Behavioral Health Specialists (Multiple Positions)(Closes 8/17)

If hired for this position, you would be an employee of our partner agency, Community Family Advocates working onsite at Allegheny County DHS.

Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking candidates with extensive knowledge of the child and adult mental health service continuum in Allegheny County. These positiosn work within our Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) to provide support for county residents in need of mental health and/or substance abuse services.

Incumbents will provide case review, advise cases, suggest resources where appropriate and work closely with CYF and OBH staff and leadership. Incumbents will have on-site presence in the CYF regional office and collaborate with CYF staff as needed on specific cases to provide a specialized professional perspective to inform the casework and planning. The incumbent will assist the CYF staff’s understanding of pre-clinical issues and supporting healthy behaviors which develop or build resiliency in children and families, advance a more comprehensive understanding of mental health treatment and/or service needs where indicated and assist in removing barriers to access those services, supports and/or treatment that may be requested and/or indicated. Incumbent will participate in team meetings, case reviews, conferencing and provide general education and learning opportunities as needed/requested by the regional office on specific, relevant topics of general interest to support professional development of CYF staff.

The Behavioral Health Specialist will work closely with the staff from the Office of Behavioral Health, the contracted Substance Abuse Specialty Provider, contracted nursing staff and the CYF Physician Advisor as indicated and may further assist the CYF caseworker in case-specific situations through contact with the provider and/or service delivery community.

Should an urgent situation arise, incumbent will need to have flexibility in their schedule to meet demands of the job.  All duties and responsibilities will be carried out in a culturally competent and sensitive manner.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Acts as an internal consultant to Children, Youth and Families division, providing case specific expertise on difficult or complex cases from a multi-system perspective.
• Provides consultation to address questions about referral needs and options.
• Reviews mental health records, evaluations and existing treatment recommendations with the caseworker upon request and assists the caseworker’s understanding of the case.
• Assists with the management of barriers and obstacles to services/care, engaging appropriate staff from OBH or other program offices as needed.
• Collaborates with the child/family team through participation in conferencing and teaming, ISP meetings or case reviews.
• Advises next steps in case-specific instances and has the support and resources of DHS, including the CYF medical unit, other CYF staff, including case practice and resource specialists, clinical managers and leadership within the Office of Behavioral Health, as appropriate and necessary.
• Assists the process of case planning as needed.
• Advises referral to appropriate community-based resources and options.
• Provides advocacy on behalf of the child/family needs when necessary.
• Provides options for Behavioral Health providers for recommended level of care including provider capacity, specialization, contact information for intake. Offers assistance in making initial contact/provide a warm hand off to provider.
• Acts as a liaison between CYF and BH Providers when communication is needed to access care. Assists CYF team in trouble shooting cases that are challenging due to system barriers.
• Acts as a liaison between CYF and Community Care when cases require assistance from care managers and/or Community Care leadership.
• Conducts Psychoeducational groups virtually or in person with CYF involved families/foster families/caregivers/kinship care.
• Provides training to CYF staff to include such topics as child development, mental health symptoms in children/youth, understanding diagnosis, mental health service continuum and other related topics.
• Will conduct home visits when appropriate in conjunction with case workers to offer education and assistance regarding Behavioral Health services and providers.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Competent understanding of healthy psychosocial development in children and adolescents.
• Advanced working knowledge of child-related mental health needs and conditions within the context of a family systems approach.
• Understanding of trauma and its impact on development and behaviors in children and families.
• Working knowledge and understanding of evidence-based, evidence-informed and promising and best practices and their application in child/adolescent mental health treatment, wellness and/or recovery.
• Adequate working knowledge of substance use and co-occurring disorders.
• Ability to engage and work effectively with a multi-disciplinary team.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to navigate mental health/behavioral health systems.
• Knowledge of resources relevant to the human services field and population served.
• Possession of personal attributes and values consistent with those of the Department of Human Services, particularly child welfare, which serves to help children and families strengthen and grow.
• A child and family-centered philosophy, with a demonstrated ability to address complex needs of children and families.
• Openness to teaching and learning.
• Strong systems perspective.
• Knowledge of practice standards.

Education/Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree (4 year) in Social Work, Psychology, or another Human Service-related field, Master’s Preferred
• 3-5 years of experience in a CASSP environment.
• Extensive knowledge of the child and adult mental health service continuum in Allegheny County.
• Act 33, 34 and FBI clearances

Why DHS?

DHS is diverse, but we strive to be even more inclusive. This includes equity in hiring and advancement, as well as in unleashing the creativity and ideas of staff at every level of DHS. It has strong, assertive leaders. We do not hire yes-people.

You can make a big impact here. We stand out as one of the best human services organizations in the country. But we need problem-solvers, innovators, and terrific leaders to make sure we are smart in how we use our funding so that we reach the people who most need our help to make their lives better.

“DHS strives to be the kind of place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come to grow and do their best work.”

-From the organization’s statement on Equity and Inclusion

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER -M/F/V/D