Field-Based Services | Behavioral Health Clinician I-II

Field-Based Services Behavior Health Clinician

As an individual contributor under general supervision, or clinical supervision as required, the Field-Based Services (FBS) Behavior Health Clinician (BHC) provides therapy services, care coordination, and crisis intervention in community settings. The BHC delivers trauma-informed, culturally responsive services, completes assessments and treatment plans, and supports program quality through collaboration and mentorship.

This position may have direct reports, as assigned.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function, with or without accommodation. The requirements listed below are representative of the duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

1. Services

• Screening: Conduct field-based screenings for substance use risk using validated tools to determine service needs and eligibility for outpatient treatment.
• Intake: Complete intake documentation in the field, gathering relevant background, environmental factors, and immediate needs to inform level-of-care placement.
• Orientation: Provide participants with orientation to available services, expectations, rights, and program processes within community settings, ensuring understanding despite nontraditional environments.
• Assessment: Complete biopsychosocial assessments and ASAM-informed evaluations in the field to determine clinical needs and level of care.
• Treatment Planning: Develop individualized treatment plans that integrate participant goals, ASAM criteria, harm reduction principles, and field-based environmental realities.
• Counseling: Facilitate individual and group counseling using motivational interviewing, harm reduction, relapse prevention, trauma-informed care, and CBT-informed strategies appropriate for field based service delivery.
• Crisis Intervention: Provide high-level crisis intervention for issues such as withdrawal concerns, suicidality, behavioral escalation, and environmental safety risks, engaging emergency support when necessary.
• Participant Education: Educate participants about substance use, relapse prevention, coping strategies, MAT options, harm reduction, and recovery concepts using accessible language and culturally responsive methods.
• Referral: Refer participants to appropriate levels of care, medical providers, mental health services, housing support, and community partners using warm handoffs and field-based accompaniment when needed.
• Consultation: Engage in case consultation with supervisors, clinical leadership, and partner agencies to ensure high-quality, coordinated care across systems.
• MAT Support: Educate participants on medication-assisted treatment (MAT) options and coordinate linkage with prescribers; support adherence through motivational support and care coordination.

2. Case Management

• Service Coordination: Provide field-based care coordination linking participants to mental health care, medical services, housing resources, and social support systems.
• Advocacy: Advocate for participant needs in community settings by working collaboratively with shelter staff, outreach teams, housing providers, medical partners, and allied community agencies.
• Resource Navigation: Assist participants in obtaining IDs, benefits, transportation, and other essential supports necessary for stability and treatment engagement.
• Transitions of Care: Facilitate transitions between levels of care such as OP, IOP, residential treatment, withdrawal management, and may include harm reduction programs.
• Discharge Planning: Develop discharge plans centered on continuity, safety, and recovery supports, even when participants remain in the community or permanent supportive housing settings.

3. Documentation and Billing

• Documentation: Complete timely and accurate documentation in the agency EHR consistent with SAPC, DHCS, and agency requirements for field-based services.
• Medical Necessity: Document interventions, risk factors, environmental conditions, and participant progress to establish and maintain medical necessity.
• Billing Compliance: Ensure documentation supports billing for allowable FBS services, following SAPC guidelines for field service delivery.
• Confidentiality: Maintain strict compliance with HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 when providing services and documenting care in nontraditional, public, or dynamic field environments.

4. Safety and Compliance

• Naloxone Readiness: Carry naloxone or another FDA-approved opioid antagonist medication during all outreach activities unless prohibited by site-specific regulation.
• Environmental Awareness: Recognize environmental hazards in shelters, outdoor settings, and interim housing communities and adapt service delivery accordingly.
• Regulatory Compliance: Deliver services consistent with SAPC Field-Based Service Standards, including cultural competency (CLAS) and confidentiality requirements.
• Program Compliance: Ensures program compliance with all CLARE|MATRIX Policies and Procedures. The BHC must adhere to all state and federal regulations and prioritize participant safety and dignity in all aspects of care. Adhere to and ensure all staff follows all safety rules and regulations.
• HIPPA Compliance: Secures participant information and maintains strict participant confidence by completing and safeguarding medical records and ensuring participant information is kept confidential.
• Professional Behavior: Ensures strict maintenance of professional boundaries following established limits and guidelines for appropriate behavior with participants, ensuring a safe and ethical environment by clearly separating the professional role from personal interactions, and protecting the participant's privacy and dignity. Boundaries typically include but are not limited to personal disclosure limits, physical touch restrictions, and clear communication about the professional nature of the relationship.
• Safety Standards: Ensure health and safety regulations are upheld to CLARE|MATRIX standards, OSHA, CAL-OSHA, and all regulatory requirements.
• Incident reports: Complete incident reports timely and in accordance with company and regulatory requirements.

5. Teamwork and Collaboration

• Communication: Collaborate with nurses, therapists, and other clinical providers to communicate participant changes, needs, updates, and progress. Respond to staff and participants in a professional and courteous manner.
• Collaboration: Work in close partnership with shelter staff, case managers, street outreach teams, healthcare providers, and behavioral health collaborators to support integrated care. Participate in staff meetings, one-on-one meetings with supervisors, and other meetings as required.
• Interdisciplinary Participation: Participate in case reviews, coordination meetings, safety briefings, and supervision sessions to support program continuity and clinical quality.
• Mentorship: May provide guidance and field-based modeling to other FBS counselors or BHCs, supporting development of trauma-informed and community-based counseling skills.
• Education and Training: Participate in ongoing training, team meetings, and certifications to maintain eligibility for the role.

6. Secondary Areas of Responsibility

Perform other duties as assigned to support field-based operations, agency needs, or clinical services.

Qualifications

BHC I: License-Eligible - BHC II: Licensed

BBS Status - Active, unrestricted AMFT, ASW, or APCC registration - Active, unrestricted LMFT, LCSW, or LPCC license

Hours - Actively accruing 3,000 supervised hours - 3,000 supervised hours completed

Supervision - Must practice under BBS-approved supervisor - Authorized to practice without supervision requirement; supervision of BHC I staff may be assigned

Clinical Knowledge - Working knowledge of co-occurring mental health disorders and SUD - Comprehensive knowledge of co-occurring mental health disorders and SUD

Clinical Autonomy - Practices under clinical supervision - Practices without clinical supervision requirement

• Experience: Must meet SAPC staff requirements for FBS providers including experience working with high-acuity, community-based populations, including co-occurring disorders, strongly preferred.
• Travel Requirement: The role requires the ability to travel independently and reliably between multiple work sites and community locations during scheduled work hours to deliver services.
• Safety Training: Must complete and maintain CPR/First Aid certification, agency-required field safety training and all other requirements completed upon hire and on an ongoing basis.

Knowledge, Skills, Competencies, and Experience

• Knowledge: Demonstrates understanding of SUD treatment models, ASAM criteria, community-based systems of care, trauma-informed practice, and may include harm reduction principles.
• Skills: Exhibits strong therapy skills, de-escalation, communication, and documentation skills adaptable to fluid, nontraditional settings.
• Competencies: Maintains professionalism, cultural responsiveness, emotional maturity, and ethical judgment in high-intensity environments.
• Experience: Shows ability to work effectively in field settings which may include shelters, permanent supportive housing programs, encampments, and outdoor community environments.
• Sobriety: Candidates who identify as being in recovery must demonstrate at least one (1) year of continuous sobriety.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is continuously required to talk and hear. Field-Based Services is a high-mobility