Community Based Specialist I

Summary: Community Based Specialist I will provide a variety of educational, training, and/or treatment interventions to children, youth, and/or adults who meet criteria for a behavioral health treatment or training service. Will provide intervention to Intercept clients in areas including but not limited to functional health and safety skills, appropriate personal and interactive behavior, activities of daily living, emotional regulation, developing pro-social behaviors, use of community resources, and medication management assistance.

Education: A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a human services field and at least 1500 hours of clinical experience providing direct services to youth or adults with a mental health diagnosis; Or a Master’s degree in a human services field and at least 500 hours of supervised clinical internships and/or practicum. Or, A Bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field that includes at least 15 semester credits or 22 quarter hours in a human services field and at least 3,000 hours of supervised experience.

Or, Qualified Mental Health Professional-Trainee: A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a human services field from an accredited college without 1,500 hours of clinical experience; or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college in an unrelated field and is enrolled in a Master’s or Doctoral clinical program and is actively taking at least 3 credits per semester. Staff hired as trainees must participate in Intercept’s monthly DBHDS approved training curriculum, and participate in weekly supervision with a LMHP.

Or, be a qualified paraprofessional of mental health with an associates degree in a human services related field and at least one year of experience providing face to face services to individuals with mental illness; or have a minimum of 90 hours of classroom training and 12 weeks of experience under the direct supervision of a QMHP-Adult.

Essential duties include the following. Duties may vary based on employee’s qualifications. Other duties may be assigned as needed.

CLIENT TREATMENT

• Provides treatment and/or training interventions with clients and their families.
• Develop treatment plans based on recommended goals identified in clients’ assessments.
• Provide intensive individual services, family support services, 1:1 therapeutic treatment, and psychoeducational services to meet individual client needs.
• Interact with all clients in accordance with the Individual Service Plan and therapeutic process guidelines.
• Initiate and facilitate verbal de-escalation techniques and strategies to assist the client in maintaining self-control.
• Exercise client interventions via the least restrictive option to protect clients from harming self or others.
• Coordinate client services closely with other staff and community service providers to ensure the appropriateness of treatment modalities and services being provided.
• Provide functional life skills training to clients with mental health diagnoses (including within the areas of functional health and safety skills, appropriate personal and interactive behavior, activities of daily living, and use of community resources).
• Monitor the overall health, safety, and welfare of clients.
• Provide medication management and service coordination related to clients’ medication compliance.
• Serve as liaison to referral sources and families regarding progress and needs (attending meetings, court hearings, etc.).
• Develop therapeutic relationships with clients that will encourage positive responses to treatment interventions.
• Provide 24-hour emergency client response as needed.
• Assess, evaluate and monitor the safety of clients and others at all times.
• Notify Supervisor of any significant client medical complaint(s), unusual events, accidents, medical problems, property damage or maintenance concern, etc.
• Administer first aid to clients in response to minor medical problems.