Behavioral Health Specialist

JOB SUMMARY

Under the general supervision of the Team Leader/Program Director and the Behavioral Health Specialist I, the Behavioral Health Specialist II functions as part of a multi-disciplinary treatment team. As part of the team with shared caseloads, the Behavioral Health Specialist II assists individuals who have serious and persistent mental illness in their personal recovery by engaging with them in their setting and developing a healthy working relationship. Once a working relationship is developed, the Behavioral Health Specialist I works in collaboration with the individual and the rest of the IMT Team, to obtain/maintain basic needs including housing, food and clothing, live safely in their community, address substance use issues, connect and monitor health care, obtain appropriate entitlements, facilitate psychiatric care, assist with vocational goals, and other recovery - oriented objectives. This position participates in the provision of crisis intervention services to participants 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the community.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: List all essential job duties. (To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty listed satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with a disability to perform the essential duties unless this causes undue hardship to the agency.)

• Provide counseling, treatment, rehabilitation, case management and support services in the community (homes, shelters, street), as part of a mobile multi-disciplinary team, to mentally ill individuals who have a history of decompensation and relapse as a result of poor follow through with outpatient treatment.
• Assume primary clinical management responsibility for 10-12 adults with serious and persistent mental illness, who may also have a co-occurring substance abuse or other disorder, within the context of a 27 - person-caseload IMT Team.
• Assist individuals in attaining or maintaining housing, employment, functional social relationships, and relief from psychiatric symptoms and side effects through medication management support.
• Assertive engagement and provision of mental health services in the community where the service population lives. Approximately 80% of the workweek takes place in the community, such as streets, shelters, and residential settings.
• Continuous responsibility (24-hour) for people enrolled in the ACT Team caseload through the use of a rotating emergency phone line.
• Provide all services in a culturally relevant and competent manner.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date case records, including but not limited to progress notes, service plan and service plan reviews, assessments and contact logs within all-applicable regulations and guidelines.
• Provide support and psychoeducation to family members, friends and other collateral individuals.
• Provide referrals and engagement support for services not directly provided by IMT Team, e.g., medical services, participation in psychosocial clubhouses and self-help groups, vocational training and placement, etc.
• Provide accurate and timely reports, within federal, state, and city regulatory and agency confidentiality guidelines, to other providers and agencies, e.g. housing, vocational, criminal justice, child welfare, etc.
• Participates in individual and group supervision, treatment team meetings, case conferences, in-service training and other staff development activities as assigned.
• Observes all applicable rules, procedures or laws regarding the reporting of incidents, including the reporting of alleged child abuse and neglect.
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned by the Program Director

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Ability to actively engage individuals who may be resistant to treatment, actively demonstrating symptoms of psychosis, and/or actively using substances.
• Knowledge of evidence-based treatment modalities and symptom-reduction strategies, and the ability to apply them as appropriate.
• Ability to work as an active member of a treatment team.
• Ability to communicate with internal and external stakeholders in a professional and culturally responsive manner.
• Ability to make sound clinical decisions in times of crisis.
• Ability to recognize strengths in individuals and use these strengths to assist in problem solving.
• Ability to interact with consumers in a respectful and professional manner.
• Ability to integrate elements of trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, integrated care, and person-centered (TRIP) philosophies in all aspects of the work.
• Willingness to seek out professional consultation from the other members of the treatment team in order to achieve positive outcomes.
• Ability to type, use electronic health record systems, and Microsoft products including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of agency policies and program policies, procedures and functions.
• Ability to use modern office equipment (e.g. computer, fax, copy machine, scanner, etc.).
• Ability to use a smart phone for email, phone, and texting.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Educational Requirement:

• Masters Degree in a related field with knowledge in the area of substance use OR
• Bachelors Degree plus CASAC

Experience:

A minimum of two years clinical experience working with individuals with serious mental illness, substance use, homelessness and criminal justice involvement.

Equal Opportunity Employer
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