Behavioral Clinician I

THE COUNTY

Alameda County, located on the east side of San Francisco Bay, is California's seventh-largest county.  The County employs 9,700 full-time employees and operates on an annual budget of $3.4 billion.  Oakland, the County seat, is California's eighth-largest city.  One and a half million people call Alameda County home and live in a variety of incorporated cities, unincorporated communities, and rural areas.  As a major urban county, Alameda provides a full range of services to its citizens.  The County is a blend of culturally and ethnically diverse communities, and its mixture of cosmopolitan and suburban areas provides the perfect environment for families and their active lifestyles.  The County offers extensive cultural resources, countless recreational opportunities, and an array of fine public and private colleges and universities. 

ALAMEDA COUNTY HEALTH

Alameda County Health is the local government agency that promotes and protects the health and well-being of all who live, work, learn, and play in Alameda County. We coordinate services and cultivate partnerships with community organizations and providers to help ensure access, organize, and deliver health care and services to people with Medi-Cal and without insurance, support resilient communities, and improve health for all. We focus on health equity by developing programs and systemic solutions that reduce disparities for the people and communities we serve.

Alameda County Health’s departments and programs focus on services and support that provide care for the whole person.

·    The Behavioral Health Department provides mental health and substance use services for people with Medi-Cal and without insurance and supports people along their path to wellness, recovery, and resilience.

·    The Environmental Health Department works to keep our air, water, and food safe; it regulates, protects, and promotes the health of everyone in Alameda County by enforcing environmental health codes to reduce exposure to toxins and diseases.

·      The Public Health Department focuses on community and population-level health, preventing and addressing root causes of health inequity across a range of communicable and chronic diseases.

·   Alameda County Health also provides services through Housing and Homelessness Services, Emergency Medical Services Agency, HealthPAC, and Healthy Schools and Communities.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT

As part of Alameda County Health, the Behavioral Health Department supports people with Medi-Cal and without insurance living with serious mental illness and substance use conditions along their path toward wellness, recovery, and resiliency. We provide services through a network of contracted mental health and substance use providers and administer the State’s resources and training for behavioral health providers, case managers, and other healthcare professionals. We advocate for our patients and families and create space for personal engagement in their care.

We are outpatient specialists for mental health services for older adults and youth, substance use providers and treatment program specialists, advocates for quality improvement and patients’ rights, and psychiatric and integrated health care providers.

For more information about the Behavioral Health Department, please visit www.acbhcs.org.

THE POSITION

Under close supervision, provide psychiatric clinical and case management services; conduct evaluations and assessments; provide ongoing counseling, treatment and intervention; conduct individual, group and family psychotherapy; provide consultation to other programs and agencies on treatment needs and behavioral plans; and perform other duties as assigned.

Behavioral Health Clinician I/II is a flexibly staffed class series located in Behavioral Health Care Services (BHCS). Incumbents in this series report to a Behavioral Health Clinical Supervisor or Behavioral Health Clinical Manager.

Behavioral Health Clinician I is the trainee-level class in this flexibly staffed series. Under close supervision, incumbents are expected to gain experience and demonstrate proficiency, which qualifies them to promote to the higher-level class after six months of full-time experience and possession of the required State licensure from the applicable licensing authority.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to the minimum qualifications and knowledge and skills listed below, ideal candidates for these positions will be prepared to provide psychiatric clinical and case management services, preferably with knowledge and expertise in the area where the vacancy exists; will be able to effectively treat a high volume of cases while also meeting the clinical needs of individual patients; and will interact well with others to earn their trust within an environment that embraces diverse cultures, interpersonal styles, abilities, motivations, and backgrounds.

Ideal candidates will also:

• Be registered by an applicable licensing authority and possess a sufficient level of professional knowledge, skill and experience providing psychiatric clinical and case management services; and strive to keep up with developments and trends in the field of social sciences.
• Have the ability to be attentive to the diverse clinical care needs of each client, while simultaneously managing the treatment of a high volume of client cases. 
•  Be trusted with confidential records and private information, and interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization.
• Be an effective communicator who clearly conveys information and ideas verbally and in writing to individuals or groups in a manner that meets audience needs and helps them understand and retain the message; and relate well to people with diverse cultures, interpersonal styles, abilities, motivations, or backgrounds.
• Be an effective problem solver who uses sound judgment and quickly identifies and understands issues, problems and opportunities; uses data, logic, and sound judgment to evaluate alternatives and recommends viable solutions; and solves problems consistent with available resources, facts, constraints, and probable consequences to achieve desired organizational or service care goals.
• Have a collaborative spirit, effectively work on a multidisciplinary team, and believe in and inspire teamwork by being accessible, supportive, open-minded, empathetic and able to effectively manage conflict by building and maintaining constructive relationships that result in diverse work teams that better serve our diverse communities.

For a detailed listing of the essential responsibilities and core competency requirements for this position, please click here for the job description.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

• Current theories, practices, and principles and practices for services to clients with serious behavioral health care symptoms and diagnoses.
• Psychological diagnostic methods and terminology.
• Cultural and social factors affecting behavior patterns.
• Wellness, recovery and resiliency oriented strategies and supports.
• Dual recovery/co-occurring disorder treatment, screening and assessment tools.
• Community needs, resources and organizations related to behavioral health care. 
• Clinical standards of practice and licensure requirements.
• Principles and practices of direct client service delivery.
• Principles of social needs, problems, attitudes and behavioral patterns.
• Applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations.
• Office administrative practices and procedures, including records management and the operation of standard office equipment.
• Computer applications related to the work. 

• Work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams, community resources and organizations.
• Organize and prioritize work and meet critical deadlines. 
• Interpret, explain, and apply regulations, policies and procedures.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Analyze, evaluate and make sound decisions.
• Prepare clear, accurate and effective reports, correspondence and other written materials.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships .
•  Work with a diverse population