Involuntary Commitment Coordinator

Summary

The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans and those with lived experience.

The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, self-reliant, and connected to community.

The Involuntary Commitment Coordinator is responsible for managing all aspects of King County’s Involuntary Commitment program within the Behavioral Health & Recovery Division (BHRD). BHRD’s overall mission is to provide accessible, quality behavioral health services to low income residents throughout King County, including crisis intervention services. This position requires highly specialized knowledge of Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 71.05, 71.34, related Washington Administrative Codes (WAC), Washington State Designated Crisis Responder Protocols, and the legal process of commitment.

This position requires expertise as part of the overall behavioral health care delivery system, in particular the crisis system, and will provide leadership and strategic direction to help achieve BHRD’s long-term strategic goals. This position will report to the Chief of Strategy and Operations/Interim Deputy Director and will play a critical role in BHRD’s efforts to ensure a comprehensive crisis response system across King County and contribute to the integration of behavioral and physical health countywide.

This position will work with BHRD executive leadership to implement a strategic vision that works towards reduced psychiatric hospitalizations and increased less restrictive community alternatives, oversees and monitors The Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA) budget and funds, and ensures collaboration across the King County Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organization (BH-ASO) and the Integrated Care Network (KCICN), other behavioral health providers, community hospitals, criminal justice jail systems, and other relevant stakeholders and partners.

This position includes the direct supervision of the Crisis and Commitment Services (CCS) Supervisor staff and oversight of Designated Crisis Responder staff. The incumbent in this position will align all work with the mission of the Department’s Equity and Social Justice strategic plan (i.e., to reinforce and embed equity and social justice principles into policies, practices, attitudes and actions that produce equitable access, opportunities, treatment, impacts and outcomes for all).

The successful candidate will prepare high level briefing material and reports for use internally and externally by the Division and Department. The role includes briefing of senior county officials and elected officials such as King County Council and the state legislature. The position will be called upon to represent the Division and the County at various meetings and functions and in the media.

• Serve as formal Involuntary Commitment Coordinator according to Washington State law, rules and regulations and the needs of the local community.
• Plan, develop and coordinate all aspects of the CCS Involuntary Commitment program.
• Develop and implement office practice standards and ensure they are followed.
• Develop annual work plan for office which provides services 24/7, 365 days a year.
• Monitor and direct staffing levels to ensure adequate coverage of services for all hours of operations and schedule extra help when needed.
• Develop and implement hiring practices, supervise and evaluate staff and negotiate union contracts in coordination with HR.
• Coordinate program budget with DCHS fiscal staff, projecting caseloads, staffing and program needs.
• Assures that the Electronic Health Record tool is up to date with documentation needs.
• Develop supportive data and statistics and advocate for needs of individuals receiving CCS services.
• Review, analyze, comment on and recommend changes to proposed statutory amendments, state rules and regulations or County proposals that affect and/or…