Behavioral Health Emergency Services Clinician (Resident/Supervisee)

Arlington County VA•Arlington, VA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Arlington County's Department of Human Services (DHS) is hiring experienced Behavioral Health Clinicians to serve as Emergency Services Clinicians in the Client Services Entry (CSE) Bureau of the Behavioral Healthcare Division (BHD). These employees will provide comprehensive crisis intervention and stabilization to persons with serious mental illness, dual diagnoses, and acute psychiatric and substance abuse-related issues, in order to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and lengthy emergency department stays, and to de-escalate and prevent future crises. Services offered are trauma-informed, culturally competent, strengths-based, needs-driven, and are responsive, adaptive, as well as respectful. Arlington County DHS is committed to delivering client services in an effective, equitable, respectful, and trauma-informed manner. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring our clients are approached, engaged and cared for in ways that demonstrate competency, sensitivity and awareness of factors which impact the client experience including but not limited to: cultural identity, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, religious/spiritual ascription, physical capability, cognitive and literacy levels, sexual orientation, and linguistic needs. This position encompasses multiple levels in a career ladder ranging from Behavioral Health Emergency Services Resident/Supervisee to Behavioral Health Emergency Services Clinician (Licensed).

Requirements

Master's degree in Counseling, Psychiatric Social Work, Psychology, Art Therapy, Psychiatric Nursing or other directly related discipline, all of which required a clinical practicum involving diagnostic and treatment services
Two years post-Master’s degree experience providing mental health services, which includes one-year minimum of working with seriously mentally ill individuals in crisis
Possession or obtainment of: Preadmission Prescreening Clinician Certification from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Development Sciences (DBHDS) within 60 days of employment (90 days for on-call, temporary employees)
TOVA training from Arlington County within one year of employment
Medication Administration Certification from a CSB-approved vendor within 90 days of employment
Background Check: A pre-employment criminal records check will be conducted. It will include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history. You will be required to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain your background information. Must complete pre-hire federal background check and State of Virginia Central Registry check.
Driver's License: Applicant must possess, or obtain by time of appointment, a valid driver’s license, and must provide or authorize Arlington County to obtain a copy of official driving record. Any offer of employment may be contingent upon favorable review of the applicant’s driving record. Alternatively, the applicant must have the ability and willingness to use alternative methods of transportation to perform assigned duties and responsibilities at locations other than the primary worksite.
Employment restrictions: To ensure that dual relationships are avoided and that employees who are also clients do not relate to their service provider as co-professionals, employees will not be hired by the County to provide or support services to the team or program in which they are current clients: You cannot concurrently receive behavioral health services from Arlington County Community Service Board (CSB) programs while employed in an Arlington County CSB program (exception Crisis Intervention services). At least 24 months must have passed between receipt of CSB services from Arlington County and employment in an Arlington County CSB program.

Nice To Haves

Experience or certification in providing services to individuals experiencing a behavioral health emergency
Experience or certification in working with clients with co-occurring substance use disorders
Experience or certification in collaborating with criminal justice partners (particularly law enforcement, correctional officers, and court staff)
Experience or certification in being prescreen certified

Responsibilities

Providing assessments and interventions in multiple settings including home, schools, juvenile justice settings, community organizations, as well as hospital inpatient units and emergency departments
Developing and maintaining working relationships with BHD staff and with other agencies including police, courts, schools, magistrates, fire and rescue, VHC Health, and other agencies involved in emergency interventions
Conducting diagnostic assessments and risk analyses, utilizing a strengths-based approach
Developing and implementing strategies for clients and for families to alleviate crisis including time-limited crisis interventions, short term counseling, and/or intensive care coordination
Conducting pre-admission screening for hospitalization or other diversionary services (partial hospitalization, residential, respite, intensive community services), ensuring that services are provided in the least restrictive environments
Ensuring high quality and timely documentation within an electronic record management system by staff