Behavioral Health Counselor

Job Location:

972 Mission Street - San Francisco, CA, Salary Range: $33.98 - $34.00

Hourly,

At Episcopal Community Services (ECS), employees work with participants who may be experiencing homelessness, behavioral health conditions, substance use challenges, and other difficult life circumstances. While this work is meaningful and mission-driven, it can at times be stressful, demanding, or unpredictable. Employees are expected to exercise sound judgment, remain aware of their surroundings, follow established safety, communication, and de-escalation procedures, participate in all required trainings, and promptly report incidents, threats, injuries, or unsafe conditions, in accordance with ECS policies and procedures.

This position is a fully onsite, client-facing role that requires in-person interaction and direct service delivery to participants at ECS program locations. Due to the essential nature of the duties and the need for consistent in-person engagement with clients, remote work or work-from-home arrangements are not available for this position.

ECS Behavioral Health Counselors provide outreach and eligibility services to support individuals who may be eligible for Medi-Cal or are Medi-Cal enrolled but not yet receiving SMHS. Counselors also provide Community Client Services to enhance or expand the knowledge and skills of agency staff in meeting the needs of mental health clients through training and technical assistance. Staff can provide community education events, including orientation sessions to referral sources to build community knowledge about the ECS BH program.

Staff may also provide non-billable services and supports to individuals receiving SMHS services from ECS Behavioral Health, including but not limited to transportation, community resources research, vocational coaching and recreational activities.

• Provide coaching and support to ECS site staff to help them manage client behaviors and symptoms.
• Outreach to individuals who may be eligible for Medi-Cal to inform them about available resources.
• Outreach to individuals who are enrolled in Medi-Cal but are not engaging in behavioral health services.
• Identify barriers to program engagement and work to resolve these barriers.
• Provide community outreach to build knowledge about ECS Behavioral Health services with referral sources and ECS program participants.
• Meet with program leaders across ECS to describe behavioral health services and resources available to support their clients.
• Support the referral process, ensuring that ECS programs can easily and quickly refer clients for behavioral health services.
• Provide non-billable services and supports to individuals enrolled in ECS Behavioral Health’s Specialty Mental Health Services component, including but not limited to transportation, researching community resources, vocational counseling and recreational activities.
• Attend applicable trainings and bring that knowledge to ECS program sites to enhance and/or expand program staff’s knowledge and skills in the mental health field.
• Provide Orientation Sessions to referral sources and ECS residential settings to build community knowledge about the Behavioral Health program.
• Implement resident education sessions about mental health needs and services available through ECS Behavioral Health.
• Complete financial screenings to determine whether an individual requesting mental health services is likely eligible for the Medi-Cal program
• Explain Medi-Cal eligibility rules and the enrollment process to individuals requesting mental health services
• Provide individuals with all the forms that need to be completed and submitted to enroll in Medi-Cal
• Assist individuals to…