State of Maryland

A Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) Specialist I is the entry level of work developing, coordinating and providing specialized programs and distinct interventions unique to the individual physical, mental, learning and social development and treatment needs according to the treatment plan for children and adolescents with serious behavioral health diagnoses. The work of the classification may be in State inpatient, residential, community-based or in-home treatment settings. Employees in this classification do not supervise.

Employees in this classification receive moderate supervision from a licensed health professional, or a mental health professional. Following a period of training and orientation during which employees assist in providing specialized programs and distinct interventions, employees will begin to develop, coordinate and provide specialized programs and distinct interventions according to individual treatment plans for children and adolescents with serious behavioral health diagnoses. Employees may be assigned to day, evening or rotating shifts to include holidays and weekends and are subject to call-in and overtime based on staffing needs and program responsibilities. Employees may be required to restrain clients displaying violent or aggressive behavior. The work may involve lifting wheelchairs and other heavy objects.

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology. The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work Sections of a class specification.

The CAMH Specialist I and the CAMH Specialist II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees. The CAMH Specialist I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed and the CAMH Specialist II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Provides educational support services for children and adolescents with serious behavioral health diagnoses through one-on-one tutoring, group tutoring, classroom assistance and homework assistance;

Plans, develops, coordinates and implements daily educational, recreational, social and physical programs and experiences suited to varied individual and group needs of children and adolescents with serious behavioral health diagnoses;

Participates and interacts with clients in planned, structured activities such as community meetings, community outings, substance abuse groups, therapeutic recreation groups, and remotivation activities and to model appropriate coping, problem solving and social skills;

Observes and documents clients’ behavior, staff interventions performed, and clients’ progress and development related to the goals of the individual treatment plan and the individual education plan;

Participates in multidisciplinary team and staff meetings and in-service training activities;

Assists professional staff in the collection of data for Quality Improvement monitoring and evaluation and for Utilization

Review and assists in the development and implementation of quality improvement standards, policies and procedures;

Presents in-service training;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the theories, principles and practices of growth and development, behavior and personality development;

Knowledge of the dynamics of interpersonal relations, including family dynamics, and patterns of adjustive behavior related to the mental health of children and adolescents;

Knowledge of the theories, principles and practices of special education related to the educational and developmental needs of children and adolescents with serious behavioral health diagnoses;

Knowledge of suicide theory and intervention techniques;

Knowledge of federal and State laws and regulations and professional standards governing the care and treatment of children and adolescents including basic rights of children, confidentiality and child abuse issues;

Knowledge of the kinds, symptoms and causes of behavioral health diagnoses in children and adolescents;

Knowledge of methods of treatment of behavioral health diagnoses in children and adolescents;

Ability to provide one-on-one and group educational support services to children and adolescents with serious behavioral health diagnoses;

Ability to plan, develop, coordinate, implement and provide educational, recreational, social and physical programs which provide developmental activities related to the individual goals of clients’ treatment plans;

Ability to teach problem-solving and decision-making skills and to assist children and adolescents in developing effective coping mechanisms;

Ability to process crises and interventions and to provide physical interventions to manage behavioral crises;

Ability to monitor and evaluate therapeutic, educational and developmental services and programs for quality improvement assessment;

Ability to communicate effectively and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with child and adolescent clients, mental health professionals, human services professionals, education professionals, health care professionals, other supporting paraprofessional staff, families and community resource groups.

Education: A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with 30 credit hours in mental health, health, human services, education, or related behavioral sciences including six credit hours in psychology, counseling, addictions or mental health.

Experience: None.

Notes:

1. A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in mental health, health, human services, education, or related behavioral sciences may be substituted for the required education.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in Mental, Addictions or Behavioral Health Counseling and Psychology classifications or Mental, Addictions or Behavioral Health Counseling and Psychology specialty codes in the counseling field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

1. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

2. Employees in this classification may be required to successfully complete cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and maintain current certification.

3. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties in a swimming program. Employees assigned such duties may be required to obtain certification in Life Saving and Water Safety.

1. Candidates appointed to positions in this classification must successfully complete an in-service training program and examination approved by the hiring facility prior to a permanent appointment.

2. Applicants are subject to a background investigation by the Maryland State Police before a permanent appointment can be made. A criminal conviction record may be grounds for rejection of the applicant by the hiring agency.

3. Employees in this classification will be required to provide the facility with a telephone number at which they can be reached.

4. Employees in this classification are subject to substance abuse testing in accordance with Code of Maryland Regulations 17.04.09, Testing for Illegal Use of Drugs.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.  

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit E, Health Care Professional classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.  

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.  

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.