Behavioral Health Specialist

The salary for this position is: $5,405 - $7,189 monthly

Thurston County Public Health & Social Services (PHSS) is recruiting for a Behavioral Health Specialist for our Community Health Division.

The Parent Child Health Program at PHSS aims to reduce health inequalities and improve public health by providing underserved and vulnerable populations with high-quality, trauma-informed resources. As a Behavioral Health Specialist, you will be responsible for independently providing professional behavioral health services, working in collaboration with the Parent Child Health team and clients to address mental and emotional concerns. In this role, you will also provide crisis and behavioral health assessments, case management, personalized treatment plans, and critical counseling and intervention during initial psychosocial assessments to address immediate concerns such as homelessness, lack of food, chemical addiction, and family violence.

Essential functions may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide behavioral health services in the areas of behavioral management and health, working independently to manage a caseload, assess crises and/or behavioral health issues, and monitor treatments and interventions following regulations and protocols
• Evaluate, assess, counsel, treat, and monitor multiple clients, delivering professional behavioral health care
• Establish client relationships, assess service needs, make referrals as necessary, and coordinate or obtain care with other agencies
• Apply a broad range of therapeutic supports to individuals, families, and groups, and oversee the development and delivery of treatment services
• Perform crisis intervention, assessment, and evaluation
• Organize, coordinate, and occasionally audit behavioral health medical records, applying established policies, procedures, and protocols
• Complete thorough and timely documentation of treatment services in compliance with all Department policies and procedures
• Participate in regular staff meetings and case conferencing
• Perform other work as required or assigned, including, but not limited to, a 24/7 response during public health emergency situations and disease outbreak investigations

To view the full job classification, :
Behavioral Health Specialist

• Work Environment - Behavioral Health Specialist duties are primarily performed indoors in client homes, offices, or other community settings and may be occasionally exposed to hot/cold temperatures. Incumbents must have sufficient mobility to access the various work and field locations during the day and after dark. Tasks may require the incumbent to spend moderate periods of time sitting, driving, keyboarding, and walking;
  
  some settings may require the ability to climb stairs. Occasional lifting and carrying up to 20 pounds may be required.
• Schedule - Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm, with the potential option of alternative or compressed schedules
• Travel Requirements – Travel throughout the local area and attending community meetings is required
• Customer Interactions - Daily interactions with Thurston County staff and the public

Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) is Thurston County’s local health jurisdiction and human services department and is responsible for protecting the health and promoting the well-being of all people who live, work, and play in Thurston County. We value diversity and strive to foster a sense of belonging, honoring the unique experiences, cultures, skills, backgrounds, identities, and perspectives of our employees and community.

As an agency actively working to address health equity, we aspire for everyone to have the opportunity to attain their highest level of health, regardless of their individual circumstances.

Thurston County values the diversity of the people it hires and serves. Inclusion to us means fostering a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated, and responded to in ways that fully develop and utilize each person’s talents and strengths. We are dedicated to recruiting and developing a talented workforce from various cultures, lifestyles, backgrounds, and perspectives who are…