Mental Health Specialist III

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION.  The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

 

 

APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE:

A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application.  Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resources Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.  Failure to submit the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification. Applications will only be accepted on-line.

HEALTH CARE SERVICES AGENCY

 

Alameda County's Health Services Program is administered by the Health Care Services Agency and includes the following program areas:  Behavioral Health Care, Public Health, Environmental Health, and Agency Administration/Indigent Health.  The ultimate mission of the Health Care Services Agency is to provide fully integrated health care services through a comprehensive network of public and private partnerships that ensure optimal health and well-being and respect the diversity of all residents.

THE POSITION 

Under general supervision from Mental Health services professional staff, to provide mental health and vocational counseling services to assigned clients, including drug and alcohol and dually diagnosed clients referred to mental health facilities; to gather case history information; to note and record client's needs; to develop treatment and discharge plans for assigned clients; to assist in the implementation of treatment and discharge plans; and monitor client's progress and response to these plans; to provide psychiatric and vocational counseling for individuals and groups; if licensed, to administer and distribute medications; to perform work as required.

 

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES 

 

This is a journey-level para-professional classification. When assigned to an out-patient facility, incumbents spend the majority of time providing psychiatric counseling to individuals or groups and participate in continuing care coordination for assigned clients and; may provide direct case management or socialization services. When assigned in the Vocational Program, may have operational and coordinating responsibility in a work center or large community work program and; spend the majority of time providing mental health and vocational services to drug and alcohol or dually diagnosed clients individually or in-groups. Incumbents at this level have greater responsibility for direct patient care than the next lower level class of

Mental Health Specialist II.  

 

EXISTING VACANCY

 

The current vacancy is on the Geriatric Assessment and Response Team (GART) located in the Department of Behavioral Health Care Services’ Older Adult System of Care.  The GART Team provides behavioral health and nursing care services to older adults.  This position provides direct mobile case management services to GART clients and performs other related work as required. 

 

IDEAL CANDIDATE  

 

In addition to the minimum qualifications and knowledge and skills listed below, ideal candidates for these positions will possess direct experience working with behavioral health consumers and will exhibit knowledge and skill in the area of mental health peer counseling to consumers and their families.  Ideal candidates will also exemplify the following critical attributes for success:

 

·        Someone who clearly conveys information and ideas verbally and in writing to individuals or groups in a manner that meets audience needs and helps them understand and retain the message; and who relates well to people with diverse cultures, interpersonal styles, or abilities.

 

·        A collaborative individual who actively engages as a multidisciplinary team member by being accessible, supportive, and able to maintain constructive relationships that better serve and support clients.

 

·        Someone who is familiar with the principles of wellness, recovery, and resiliency; is knowledgeable about older adult community resources and able to make appropriate referrals for housing, health care services, financial assistance, and other client needs.

 

·        Someone who can be trusted with confidential records and private information, and who interacts with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization.

 

·        The ability to be attentive to the diverse needs of each client and secure relevant client care data to identify key issues in the management of care, while simultaneously managing high volume client cases and assisting clinicians in developing assessment, treatment and discharge plans, and resolving various administrative, operational, and client care requests and requirements.

 

·        Someone with a sufficient level of knowledge, skill and experience in the area of mental health, substance use, dual diagnosis, and vocational counseling services including direct experience assisting clinical staff in the development and administration of treatment and discharge plans for clients; and who strives to keep up with developments and trends in the field.

 

 

For more information about the department of Behavioral Health Care Services, please visit the departmental website and/or Annual Budget Document found on acgov.org.

 

The minimum professional requirements for admission to the competitive assessment process include:

Either I
Experience:

The equivalent of two years of full-time experience as a Mental Health Specialist II.

Or II
Experience:

The equivalent of three years of full-time experience performing clinical services, including providing psychiatric and/or vocational counseling services to assigned mental health, drug and alcohol and/or dually diagnosed clients in a clinical or mental health setting, in which the work is comparable to the Mental Health Specialist II.

License:

Possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license is desirable.
Possession of a Psychiatric Technician or LVN license may be required.

Special Conditions:

Positions may be required to work some weekends or evenings.

Special Requirement:

In compliance with the Administrative Simplification provision of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), employees in this classification are required to possess a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number prior to their first day on the job.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:  

Knowledge of:

• Elementary medical, psychiatric and vocational rehabilitation terminology.
• Social adjustment, mentally disordered and addicted behavior, and general psychiatric counseling and vocational techniques in mental health and vocational settings.
• Physical, emotional and social needs of emotionally disordered individuals.
• Familiarity with medications commonly prescribed for psychiatric clients.
• Community resources for the mentally disordered and addicted.
• Elements of good communication.
• Basic computer and software applications, and modern office equipment related to the work.

Ability to:

• Write and speak effectively.
• Prepare and maintain records and correspondence.
• Apply the principles and concepts of psychiatric and vocational rehabilitation counseling.
• Use problem solving-techniques.
• Interview and secure personal and social information, as well as information needed for determining client's needs and vocational barriers.
• Establish and maintain effective psychiatric counseling relationships and work effectively with staff and others.
• Utilize other community resources and health care agencies.
• Utilize supervisory sessions to increase knowledge and skills.
• Work effectively as a member of an interdisciplinary team.

The examination will consist of the following steps:

 

1.      A review of the candidates’ applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

 

2.      A review of the Supplemental Questionnaire to determine the best qualified; only the most suitably best qualified candidates will be invited to the oral interview process. 

 

3.      An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates' final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

 

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS

 

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit.  Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position.  Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

 

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

 

Applicants will be informed via e-mail with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

 

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN:

 

Deadline for Filing: Review of Minimum Qualifications: Review of Supplemental Questionnaire for Best Qualified: Panel Interviews:

5:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 5,2014 Friday, August 8, 2014 Friday, August 15, 2014 Week of September  8, 2014

 

 

Departmental Hiring Interview – After the completion of the Oral Panel interviews (TBD):

  

*WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN*

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statues.  To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing.  Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statues.

 

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

 

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Welfare Benefits

• Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
• Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
• Vision
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
• County Allowance
• Health Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Group Auto/Home
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

 

Please take the steps recommended above to insure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

 

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox.  If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

  

Herlinda Morales-Chacon

Human Resources Analyst II

Human Resource Services, County of Alameda

510 272-6472

www.acgov.org/hrs

 

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer