Emergency Response Provider I

Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Emergency Response Provider serves on the organization’s Emergency Response and Mobile Crisis teams, providing community and agency-based response to individuals of all ages experiencing behavioral health and substance use crises across the North and South Regions. The role provides in-person crisis response, assessment, intervention, de-escalation, stabilization, safety planning, resource linkage, and disposition planning; coordinates voluntary and involuntary interventions, inpatient placement, and connection to Crisis Respite; completes assigned Hospital Discharge Follow-Ups as applicable; and collaborates with emergency responders, healthcare providers, families, agency teams, and community partners to promote individual and community safety. Emergency Response Providers work as part of a two- person Mobile Crisis Response team, with the second responder permitted to participate virtually, and have immediate access to a fully licensed clinician through the Administrator on Call (AOC) structure for consultation and escalation. Scope of independent practice and required clinical supervision varies by Emergency Response Provider level.

Crisis skills deserve a bonus! Join our Emergency Response Team and receive a $1000 sign-on bonus after your initial 90 days of employment.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Respond in person to behavioral health and substance use crisis calls throughout the assigned region and meet applicable local and rural response-time expectations.
• Provide crisis engagement, intervention, de-escalation, stabilization, safety planning, skill-building, recovery-oriented support, resource linkage, referral, care coordination, and disposition planning within the employee’s training and scope.
• Conduct and document required crisis screening and assessment activities within Colorado Crisis Professional scope, including the BHA Colorado Crisis Assessment and C-SSRS when required.
• Conduct mental status, suicide, violence, substance use, and overall safety/risk assessment activities appropriate to the employee’s level, training, credential, and supervision requirements.
• Develop individualized safety plans and complete lethal-means risk mitigation activities when clinically indicated.
• Use the least restrictive intervention appropriate to the situation and involve law enforcement only when necessary and consistent with policy.
• Coordinate voluntary higher levels of care and support inpatient psychiatric placement, transportation, authorizations, and communication with receiving facilities as assigned and within scope.
• Support emergency/involuntary intervention processes, including Colorado 27-65/M-1 activities, within the employee’s credential, legal authority, organizational privileges, and supervision requirements.
• Assess and facilitate connection to the organization’s Crisis Respite Facility as an alternative or step-down level of care and provide warm handoffs when appropriate.
• Conduct assigned Hospital Discharge Follow-Ups to reassess safety, address barriers, and reconnect individuals to outpatient treatment and community supports.
• Collaborate with the virtual co-responder, AOC, law enforcement, EMS, hospitals, schools, families/natural supports, agency programs, courts/community partners, and receiving providers.
• Provide Mobile Crisis Response in homes, hospitals, schools, law enforcement settings, agency locations, and other community settings.
• Complete timely and accurate EHR and statewide dispatch-portal documentation, including assessments, interventions, dispositions, referrals, and follow-up activities.
• Complete self, vehicle, and environmental safety assessments and follow agency field-safety procedures.
• Participate in team coverage, supervision, meetings, required training, competency activities, and other duties necessary to support Emergency Response and Mobile Crisis operations.
• Maintain required training, competencies, certifications, driving eligibility, and continuing education.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

LEVEL SPECIFIC PRACTICE EXPECTATIONS

Emergency Response Provider I : Emergency Response Provider I is a qualified, non-licensed Colorado Crisis

Professional. This level may serve as the in-person Mobile Crisis responder after completing required training

and demonstrating competency, but does not function as an independently licensed clinician. Ongoing

supervision from an appropriately licensed clinician in accordance with agency policy is required. Providers

in this level must consult the licensed Admin on Call promptly when clinical risk or complexity exceeds

training or scope and when an involuntary intervention is being considered.

SHIFT & REPONSE EXPECTATIONS

Emergency Response Providers work a rotating 12-hour shift schedule to maintain 24/7/365 Mobile Crisis

coverage. Full-time employees are generally scheduled for three (3) 12-hour shifts in one workweek and four

(4) 12-hour shifts in the alternating workweek, resulting in alternating 36-hour and 48-hour workweeks.

Scheduled workdays may be consecutive or non-consecutive and are assigned based on program coverage

and operational needs. Due to the continuous coverage requirements of the position, this schedule includes a

minimum of sixteen (16) scheduled overtime hours per month. Providers must remain available throughout

their assigned shift and be able to respond to local dispatches within one (1) hour and rural/frontier

dispatches within two (2) hours. In-person response is the primary service model, with telehealth response

permissible for qualifying events. Travel throughout the assigned North or South Region is required.

Requirements

EDUCATION

• QBHA-qualified individual OR
• Bachelor's degree in behavioral health, psychology, social work, human services, criminal justice, or related field.
• Colorado Crisis Professional: current qualification OR
• successful completion of BHA Crisis Professional Curriculum/final assessment within 60 days of hire.
• Practice/Supervision: Non-licensed role. Must work under required clinical supervision and use licensed clinical consultation/AOC for clinical concerns, escalation, involuntary intervention, and activities outside the employee's credential or scope.

GENERAL JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel throughout the assigned service area, including rural/frontier communities.
• Ability to work scheduled 12-hour shifts, including days, nights, weekends, holidays, and rotating coverage as assigned.
• Ability to use EHR, mobile technology, videoconferencing, and crisis dispatch systems.
• Successful completion of required background screening, driving review, and agency credentialing.
• Demonstrated ability to engage individuals experiencing acute behavioral health distress, assess safety concerns, de-escalate conflict, and collaborate effectively under pressure.
• Ability to recognize professional limitations and immediately access licensed clinical consultation when indicated.

EXPERIENCE

Experience providing crisis intervention, behavioral health assessment, and management of acute behavioral

health needs in community, outpatient, residential, emergency, or inpatient settings preferred. Experience

coordinating psychiatric hospitalization, involuntary interventions, and community-based stabilization

services is strongly preferred.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND ABILITIES

• Crisis engagement, de-escalation, stabilization, and safety planning.
• Suicide screening, risk assessment, and recognition of behavioral health and substance use crises.
• Trauma-informed and culturally responsive care.
• Knowledge of Colorado crisis systems, levels of behavioral health care, and 27-65 processes appropriate to role.
• Professional boundaries, confidentiality, and timely, accurate documentation.
• Sound field judgment with appropriate use of supervision and licensed consultation.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with law enforcement, EMS, hospitals, schools, families, agency teams, and community partners.
• Strong written, verbal, time-management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to maintain composure and professional judgment in high-stress and unpredictable situations.
• Team-based response using both in-person and virtual co-response.
• Community resource navigation, warm handoffs, and care coordination.
• Ability to travel and meet required one-hour local and two-hour rural response timeframes.

WORK CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Combination of direct client care and indirect/non-client-facing duties.
• In-person and telehealth service delivery.
• Participation in crisis coverage and consultation structures as assigned.
• Frequent travel within the assigned service area.
• Flexible scheduling, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds on occasion within an office/community setting.