Behavioral Health Specialist Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• High school diploma.
• Three to five years of experience in the social services field.
• Register for or be working toward Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA-R) certification within 30 days of employment and maintain certification while employed.
• FSS certification at the time of hire or within 90 days of employment.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team and perform essential duties satisfactorily.
• Ability to interact with people at various levels under stressful circumstances while exercising sound judgment, tact, and diplomacy.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills, strong listening skills, and the ability to communicate with groups and individuals.
• Flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced primary care or dental care setting.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex documents, regulations, policies, and procedures and create professional business documents.
• Ability to understand confidential document security from a legal perspective and effectively deal with abstract and concrete variables.
• Reliable transportation to travel between assigned school sites and accessible phone service.
• Compliance with current La Clinica policies regarding masking and mandatory immunization.

Nice To Haves

• Certification in health coaching, alcohol and drug counseling, family support, or another health or behavioral health-related area.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to intervene and promote reconciliation, compromise, and positive outcomes in difficult interactions.
• Skill using electronic health records such as EPIC or Wisdom.
• Bachelor’s degree in health education, health promotion, psychology, or social work.
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills.

Responsibilities

• Maintain regular, consistent, and punctual attendance and be available onsite during the assigned schedule or the assigned site’s normal business hours.
• Help formulate and carry out individual treatment plans in partnership with Behavioral Health Clinicians, primary care providers, nursing staff, school personnel, and community partners.
• Document patient care in EPIC and follow workflows for capturing activities and meeting client and family engagement standards under the APCM program.
• Help clients and families identify self-management goals and develop customized plans and action steps with the Behavioral Health Clinician.
• Provide ongoing in-person or telephone follow-up to support client-identified goals and help clients and families access treatment, medical, educational, and other services.
• Collaborate with children, families, clinicians, and school staff to build understanding of issues and behaviors affecting the child.
• Help caregivers and children practice skills to reduce specific behaviors, increase social skills, and improve caregiver-child relationships.
• Use motivational interviewing and trauma-informed practices to assess readiness for change and engage clients and families in care.
• Support clients, families, and the care team in identifying and advocating for internal or external referrals and additional services.
• Coordinate and communicate care needs with clients, families, service partners, and primary care team members to support holistic care plans.
• Advocate for or support families navigating systems when requested.
• Attend biweekly supervision with a Behavioral Health Clinician and/or BH Clinical Lead.
• Maintain clear, concise documentation within scope of practice and in accordance with organizational policies.
• Conduct or support health screenings, including PHQ, SBIRT, and SDOH screenings, and provide interventions as appropriate.
• Screen and intervene when a person is at risk for suicide or domestic violence; create safety plans and consult and collaborate with Behavioral Health Clinicians on interventions and referrals.
• Administer standardized FIT tools, such as ORS and SRS, at the beginning and end of every clinical session.
• Review real-time outcome data to identify at-risk cases and adjust interventions; use client feedback to identify and repair therapeutic alliance ruptures and align treatment with client goals and preferences.
• Incorporate FIT data and client feedback into progress notes and accurately enter feedback scores into OpenFIT immediately following each session.
• Use FIT data in individual and group supervision, monitor personal effectiveness benchmarks, and maintain an open, non-defensive approach to feedback.
• Contribute to a team culture of feedback by sharing successes and challenges derived from FIT data during clinical staff meetings.
• Complete required orientation training within six months of hire and complete annual mandatory and role-based competencies.
• Participate in care team huddles, discipline-specific team meetings, and monthly case consultation meetings.
• Register and maintain active QMHA certification with MHACBO; when indicated, register as a CADC through MHACBO or as an FSS through the OHA Traditional Health Worker Registry, and complete required continuing education.
• Actively seek real-time feedback from clients and families about the effectiveness of services.
• Perform other duties as assigned.