.

Location: West Palm Beach, FL, US, 33401