Forensic Mental Health Specialist

Provides mental health and case management services to incarcerated individuals with mental illness.• Monitors mentally ill, incarcerated individuals who are at risk for commitment to the Department of Children and Families pursuant to Chapter 916, F.S. for Okaloosa and Walton County. Advises court evaluators and attorneys of appropriate treatment for felony offenders, including civil diversion, community competency restoration services and conditional release. • Maintains close working relationships with local jail mental health staff to coordinate services and address mental health issues involving the Department of Children and Families, and local mental health providers. Maintains current jail medication formularies and provides the State Mental Health Program Office with copies for distribution to state mental health treatment facilities. • Maintains close working relationships with Community Mental Health Centers, Community Case Managers, circuit judicial assistants, the Office of the Public Defender, the Office of the State Attorney, Managing Entity, and the Clerk of Court’s Office. • Develops an early notification system concerning orders appointing experts and orders of commitment; assists the judicial system by monitoring the status of commitment documents. • Attends court and determination of competency hearings involving individuals who are adjudicated or likely to be adjudicated incompetent to proceed, have behavioral issues, not guilty by reason of insanity, or Conditional Release; presents written summaries and discusses or advocates for alternative plans at hearings. • Alerts the Managing Entity (ME) Mental Health/Forensic Coordinator to any potential legal issues (i.e., incorrect or improper orders). • Participates in, and is responsible for information discussed in, weekly staff meetings and monthly meetings. • Conducts a minimum, and maintains a record of quarterly meetings with individuals at state forensic treatment facilities and civil step-down treatment facilities. Provides the ME and circuit SAMH office with quarterly visit reports. • Provides monthly and quarterly statistical reports to the ME Mental Health/Forensic Coordinator. • Works closely with individuals, interested family members (when authorized), treatment facility service/treatment team, local mental health provider agency staff, ME, the circuit SAMH Office and placement sites to locate appropriate community placements and arranges for needed aftercare services for individuals determined appropriate for discharge. Intervenes when necessary to resolve issues among stakeholders. • Assists treatment facilities and appropriate court staff in the development of conditional release plans and attends conditional release hearings. Ensures continuity of care. • Develops assessment and service/treatment planning components in conjunction with state treatment facility staff pursuant to Fla. Admin. Code r. 65E-15.051(9)(a). • Monitors individuals on conditional release and provides the ME, and the circuit SAMH office with an updated, quarterly conditional release list. Ensures the Mental Health Program Office receives a copy of the conditional release order and all subsequent orders of continuance, modification, revocation or termination. • Ensures the court is notified of any conditional release violations via affidavit or sworn statement pursuant to Chapter 916(2), F.S. • Collaborates with the ME Mental Health/Forensic Coordinator, his or her designee Forensic Mental Health Specialists of other circuits when coordinating proposed out-of-circuit placements to ensure proper advance planning, notification, and continuity of care. • Coordinates with the appropriate court staff to secure transportation upon receipt of notification from a state treatment facility of an individual being found Competent to Proceed. • Ensures that a community case manager is assigned to the individual’s case pursuant to Fla. Admin. Code r. 65E-15.051(14) when an individual is found Competent to Proceed, • Monitors attendance at court hearings involving Chapter 916, F.S. mentally ill individuals, including the determination of competency hearings. • Coordinates with state forensic and civil treatment facilities, the ME, local mental health providers, crisis stabilization units and the courts to ensure appropriate and timely disposition of cases. • Provides information to the courts and attorneys pertaining to an individual’s treatment as requested. • Provides community evaluators, treatment facility staff, the courts and attorneys information regarding housing options for forensic and/or prospective forensic individuals. • Develops and maintains a directory of area mental health services and providers; informs the ME Program Office in Tallahassee of necessary changes to the Directory of Mental Health Services in Florida County Jails. • Participates in the state treatment facility’s development of the psychosocial assessment and the service/treatment plan as needed; provides the state treatment facilities service/treatment teams community information required to assist with the individual treatment. Monitors the percentage of individuals returned to the respective county within 30 days of mailing the state treatment facility evaluations indicating the individual’s restoration of competency. • Maintains and enters data for services provided for all participants in the web-based database by the 5th of each month per contract requirements. • Maintains confidentiality of participant information, records, and communication of sensitive information. Adheres to Confidentiality Policies and Procedures / HIPPA Regulations. • Attends and participates in statewide forensic meetings as requested by the ME and the circuit SAMH office. • Assists with the forensic system training program when scheduled in the circuit. • Performs other duties as assigned.Education, Training and Experience: Master’s degree in Social Work or closely related field, or Licensed Mental Health Counselor; supplemented by one (1) year of experience in the field which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities. Experience with Microsoft Word and Excel required. Prior experience with the criminal justice population and knowledge of the corrections or judicial system preferred. Licenses and/or Certifications:Requires a valid driver’s license. Requires a Florida Forensic Mental Health Evaluator Certification within one (1) year of hire.Physical Requirements:Requires the ability to operate modern office equipment, to include computers, copy machines and related. Must be able to exert 25 to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Requires periodic walking and standing, with occasional bending and stopping. Physical demands are essentially those of sedentary work. May require the ability to manage challenging situations effectively. Language Ability:Requires the ability to communicate effectively in English, including the ability to convey, record and exchange information; requires the ability to explain procedures and to give, receive and follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to read a variety of moderately complex technical data, policy and procedure manuals, codes, professional journals. Requires the ability to prepare forms and reports using prescribed formats, and adhering to all rules of grammar, spelling, diction and punctuation. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical and/or professional languages used within the parameters of the job and with a broad array of individuals from various professional backgrounds. Intelligence:Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions; to interpret a variety of technical instructions in written, mathematical or diagrammatic form; to learn and understand relatively complex principles and techniques; to make independent judgments in absence of supervision; to acquire knowledge of topics related to primary occupation. Requires the application of principles of influence systems and synthesis functions. Numerical Aptitude:Must be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide; to determine weight; calculate decimals and percentages; compute discount, profit and loss, ratio and proportion. Interpersonal Temperament:Requires the ability to deal with people beyond receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under moderate levels of stress, imposed by frequent deadlines, peak workloads, or public contact. Requires the ability to exercise consistent tact and courtesy when in frequent contact with various professionals, county staff, and the general public.

Salary : $52,686