MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES SPECIALTY

1. Evaluates new cases to identify placement on a continuum of low-acuity cases to high-acuity cases and assigns clients to staff accordingly; coordinates services within the treatment team; reviews staff charts and cases to ensure effectiveness of treatment plans; oversees case discussion and review; ensures that staff comply with departmental policies and procedures governing treatment and rehabilitation services and that staff employ best practices within the System of Care framework.
2. Provides direct services, which may include direct clinical assessment, psychotherapy, and rehabilitation and medication services, within the scope of licensure and professional expertise; provides collateral consultation to partner agencies and/or family members involved in the client's life; prepares case reports.
3. Within the scope of licensure and/or area(s) of expertise, provides clinical oversight of treatment team members, including supervision of assessment, diagnosis, therapeutic treatment, and rehabilitation services by Behavioral Wellness professionals; ensures that staff members are informed of and in compliance with the department's policies and procedures for delivering clinical services.
4. Confers with Behavioral Wellness Program Managers concerning worksite problems and System of Care issues; identifies potential and actual program and operational problems and assists in the development and implementation of policies and procedures to resolve them; acts as a liaison between employees and management, including defining and advocating organizational goals and policies to employees and passing employees' views to management; represents Program Managers at meetings and performs site management duties when assigned or in the Program Manager's absence.
5. In conjunction with Behavioral Wellness Program Managers, interviews and selects candidates for hire, promotion, or reassignment; sets employee performance standards including standards in clinical areas within the scope of licensure and professional expertise; communicates expectations and ensures staff compliance; evaluates and documents employee performance; takes minor disciplinary measures, such as issuing warnings and reprimands, and recommends actions to Program Managers in more serious cases.
6. Compiles and prepares statistics on clients served; ensures that proper documentation is kept and that charts are complete to maximize revenue from billing; identifies training needs and provides or arranges training for staff in program policies and procedures; prepares correspondence to clients; tracks participation of staff in training necessary for continued licensure or to ensure staff members remain current with the department's administrative and program policies and procedures.
7. Within the scope of licensure and/or area(s) of expertise, may develop and provide site intern training programs and supervise interns for licensure.

In order to be considered for this position, applicants must provide detailed information on their application to demonstrate how they meet the employment standards (minimum qualifications) listed below:    

1. Possession of a valid license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, AND2. Two (2) years of post-licensure, journey-level experience performing duties equivalent to a Behavioral Wellness Practitioner II with Santa Barbara County that included lead work or responsibility for coordinating treatment services provided by staff. 

Additional requirements for LPCC:  a minimum of (6) hours of continuing education (CE) specific to marriage and family therapy during each license renewal cycle.   

Equivalent Combinations:  Applicants for Clinical Psychologist, Practitioner, Masters Registered Nurse, Registered Nurse, or Psychiatric Technician Team Supervisor must possess the appropriate license stated above. However, combinations of training, education, and experience that provide the required knowledge and abilities will be considered for their equivalence to the stated experience requirement.     

Professional Licensure:  Applicants must possess licensure in their profession from the California Board of Behavioral Sciences at the time of application.  Interested professionals possessing out-of-state licensure are encouraged to obtain a MFT Associate registration, Associate SW Registration, or Professional Clinical Counselor Associate (PCC), from the California Board of Behavioral sciences and apply for Behavioral Wellness Practitioner Associate.   

Driver's License:  For specific positions, possession and maintenance of a valid California driver's license and the ability to meet automobile insurability requirements of the County or the ability to provide suitable transportation needs as a condition of continued employment.  Employees may be required to use their personal vehicle for work-related travel.   

Knowledge of: training practices; standard English grammar and usage; and, at a level appropriate to the scope of licensure and professional expertise, knowledge of medications and pharmacology; current mental health assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation modalities; treatment of co-occurring conditions; State Medi-Cal regulations, e.g., rehabilitation option and managed care; California laws and regulations pertaining to the mental health patients' rights program; System of Care approaches to mental health care; principles and practices of assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of individuals with mental and emotional disorders; current developments in the field of mental health treatment, clinical case management, and treatment protocols for licensed and unlicensed staff; community resources available to and needed by the mentally ill and their families; professional standards of conduct; Medicare and Medi-Cal billing procedures.   

Ability to: interpret, explain, and apply applicable laws, rules, regulations, and policies; plan, organize, and prioritize the work of self and others; assign work, delegate responsibility, and coordinate work assignments; motivate and work effectively with subordinates from a variety of professions; evaluate job performance of staff and provide constructive feedback; gather, organize, and analyze data to make decisions, under pressure and within deadlines; foresee the likely advantages and disadvantages of decisions; accept responsibility for decisions; learn department's policies and procedures related to employee supervision, training and evaluation; establish and maintain records of the type and quality of clinical treatment services provided by staff; prepare complete and accurate narrative reports and a variety of written documents such as correspondence, policies and procedures, and performance evaluations; present information in an organized and comprehensible manner; develop practical solutions to problems; remain poised while dealing with pressure exerted by others; defuse hostile or stressful situations; employ creativity in resolving problems; exercise objectivity and independent judgment; maintain confidentiality of information; implement the philosophy of professional assault response training (PART).