SPECIALIZED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONSULTANT - 60010597

State of Florida•Ocala, FL

8d•$70,000 - $73,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Specialized Behavioral Health Consultant (SBHC) serves as a clinical expert within child welfare and community-based systems of care, with a focus on improving outcomes for children, youth, and families. The position identifies and addresses youth behavioral health needs and works with regional stakeholders to support timely, appropriate, and coordinated care. The SBHC facilitates service connections, promotes family engagement, and helps families navigate complex systems to support stability, family functioning, and well-being. The position works with Child Protective Investigators, case managers, families, behavioral health providers, and community partners. It supports care coordination and follow-up, participates in case and multidisciplinary team reviews, documents cases and reports data, and contributes to efforts to reduce Baker Acts and reliance on higher levels of care. The role emphasizes opioid use disorders and includes travel throughout Florida, potentially with overnight stays. The incumbent may assist with disaster recovery and Critical Incident Rapid Response Team investigations. This is not a telework position; the candidate is required to work in the regional office. Extended or irregular hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, may be required.

Requirements

Master’s degree in a health- or human-services-related field.
Florida license in psychology, social work, mental health counseling, or marriage and family therapy, or registered intern status, or master’s-level Certified Addiction Professional; acceptable credentials include LMHC, LCSW, LMFT, MCAP, and Licensed Psychologist.
At least three years of experience treating substance use disorders.
Working knowledge of child welfare and behavioral health systems and the impact of behavioral health conditions on parenting capacity.
Knowledge and understanding of how substance use disorders and mental health conditions affect parenting ability and child safety.
Valid Florida Class E driver license.
Advanced ability to support children, youth, and families involved in the child welfare system.
Strong understanding of mental health disorders and their effects on family functioning and child safety.
Knowledge of trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, and other evidence-based practices supporting early intervention and family engagement.
Understanding of child development, family systems, and the behavioral health service continuum.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills for collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, community partners, and families across diverse settings.
Ability to build and maintain cross-system relationships with agencies such as law enforcement, schools, managed care organizations, and behavioral health providers.
Ability to work independently, exercise sound clinical judgment, prioritize tasks, and respond flexibly to urgent needs, disaster recovery, and after-hours support.
Proficiency in documentation, data tracking, and ethical practice.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of the child welfare system.
Knowledge of motivational interviewing.

Responsibilities

Provide clinical consultation to Child Protective Investigators regarding youth behavioral health disorders, family engagement, treatment access, recovery supports, community resources, behavioral health indicators, and evidence-informed engagement strategies.
Build and maintain partnerships with law enforcement, community-based care agencies, regional managing entities, managed care plans, schools, peer networks, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and other community partners.
Coordinate care and connect families with resources; follow up with parents within six weeks to confirm services are in place and needed supports are being received.
Participate in local review team and multidisciplinary team staffing meetings, as well as additional meetings requested by the supervisor.
Track and document cases receiving support and submit required reports and statistical data.
Work with crisis stabilization units and other providers to reduce Baker Acts and reliance on higher levels of care, and attend community meetings.
Support Behavioral Health Consultants on mental-health-only cases by consulting with Child Protective Investigators and case managers, identifying mental health disorders, improving family engagement, and helping families access treatment and community resources.
Conduct brief parent assessments when needed to inform service recommendations and help Child Protective Investigators understand the impact of caregiver mental health on parenting capacity and safety planning.
Travel throughout Florida, potentially including overnight stays, and assist with disaster recovery and Critical Incident Rapid Response Team case investigations as needed.
Work extended or irregular hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, and potentially work outside the assigned duty location.
Deploy to disaster-affected communities within 24–48 hours of impact to represent the organization and promote and implement post-disaster services.
Assess community impacts and needs, help develop response strategies and goals, and implement disaster response plans.
Coordinate psychological and mental health resources and services for individuals, first responders, and communities impacted by disasters.
Provide critical information to the Regional Director and Director of Regional Operations and Initiatives.
Perform additional duties as needed to meet urgent regional or organizational needs.

Benefits

Health insurance
Life insurance, including a free $25,000 policy and the option to purchase additional coverage
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Supplemental insurance
Retirement plan options, including employer contributions
Nine paid holidays each year
One personal holiday each year
Flexible Spending Accounts
Opportunities for career advancement
Tuition waiver for public college courses