Behavioral Health Clinician I

Behavioral Health Clinician I

This recruitment is open to the public. This recruitment is being held to establish an open eligible list that will be used to fill current and future Behavioral Health Clinician I positions within the County of Orange. This recruitment may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications. This recruitment will remain open on a continuous basis until the needs of the County are met. Candidates who are placed on the eligible list will remain on the eligible list for one (1) year and may be considered/referred for selection/hiring interviews. After one (1) year, candidates must reapply to receive further consideration.

Please note that a valid Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW), Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC), or Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) number issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) is required to be placed on the eligible list. If you have applied for your BBS certificate but do not possess such by the date of application, you are required to provide proof of your BBS certificate application at the time of application submission. Those without possession of a valid ACSW, APCC, AMFT, or proof of application for a BBS certificate will be disqualified from the recruitment.

The County of Orange, Health Care Agency (HCA) is a dynamic organization dedicated to creating and supporting an environment that promotes the achievement of optimal individual, family and community health. Under the leadership of the Agency Director, a dynamic executive team with an organizational structure comprised of five (5) service areas - Strategy and Special Projects, Behavioral Health Services, Correctional Health Services, Medical Health Services and Public Health Services - is committed to meeting the health needs of the diverse Orange County community.

The Behavioral Health Services Division consists of eight (8) service areas. This Division provides a culturally competent and client-centered system of behavioral health services for all eligible county residents in need of treatment for alcohol and other drug abuse and mental health care.

These positions provide professional counseling and treatment services for adults, children and youth exhibiting a wide variety of mental health, drug abuse and/or alcohol related disorders in a clinic, home, field or institutional setting. Depending on the assignment, night, weekend and holiday shifts may be required. As a Behavioral Health Clinician I may:

• Provide both individual and group interventions, such as psycho-educational groups, parent training, brief individual counseling, brief group counseling, case management, referral and linkage to community services; utilize a variety of evidence-based practices in interventions provided to the community
• Screen participants for program eligibility, and conduct both individual and family needs assessments
• Prepare written materials and present information in ways that are professional and will represent HCA positively
• Collect both demographic and outcomes data to measure impact of program and changes in behavioral health
• Participate in the on-going development and implementation of programs and may complete a variety of projects to accomplish this task
• Provide field-based services to participants to help engage them in treatment and also help them find meaningful roles and activities in the community
• Follow the ethical and practice guidelines as outlined by the Board of Behavioral Science
• May participate in research projects, conduct oversight of services by contract providers, or perform crisis intervention and involuntary hold evaluations depending on division requirements

The ideal candidate will demonstrate sound judgment, good decision making and problem-solving skills. Additionally, the ideal candidate should be able to work independently and demonstrate reliability, proactive involvement in work, and confidence and optimism in performing daily tasks. Bilingual skills are highly desirable, especially in Spanish or Vietnamese. Also, the ideal candidate will have substantial knowledge and practical experience directly related to the following competencies:

• Professional and Technical Expertise
• Understanding and applying Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• Understanding and applying evidence-based practices in a behavioral health setting
• Applying recovery principles and experience working with participants as they move through the various stages of recovery
• Working with participants who may be in crisis and may have had several hospitalizations due to their mental illness
• Understanding of Integrated Care and treating a whole person by way of collaboration with our Agency partners in the larger health care community
• Providing prevention and early intervention behavioral health services
• Proficiency with EHR, Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook

• Critical Thinking
• Decision Making
• Understanding of the importance of outcome measures and how they can be utilized to make improvements in the program
• Evaluating situations for crisis in the community and determining if an involuntary psychiatric hold is needed
• Executing quick and effective decisions impacting clients' health care treatment

• Oral Communication
• Relationship Building
• Communicating relevant critical information to other County agencies and/or stakeholders to better facilitate continuity of care
• Communicating with tact and discretion when working with confidential information
• De-escalating hostile or confrontational clients/customers

For a complete classification description and minimum qualifications including Physical, Mental Requirements, and Environmental Conditions for Behavioral Health Clinician I, click here. Applicants who are applying with an out of state license should refer to the minimum qualifications link above.

Human Resource Services (HRS) will screen all applications to identify qualified applicants. After screening, only those applicants that meet the minimum qualifications will be referred to the next step in the selection procedures. Candidates will receive notification via e-mail of further procedures applicable to their status in the competition.

The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click here to review the policy.

E-mail is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct e-mail address is included in our application and use only one e-mail account. Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via e-mail through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your e-mail folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept e-mails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your e-mail address should change, please update your profile at