Behavioral Health Specialist

INLAND BEHAVIORAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
$22.00 - $24.00/hour, non-exempt (AOD)
$25.00 - $27.00/hour, non-exempt (MH)

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SPECIALIST (AOD or MH)
JOB DESCRIPTION

The Behavioral Health Specialist (BHS), under direction from the Director of Behavioral
Health or designee, assists physicians and other medical staff with providing integrated behavioral health-primary health care (BH-PHC) services. Duties include a warm hand-off from the PHP, with indicated screening, assessment of psychosocial stressors, provisional diagnostic assessment (pre-licensed/licensed BHS only), brief intervention, and referral for continuing or specialized care as needed. Other duties may include crisis intervention, case management, quality assurance, and related duties. The Behavioral Health Specialist performs duties necessary to support medical providers and integrated BH-PHC care as a value-added service, and (s)he is invested in continuing to develop the functionality and high standards for the Behavioral Health component for the agency as a whole.

There are two specializations: Mental Health (MH) and/or Alcohol/Other Drug (AOD).

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

Typical responsibilities and duties of a Behavioral Health Specialist include, but are not limited to:

• Recognize signs of possible child, elder, or dependent adult abuse and neglect, and make reports with guidance from the Director of Behavioral Health or designee
• Provide crisis intervention/case management services such as providing referrals for medication, higher levels of care, and/or additional services
• Brief intervention to stabilize the patient. This may include education for family members who are present, with patient assent/permission
• Participate in BHI departmental meetings and Quality Assurance Reviews, which may include medical and other relevant staff.
• Use additional screening instruments as needed (limited psychological testing under the supervision of a licensed psychologist is possible, with prior authorization)
• Assist with the development of the integrated Behavioral Health component, through activities such as conducting surveys to determine client needs, cross-training with other departments, participating with any relevant outcome research, and outreach activities as needed
• Documentation, data collection, report writing
• Data entry, use of an electronic health record (EHR)
• Attend other meetings as assigned
• Take authorized trainings to maintain and/or improve skills
• Other duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Required: completion of a 4-hour SBIRT certification course. The SBIRT course will be provided upon hire, if not already completed.

At least three years of sobriety/clean time if in recovery.

Possession of a valid California Driver’s License and has current auto insurance as the position requires travel between clinics.

Behavioral Health Specialist-MH: Master’s Degree in Social Work or other behavioral science and be registered for licensure in the State of California. If on the psychology track, must have a doctorate degree in Psychology and be registered as a Psychological Associate with the Board of Psychology. Titles will be based on Board requirements.

Behavioral Health Specialist-AOD: Certified by a State AOD entity as a SUD counselor.

Other: Other verified State/Board certification and at least two years’ experience providing behavioral health services, to include crisis intervention and documentation.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Bilingual English/Spanish; other languages are a plus, including American Sign Language.

Behavioral Health Specialist-MH: Independent licensure with the California State Board of
Behavioral Sciences or Board of Psychology and three years of professional psychotherapy experience with both mental health and substance-abusing populations.

Behavioral Health Specialist-AOD: Possesses a higher level of certification by a State AOD entity as an AOD counselor. At least three years of full-time experience in the field.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Must be able to recognize signs and symptoms of a substance use disorder or mental illness.
Must be able to utilize word processing software. Must have the physical ability to sit for long periods of time; ability to reach, possess fine manual dexterity, and sensory acuity. Must be able to multi-task in a sometimes-stressful environment.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $22.00 - $27.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)
• Registered or certified by State AOD entity as SUD cnslr. (Required)
• Master's Degree and Registered for licensure in CA (Preferred)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $22 - $27