Job Description
Job Description
Classification: Mental Health Specialist
Position Title: Crisis Mental Health Specialist I, II, or III
Department: Mobile Crisis Services
Reports To: Mobile Crisis Clinical Supervisor and/or Mobile Crisis Clinical Services Manager
Pay: $55-$80/HR
Philosophy:
We are a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) that specializes in providing services that are both trauma-informed and recovery-oriented to persons / consumers with mental illness and addictions. Trauma-informed care includes safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness and empowerment for both clients and staff. We serve Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties and utilize a consumer-involved, consumer-engaged, and consumer-driven model. We provide a whole-person care approach to adults and children to address both physical and mental health needs. We offer a variety of programs including a mobile crisis unit, intensive case management, ongoing counseling, community support, supported employment, jail diversion, hospital discharges, hearings, and more.
Classification General Statement:
The Mental Health Specialist provides culturally competent, appropriate, and trauma-informed crisis and behavioral health treatment for assigned clients. This position provides counseling and education for individuals, couples, families, and groups. The Mental Health Specialist provides behavioral health services to other community agencies, coordinates behavioral health services with other community and State resources, and performs related work as required. Incumbents must demonstrate cultural sensitivity and understanding of how culture influences and impacts behavioral health services while incorporating this understanding into trauma-informed care.
The Crisis Mental Health Specialist I, II, or III employs strong clinical skills to provide services to our jail diversion and mobile crisis teams in a community mental health setting over the Tri-county area. With the high prevalence of trauma among individuals receiving mental health services, the Crisis Mental Health Specialist I, II, or III must possess a demonstrated understanding of the effects of trauma on health, relationships, coping and other aspects of the lives of those we serve.
Essential Responsibilities of the Classification:
• Provide psychotherapy, counseling, and case management services to individuals, couples, families and groups. Conduct interviews to accumulate pertinent data; assess presenting issues; develop service plans. Counseling and psychotherapy may include working with assigned clients in developing communication skills, providing assertiveness training, providing behavior modification programs, and monitoring the effects of prescribed medication.
• Depending on position, may provide substance abuse disorder assessment and provide integrated dual diagnosis services to assigned clients.
• Utilize agency clinical software systems to prepare current client records of treatment and reports as necessary and required. Maintain timely and cogent progress notes and service plans. Ensure that client records and other documentation are up-to-date and justify the services provided.
• Serve as investigator and/or examiner in involuntary commitment procedures.
• Assist and/or provide back-up support with screening, referral, and crisis services as needed and directed by supervisor. May provide after-hours emergency services on a 24-hour, rotating basis, such as telephone consultation, crisis intervention, and pre-hospital screening examinations.
Job Description - Crisis Mental Health Specialist
• Actively participate in joint case planning and coordination with internal multi-disciplinary team and agency psychiatrists. Collaborate in case planning and service coordination as needed with other community agencies such as schools, group homes, community detention facility, community medical hospital and other DHS programs.
• Regular and reliable attendance, professional communication, and confidentiality. • Must be approved to provide transportation for clients using agency vehicles; travel within the community and between business offices in order to complete essential responsibilities and attend required meetings and/or training.
Position-Specific Essential Responsibilities of the Crisis Mental Health Specialist I, II, or III (This position may include any of the aforementioned general responsibilities plus the following):
• Respond to emergency services requests from supervisor, clientele, families, law enforcement, community hospitals and other community partners. Provide crisis counseling/crisis intervention, risk assessment, risk mitigation and safety planning, referral to appropriate resources, individual counseling and case management services to individuals, couples, families, and groups.
• Provide face-to-face response to requests for crisis counseling/intervention in a variety of settings, including hospitals, community partner offices, individual homes, and/or any location within the community; may require accessing sites with unimproved terrain, flights of stairs, and/or exposure to adverse weather conditions for extended periods of time.
• Initiate Director’s Custody/Director’s Hold based on assessed imminent risk to self or others, or grave disability.
• Provide Civil Commitment Investigations/Examiner duties for Involuntary Commitment Program; investigate the individual's mental health status to determine if the person has a mental illness and is dangerous to self and/or gravely disabled. Attend hearings as necessary.
• Maintain compliance of OAR by completing required Mobile Crisis training.
• Provide telephone or walk-in screening and referral assistance to a wide variety of clientele making initial contact with us. Provide appropriate outside referral information to initial contacts that are not appropriate for our services.
• Develop crisis resources materials to assist on-call staff. Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of available agencies and community resources.
• Train staff on community resources, crisis counseling techniques, community hospital issues, and crisis services policies and procedures. Provide mobile crisis training to staff and community partners as directed by Clinical Supervisor.
• Provide behavioral health education and information to various interest groups. Maintain and develop relationships/partnerships with community partners including community hospitals, state and local law enforcement, mental health providers, the school system, local medical professionals, and other community organizations.
Job Specifications: Any qualifying combination of education, licensure and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position is qualifying.
This includes:
For Crisis Mental Health Specialist Levels I, II, and III:
• Master's degree in a Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO) qualifying field
AND
• Two (02) years of professional experience providing behavioral health counseling. • Experience with co-occurring disorders is preferred.
• Bilingual fluency in English/Spanish is preferred.
• Certification as an alcohol and drug counselor certification (CADC I or CADC II) is preferred.
• Must obtain certification from the Department of Human Services as a Mental Health Investigator and Mental Health Examiner. Must keep certification current and in good standing.
• Must possess a valid Oregon or Washington Driver's License, maintain an acceptable driving record, and be insurable for client service purposes and for travel between business office for meetings and/or trainings.
• This position must pass all criminal history check requirements as required by ORS 181.536 to 181.537, and in accordance with OAR to .
Additional Specifications for Level I:
• Must be certified as a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) or register as QMHP-R within 14 days of hire.
Additional Specifications for Level II:
• Professional licensure in the State of Oregon as an LCSW, LMFT, or LPC.
Additional Specifications for Level III:
• Licensure as required for Level II
AND
• Licensing Board approval to supervise licensure candidates.
Other Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge: Knowledge of the principles and practices and techniques of mental health assessment and treatment including the social, emotional and behavioral aspects of mental illness and substance abuse disorder; community health programs and services; techniques, tests and procedures employed in evaluating and modifying behavior; laws, rules and regulations governing the assessment and treatment of mental health clients; clinical manifestations and patterns of substance abuse disorder and associated treatment methods and practices; group dynamics and group therapy.
Skill: Skill in the use of computerized medical systems; use of standard office software and keyboarding.
Ability: Ability to understand and effectively apply the concepts and practices of a trauma-informed philosophy in performing the work; work within strong professional ethics and rules of confidentiality to provide effective assessment and treatment of a variety of mental health disorders; demonstrate cultural sensitivity and understanding of how culture influences and impacts behavioral health services; work with consumers to develop an effective service plan; write and maintain timely and cogent progress notes, service plans, reports and other professional documents; maintain a strong service orientation; ability to organize and execute work effectively under the pressure of time-sensitive deadlines; speak before groups of various sizes; work with grace and good humor under pressure; work cooperatively with other departments; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; establish and maintain harmonious work relationships with co-workers at all levels of the organization, consultants, contractors, community partners, and consumers; quickly assess and respond to concerns related to interpersonal and environmental safety.
Leadership Received:
This position works within the supervisory leadership of the Mobile Crisis Clinical Supervisor and/or Mobile Crisis Clinical Services Manager for its assigned program. The designated supervision emphasizes the independence of method and process while indicating accountability for results. Leadership will include triage with staff, as well as guidance and support of client care.
Leadership Exercised:
Supervisory leadership is not a responsibility of this classification.
Physical Demands:
o Physical Ability: Tasks involve the ability to exert moderate physical effort, typically involving some combination of stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of moderate weight (10-20 pounds).
o Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require visual and aural perception and discrimination. o Environmental Factors: Tasks are regularly performed with exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, vibrations, traffic hazards, animals/wildlife, toxic/poisonous agents, violence, disease, or pathogenic substances.
This position requires the ability to be mobile throughout the Tri-county area. While performing the essential duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to use office equipment including computer and phone systems that require fine manipulation, grasping, typing, and reaching.
Work Environment:
Work is performed onsite at the assigned agency location and may require performing work at other agency and community partner locations in the Tri-County region, as well as other various community settings. The office environment is typically with moderate stimuli and may often result in exposure to increased sensory experiences. Community settings, such as residence, schools, police precincts, respite facilities, hospitals and other public spaces may pose additional risks or discomforts which require safety precautions. ACCESS Team is a mobile mental health crisis response team that provides a vast array of preventative and intervention services delivered 24/7 throughout the Tri-County area. Universal precautions and remaining alert to the environment are critical to address the potential for violent behavior, safety concerns, biohazards, noise, and contaminants.Company Description
Solution Based Therapeutics specializes in providing top-tier staffing solutions for behavioral health facilities across the nation. We are committed to enhancing healthcare services by connecting skilled professionals with rewarding opportunities. Our team values excellence, integrity, and collaboration, ensuring that both our clients and employees thrive in a supportive and dynamic environment. Join us to make a meaningful impact in the healthcare industry and advance your career with a company that prioritizes your growth and success.