Behavioral Clinician II

THIS IS A CONTINUOUS EXAMINATION:  The examination consists of an on-going review of applicants’ applications and supplemental questionnaires to verify possession of minimum qualifications.  Those applicants who possess the minimum qualifications for the class will be placed on the eligible list based on an evaluation of education, training, and experience. The eligible list resulting from this recruitment and selection process may be used to fill future vacancies which may arise within the next year.

This examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.  This examination may be reopened as necessary, and the names of additional candidates merged onto the existing list according to examination score. Applications will only be accepted on-line.

Supplemental Questionnaire:  A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application.  Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Failure to submit the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Qualified bilingual persons who speak English and are also fluent in: Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Korean, Mien, Tagalog, Amharic, Farsi, Dari, Tigrigna, Russian, Romanian or Sign Languages are especially encouraged to apply. There is an additional biweekly compensation for persons in positions designated bilingual. Qualified candidates may be tested to demonstrate language proficiency.

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 general direction, Behavioral Health Clinician II's 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 II is the journey-level class in the Behavioral Health Clinician series. Incumbents in this class are licensed clinicians and perform duties involving considerable latitude and independence of judgment under minimal supervision. Behavioral Health Clinicians II may provide direction and assistance to Behavioral Health Clinicians I and graduate interns.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications stated below, the ideal candidate will:

• Be an experienced licensed professional with a sufficient level of professional knowledge, skill and experience providing psychiatric clinical and case management services; and who strives to keep up with developments and trends in the field of social sciences.
• 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 minimum professional requirements for admission to the competitive assessment process include:

Either I

Experience:

The equivalent of six-months full-time satisfactory experience in the Behavioral Health Clinician I classification in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney's Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or II

Experience:

The equivalent of six-months of full-time post license experience as a behavioral health/mental health clinician providing clinical and/or case management services.

AND
Education:

Possession of a Master's degree from an accredited school in social work, marriage and family therapy, psychology, counseling, nursing or related field.

License/Certification:

All incumbents at the Behavioral Health Clinician II level must possess a valid clinical license from the applicable licensing authority: California Board of Behavioral Sciences, California Board of Psychology, or California Board of Registered Nursing.

Some positions in this class require a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license. Applicants must possess such license prior to appointment to such positions.

Special Requirements:

In compliance with the Administrative Simplification provision of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), employees in this classification are required to possess a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number prior to their first day on the job.

In compliance with Medicare regulations, eligible licensed clinicians in this classification are required to complete the "Medicare Enrollment Process for Physicians and Non-Physician Practitioners" through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, prior to their first day on the job. Active enrollment in Medicare is a condition of employment. Failure to attain or maintain active enrollment will result in termination.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the "Examples of Duties" section of this specification.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Current theories, principles, and practices for services to clients with serious behavioral health care symptoms and diagnosis.
• 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.

Ability to:

• 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.

The examination will consist of the following steps: 1) A review of applicants' applications and supplemental questionnaires to verify possession of the minimum qualifications. 2) Those candidates who possess the minimum qualifications for the class will be placed on the eligible list based on an evaluation of education, training, and experience.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

THIS IS A CONTINUOUS, ACCELERATED EXAMINATION: The examination consists of an on-going review of candidates’ applications and supplemental questionnaires to verify possession of minimum qualifications. Those candidates who possess the minimum qualifications for the class will be placed on the eligible list based on an evaluation of education, training, and experience. The eligible list resulting from this recruitment and selection process may be used to fill future vacancies which may arise within the next year for this and other County Departments; this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year but can be extended. This examination may be reopened as necessary, and the names of additional candidates merged onto the existing list according to examination score.

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees) 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com, @acgov.org, nonreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org, and Noreply@jobaps.com as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email boxes Noreply@jobaps.com and nonreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org, are routed to unmonitored mailboxes. If you have questions, please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Nicole Lewis-Bolton, Human Resources Analyst

Human Resource Services, County of Alameda

(510) 272-6468 • nicole.lewis-bolton@acgov.org

Disaster Service Worker

All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law.  Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect.  Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.