Mental Health Clinician I/II

Mental Health Clinician III

Mental Health Clinicians can be assigned, based on departmental needs, to one of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services' (BHRS) various behavioral health programs. Summaries of BHRS programs are provided below.

Under direction, Mental Health Clinicians provide clinical assessments, care planning, counseling, clinical case management, support medication-assisted treatment, and other rehabilitative / psychotherapeutic services in community behavioral health settings. Mental Health Clinicians are expected to work independently but also function effectively as part of a service team. The incumbents may supervise professional and technical personnel, and provide education and consultation services to other staff, community agencies and the public. In addition, Mental Health Clinicians may administer and coordinate mental health programs, and perform other related work as required. Bilingual applicants are strongly encouraged to apply. Upon successful completion of our bilingual proficiency assessment, you'll receive an additional $1 per hour in compensation.

About BHRS Programs

The CARE Program is a multidisciplinary team of mental health, criminal justice, and other service providers who facilitate, provide, and share responsibilities of assessment coordination and treatment services to appropriately meet the complex mental, physical, and social needs of the targeted population. The target population includes individuals that may have severe and persistent mental illness, exhibit high-risk health and safety behaviors, engage in vagrancy-related criminal behavior, and experience severe substance use disorders; and for a variety of reasons, they are not accessing or accepting services. BHRS mental health services providers are embedded on the team to support clients with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and facilitate direct access to treatment services. The CARE team includes Modesto Police, Probation, Community Services Agency, Telecare, and Public Health. The overarching goal is to see an increase in the target population transition from saying "no" to help to saying "yes" to help.

The Mental Health Clinician assigned to the Substance Use Disorder continuum of care provides services across all ASAM levels, including withdrawal management, residential, outpatient and recovery services. Treatment programs serve youth, adults, and older adults with mild, moderate, or severe SUD including those with co-occurring mental health disorders. Incumbents are expected to provide comprehensive assessments, authorize and sign ASAM placement decisions, deliver individual and group counseling, facilitate family therapy, and support care coordination. Services are delivered in compliance with the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) and 42 CFR Part 2 requirements, while maintaining a person-centered and recovery-oriented focus. Mental Health Clinicians collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams, justice partners, and community agencies to reduce stigma, and increase access to care.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a 24-hour, seven day a week program. CERT provides emergency mental health assessment and referral services for emergent and pre-emergent behavioral health situations in collaboration with families, consumers, law enforcement and emergency room personnel. Some services are provided in the community through a mobile task force. Non-crisis services include a consumer and family member-staffed Crisis Support Line and on-site peer support available to consumers and families who need support and referrals. Individuals are able to call to access services or request a psychiatric evaluation. CERT personnel should possess sophisticated diagnostic and assessment skills and be available for shift work.

The Crisis Care Mobile Units (CCMU) program will embed trained crisis mental health staff from Stanislaus County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services to ride along with Modesto Police Department (MPD) patrol officers and Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office (SO) patrol deputies from 1400 to 2200 hours Monday through Friday. CCMU Clinicians will respond with law enforcement to provide mobile crisis services, Triage screening, de-escalation/resolution for individuals experiencing behavioral health crises. CCMU Clinicians will work with BHS and CST staff to provide peer support, and coordination with medical and behavioral health services, and follow-up.

The Medi-Cal Assessment Team (MAT) provides mental health assessments to children and adult beneficiaries. The MAT Mental Health Clinician will perform initial assessments to individuals referred for or seeking mental health services. The MAT Mental Health Clinician will assist in linkage for those assessed to programs within BHRS, Contractors, and or alternate level of care such as mild-moderate and or community services. MAT personnel should possess sophisticated diagnostic and assessment skills.

The Quality Services/Compliance team ensures the following: 1. Quality of care issues are identified, monitored and appropriate corrective actions are taken 2. Pursue continuous quality improvement, through department audits 3. Behavioral health services provided to beneficiaries meet established quality of care standards (Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) protocol; Information Notices (IN); All State Plan Letters (APLs)), 4. Quality is evaluated in the areas of access, satisfaction, continuity of care and quality of care, 5. Provide on-going Electronic Health Record (EHR) Navigation training 6. Program certification and re-certification activities, including program National Provider Identifier (NPI)s and modes of service, and 6. Changes are made and monitored related to DHCS protocol updates. In addition, the compliance component of the Quality Services program ensures the following: 1. Establishment and implementation of procedures and a system with dedicated staff for routine internal monitoring and auditing of compliance risks, prompt response to compliance issues as they are raised, investigation of potential compliance problems as identified in the course of self-evaluation and audits, correction of such problems promptly and thoroughly (or coordination of suspected criminal acts with law enforcement agencies) to reduce the potential for recurrence, and ongoing compliance with the requirements under the contract (Corrective Action Plan (CAP) follow up from all peer reviews; review/discussion of limited mental health contact; review and provide information related to compliance for fact finding data), 2. Implement a compliance program that includes: Written policies, procedures, and standards of conduct that articulate the organization's commitment to comply with all applicable requirements and standards under the contract, and all applicable laws (provide training opportunities for BHRS compliance program plan; 3. Implement and maintain procedures designed to detect fraud, waste and abuse that include provisions to verify services reimbursed by Medicaid were received by the beneficiary, 4. Monitor access line compliance and procedures in addition to other compliance related requirements in protocol, Mental Health Plan (MHP) contract, and DMC-ODS Internal Government Agreement (IGA)), and 5. Assist with managing and monitoring privacy issues.

The Utilization Management team evaluates medical necessity, appropriateness and efficiency of services provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries (outpatient treatment plan review; assessment updates), ensures consistent application of review criteria for authorization decisions (outpatient treatment plan; Service Authorization Requests (SARs); SUD Residential), conducts concurrent review and authorization for all psychiatric inpatient hospital services and psychiatric health facility services (DBHC; Telecare PHF; Out of County (OOC) hospitals), reviews and completes provider appeals, provides training materials and training related to concurrent review, documentation standards for medical necessity (based on DHCS training and Title 9 regulation); and reasons for denials, EHR and database entry (diagnosis review; approved/denied days), Medi-Cal eligibility check for all inpatient admissions, establish and implement written policies and procedures for all UM activities and delegated activities, and provide on-going trainings related to authorization (delegated activity); Notice of Action Beneficiary Determination (NOABDs).

The Collaborative Court Team is a program with Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services was created to ensure improved coordinated entry into Behavioral Health care for Stanislaus County residents who are involved in the legal system.

• Advise clients of available community resources and act as a liaison and/or advocate for clients/families to be able to access community resources effectively;
• Conduct onsite and field based comprehensive clinical assessments to establish medical necessity criteria and provide clinical interventions without supervision, utilizing different clinical treatment modalities and approaches based on clinical needs;
• Determine functional impairments of clients and prioritize their needs;
• In the appropriate therapeutic and/or clinical setting, work with primary care physicians when necessary on treatment plans or provide individual and group services which could include clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. For children and families, assist in assessing challenges and barriers to social and emotional health, and in partnership with them, develop a strength based realistic service plan;
• Perform appropriate clinical social work and develop treatment plans to address clients functional impairments;
• Prepare and maintain complex treatment and progress reports and document in client charts as needed; which include, diagnostic and treatment recommendations, discharge planning and follow-up services;
• Prepare and present cases for review with the clinical service team;
• Provide client-centered and wellness/recovery/resiliency informed services;
• Provide crisis intervention and 5150 evaluation on-site, in the field or at neighboring hospital emergency rooms when working with BHRS clients;
• Provide ongoing clinical assessment, client care planning and effective treatment implementation to children, adults and families;
• Support and utilize Electronic Medical/Health Record System software;
• Utilize the 12 Step and social model principles of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment resiliency and crisis intervention within the community;
• Work collaboratively with a wide range of clinical and non-clinical disciplines to access client and family needs, design effective care planning, service goals or special medical