Behavioral Health Crisis Response Substitute Clinician

City of Boulder • Boulder, CO

5d • $40 - $58

About The Position

Under general direction, fills in on an as-needed basis to cover short-term staffing gaps at full operational capacity. As part of the City of Boulder’s Behavioral Health Crisis Response Team (BHCRT), this role responds to 911 and police non-emergency calls involving behavioral health concerns. Depending on the call, responses are handled independently alongside other BHCRT staff as an alternative response or paired with Boulder Police Department officers as a co-response.

The substitute clinician provides in-person crisis response and clinical interventions, makes level-of-care decisions, coordinates care and referrals, documents contacts, transports clients, and conducts follow-ups. The role works collaboratively with BHCRT case managers and participates in clinical supervision, training, and team meetings. Work takes place in an office and varied community settings, and may involve dynamic crisis situations, exposure to unsanitary conditions, and work outdoors in different weather conditions.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in counseling, social work, psychology, or a related field.
• Two years of experience in crisis intervention, suicide and risk assessment, verbal de-escalation, and differential diagnosis with people experiencing severe and persistent mental illness, substance use, and other at-risk circumstances.
• Current Colorado licensure as an LPC, LAC, LMFT, LCSW, or LP through the Colorado Division of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).
• Valid driver’s license; ability to operate a motor vehicle.
• Ability to communicate clearly in writing and speech, particularly in documentation, care coordination, and crisis situations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively with the public and colleagues.
• Ability to complete work consistently and on time in accordance with team policies.
• Ability to regulate emotions during 911 responses involving highly distressed or antagonistic individuals and manage secondary trauma associated with crisis work.
• Ability to practice within applicable laws and ethics, act with integrity as a steward of public resources and a professional in the involuntary treatment system, and apply ethical principles to complex problems.
• Ability to support change with flexibility and grace and work effectively and efficiently as a team member.
• Knowledge of community resources and ability to make appropriate referrals in crisis situations.
• Knowledge of major mental illness, personality disorders, neurocognitive disorders, complex trauma, intellectual and developmental disabilities, substance use disorders, suicide assessment, safety planning, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, crisis de-escalation, Colorado statutory criteria for involuntary behavioral health care, and the impact of involuntary treatment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the team’s records management systems.
• Skill in listening to colleagues’ and community members’ concerns and ideas.
• Skill in making rapid, accurate diagnostic assessments, including distinguishing psychosis related to mental illness from psychosis related to substance use.
• Meet and maintain applicable federal, state, and organizational background-check requirements, including the CJIS background check; successfully pass a background check before the first workday and maintain acceptable screening.
• Ability to use computers, radios, and associated equipment regularly; work in dynamic crisis situations in novel community environments; maintain focus and engagement for prolonged periods, including under adversarial conditions; observe, track, and interpret behavior for mental status examinations; and work closely with others amid frequent interruptions and background noise.

Nice To Haves

• Related behavioral health experience as a mobile crisis clinician, co-responder, crisis clinician conducting level-of-care assessments, or in another modality serving an acute population in a high-intensity environment.
• Professional Spanish-language communication ability.
• Knowledge of and prior experience collaborating with Emergency Medical Services (EMS), police, and/or fire personnel.
• Knowledge of and prior experience with Boulder-area behavioral health treatment systems and supportive services.
• Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) credential in addition to primary licensure.

Responsibilities

• Provide as-needed in-person responses to behavioral health concerns or crises in community settings via 911 dispatch, including homes, businesses, streets, parks, congregate living facilities, and shelters.
• Conduct clinical interventions, including mental status examinations and suicide and risk assessments, and determine whether individuals in distress meet criteria for involuntary treatment.
• Prepare mental health holds and other legal documents as needed.
• Make on-scene level-of-care decisions and coordinate with collateral agencies, schools, hospitals, family members, and significant others to facilitate referrals to community services and treatment.
• Document contacts according to team policies.
• Transport clients during service calls or follow-up contacts according to team policies and applicable laws.
• Provide telephone or in-person follow-ups to connect community members with behavioral health care and other community resources.
• Collaborate with BHCRT case managers to support clients with complex or ongoing needs.
• Participate in clinical supervision, trainings, and team meetings according to team policies.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Mid Level