Mental Health Specialist V

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS • San Antonio, TX

2d • $5,530 - $7,254 • Onsite

About The Position

The Mental Health Specialist V - Performs highly advanced (senior-level) clinical and administrative social work for patients with complex behavioral, medical, psychosocial needs, and substance use needs. The position supports a multidisciplinary team serving individuals with long-term or court-ordered hospitalizations due to infectious disease and co-morbid behavioral health conditions. The Health Specialist V provides trauma-informed, evidence-based counseling; discharge and transition planning; and operational support for behavioral health services. The role functions with minimal supervision and exercises extensive independent judgment.

Work involves overseeing behavioral testing and assessing, counseling, and reporting. Performs and documents advanced behavioral health services work to include serving as a liaison between the client, client’s rights, and others to assure ongoing care, treatment and support applying client centered practices. Gathers information to assess the client's support systems and service needs, including participation in the interdisciplinary team meetings. Collaborates with QM and other departments in the evaluation, creation and dissemination of knowledge essential to care needs. Completes an initial assessment, as well as maintains appropriate updates. May also support the assessment of the client's rights and capacity to make decisions and provides individual and group training to promote the exercise of rights. Designs and provides’ individual and group training to promote the exercise of rights and oversees training curriculum and materials. Assists with the coordination of admissions, transfers, transitions at discharge, as needed. Works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. Supervises behavioral staff under the direction of the Psychologist III and serves as interim or backup Behavioral Health Director, supporting staffing, operations, and communication.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation. Such participation may

Requirements

• Must have one of the following: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical or Master Social Worker (LCSW or LMSW), Licenses Psychological Associate (LPA),
• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's or doctorate degree in counseling, psychology, social work or a related field.
• Three years of experience in psychological/therapeutic work.
• Two (2) or more years with assessment and treatment including work with populations evidencing moderate to severe addiction and mental illness preferred.

Nice To Haves

• Two (2) or more years with assessment and treatment including work with populations evidencing moderate to severe addiction and mental illness preferred.

Responsibilities

• Attend’s work on a regular basis and may be required to work a specific shift schedule or, at times, even a rotating schedule, extended shift and/or overtime in accordance with agency leave policy and perform other duties as assigned.
• Conducts comprehensive psychosocial assessments for patients with complex behavioral, medical, and social needs to include substance use history, risk behaviors, and recovery readiness. 15%
• Screens for chemical dependency, trauma, psychosocial factors, and non-medical social determinants of health to inform care planning, withdrawal risk, relapse indicators, and recovery needs; integrates this into treatment planning for patients for potential program participation and services. 10%
• Participates in developing and maintaining facility-level chemical dependency programming and group curricula for patients. Conducts chemical dependency program orientation sessions. 10%
• Maintains patients' treatment plans and progress records and modifies treatment plans accordingly in a timely, accurate documentation aligned with clinical, ethical, and regulatory standards. Evaluates substance abuse counseling and education needs of the patient population. Develops, monitors, and updates individualized treatment and recovery plans in coordination with the care team. 10%
• Facilitates individual and group counseling for patients with co-occurring behavioral health and substance use conditions using motivational interviewing, trauma-informed, evidence-based approaches. Assists in developing and implementing program policies and procedures. 10%
• Participates in quality improvement initiatives to enhance care coordination, treatment access, and health optimization. Prepares clinical analyses, designs and monitors behavior modification and skill acquisition plans.10%
• Designs and delivers staff development on trauma-informed care, ethics, and behavioral health best practices. Develops and presents educational and training programs, workshops, and seminars on substance abuse. 10%
• Participates in conferences for diagnosis and treatment planning and facilitates discharge planning by linking patients to appropriate community resources, social support, and follow-up services and when needed coordinates referrals to outpatient or residential substance use programs, MAT (medication-assisted treatment), and peer support. 10%
• Provides clinical supervision and consultation to behavioral health staff, interns, and support personnel and directly supervise staff in the Behavioral Health Department. Serves as interim or backup Behavioral Health Director, supporting staffing, operations, and communication. 10%
• Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location. 5%

Benefits

• insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior