Job Description

Under general supervision, the 2930 Behavioral Health Clinician makes investigations to determine the eligibility of applicants for psychiatric care and services; evaluates information gained through interviews and collateral sources; makes determination on one of several alternative procedures; completes appropriate forms and documents relating to intake procedures; makes pertinent determinations and recommendations.

The 2930 Behavioral Health Clinician performs essential duties that include, but are not limited to the following:

• Assesses prospective clients and their significant others/families for psychiatric services by interviewing clients; reviewing pertinent factors such as: reasons for referral, perception of personal problems, psychosocial history, environment, physical health, culture and motivation for treatment; advising clients about confidentiality and scope of services; developing and coordinating treatment plans to determine effective use of rehabilitative mental health services;
• Analyzes data by obtaining information through interviews, psychological/medical reports and previous psychiatric history to determine the appropriateness of referral and make recommendations for the disposition of each case;
• Compiles and maintains client records by preparing written/electronic documentation, charts, statistical data, periodic reports, forms, and billing/entitlement information to enhance treatment programs and collection of revenue, ensure proper compliance with legal provisions, including mandatory reporting, and expedite timely access to services;
• Establishes and maintains professional relationships by collaborating with other service providers (e.g. nurses, primary care providers with probation and child welfare, psychologists, teachers, lawyers, physicians) to consult on medical, psychiatric  and psychosocial issues; attends staff meetings/conferences with other agencies/teams to solve problems, coordinate care. If appropriate, serve as a member of a multi-disciplinary team;
• Develops and implements comprehensive treatment plan aimed at wellness and recovery by engaging clients in appropriate treatment modalities (e.g. individual, group, collateral crisis intervention); at successive intervals to observe and analyze changes to determine success in treatment goals to help reduce and improve targeted community functionality;
• Provides individual, group family (including other significant support systems) psychotherapy, crisis intervention, outreach services, culturally competent interventions, case management and rehabilitation to clients enrolled in behavioral health services;
• Refers clients to appropriate community resources services such as mental health consumer service providers, self-help organizations, medical care, vocational rehab and substance abuse services to integrate clinical and practical interventions; actively manages caseload by maximizing use of resources to meet client needs;
• Advocates for accessibility and improved services for individual clients/groups by identifying client needs, provides input in developing treatment/program models, interfacing with administration and intra-agency contacts;
• Participates and contributes to Quality Improvement activities at local sites and system levels; and
• May supervise support staff such as Health Workers.
• The 2930 Behavioral Health Clinician performs related duties as required.

Nature of  work requires carrying out and explaining established methods and procedures to applicants, recipients and others; achieving economies and/or preventing losses through careful and judicious interpretations of various legal provisions, methods and procedures in recommending assistance; making regular contacts with applicants, recipients, their families and others concerned, also with employees, other departments and outside organizations; gathering, compiling and reviewing important detailed psychiatric financial, personal and confidential information.

Nature of duties involves occasional exposure to accident hazards and disagreeable elements in dealing with mentally ill and emotionally disturbed persons.

Qualifications

⚠️REQUIRED WHEN APPLYING

Possession of a valid license issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) for:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) OR
• Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW) OR
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) OR
• Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) OR
• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) OR
• Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC)

VERIFICATION: Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.

Additional Information

SELECTION PROCEDURES

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire: (Weight: Qualifying) Applicants will be prompted to complete a Supplemental Questionnaire as part of the online employment application. This Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications for this position. Applicants must also complete the official application. It is essential that applicants provide complete information in identifying their education, experience and training. The Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Training and Experience Examination: (Weight 100%) The Supplemental Questionnaire/Training and Experience Examination is also designed to measure knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in job-related areas which may include, but are not limited to:

• Knowledge of pertinent laws and regulations refers to the knowledge of the various federal, state, local and other existing legal provisions/local policies governing client eligibility, health facilities, confidentiality, conditions reportable to authorities, care and safety of the client and others, and the applicable provisions of the Welfare and Institutions code and the Mental Health Act.
• Decision making ability refers to the interpretation of rules, policies and operational procedures; planning and direction of appropriate courses of action as a result of analyses and evaluation of data and other critical factors.
• Knowledge of principles of psychiatric case management refers to the understanding and the application of the theories and techniques of the licensed mental health clinician used in hospitals, clinics and forensic or medical service facilities to provide psychiatric assistance to mentally disturbed clients and their families/significant others. This includes knowledge of the trends and ethical standards of the profession, familiarity with psychopharmacology, co-occurring disorders, principles of clinical case management, effective assessment, advocacy, community organization and interviewing techniques.
• Knowledge of clinical methods refers to the utilization of the history, culture, socio-economic background and environment of the individual client or family to aid in diagnosis and treatment in psychiatric settings; the systematic use of psychiatric principles and techniques to help clients and their families/significant others respond constructively to treatment; the application of appropriate clinical interventions. Areas of treatment include, but may not be limited to: mental/physical illness, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, harm reduction, post­ traumatic stress syndrome, and multiple diagnoses.
• Knowledge of appropriate resources refers to the knowledge of community agencies, organizations and groups (e.g. substance abuse services and primary care) which provide appropriate services for clients and their families/significant others; the knowledge of the roles of mental health consumers in self-help programs/traditional mental health programs; an awareness of consumer-guided services.
• Knowledge of basic personnel policy and practices.
• Self-protection/assessment skills includes the ability to recognize unsafe situations and protect oneself, one's colleagues and one's clients by understanding the precursors of dangerous circumstances, when to seek assistance and knowledge of physical methods of safety such as running and restraint.
• Written communication skills refer to the ability to compose and organize information such as reports, chart notes, case documentation, and correspondence and agency forms, on a computer or manually.
• Oral communication skills refers to the ability to interpret mental health/medical/social situations concisely and sensitively of diverse ethnic cultural and socio-economic backgrounds individuals/groups and program/management staff; the ability to follow complicated oral instructions; promote good public and professional relations and to establish collaborative interpersonal relationships.

Once submitted, applicant responses on the Supplemental Questionnaire/Training and Experience Examination cannot be changed. Qualified applicants must achieve a passing score in order to be ranked on the eligible list/score report. Successful applicants will be placed on the eligible list/score report, in rank order, according to their final score.

CERTIFICATION The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be the RULE OF TEN SCORES. Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

ELIGIBLE LIST/SCORE REPORT A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission. The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be TWELVE (12)  MONTHS, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. To find Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/ASO-Level-Chart.pdf?document1D=21246.

TERMS OF ANNOUNCEMENT Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website. The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1 and Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.

To find Departments that use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/ASO-Level-Chart.pdf?documentID=21246.

Department of Human Resources (DHR)’s office (located at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103) is currently closed to the general public. If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Exam Analyst listed at the end this job ad.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

• COVID-19 Requirements
• Medical Consent & Competence
• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Diversity Statement

CONTACT Eliot.Watt@sfdph.org

All of your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

#ZR1

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.