Behavioral Health Specialist

Position Description

The Behavioral Health Specialist will be responsible for engaging individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders with the necessary biopsychosocial services to assure optimal health outcomes.

The Behavioral Health Specialist will provide psychosocial assessments, mental health counseling, and assessment-based treatment plans, using the modalities of individual therapy with individuals with a mental health diagnosis and individuals managing substance use. BHS will also conduct group services.

Clients will work in collaboration with their assigned BHS to develop appropriate individualized service plans and connection to medical and essential support services that draw on their strengths, desires and needs. Program staff will ensure that services are culturally competent and stage-appropriate. The BHS will monitor clients’ progress and remain flexible and able to adapt to the needs of individual clients served.

Essential Job Functions

The following duties are mandatory requirements of the job:

• Conduct initial psychosocial assessments, mental health counseling/psychotherapy, individual care plans, assessment-based treatment planning, and crisis intervention.
• As part of an interdisciplinary team, refer and connect client to appropriate services/service providers; schedule intake/initial appointments at indicated facilities.
• Assist BHS colleagues to screen and enroll clients into various contracted programs, ensuring completion of required paperwork for each program.
• In collaboration with Harm Reduction Specialists, Sexual Health Counselors, and Patient Navigators, refer and connect clients to appropriate services/service providers; schedule intake/initial appointments at indicated facilities.
• Refer and link clients to psychiatric care as indicated, either at Harlem United’s Wellness Center or another provider of the client’s choosing.
• Maintain a familiarity with licensed substance use treatment programs in New York City that cover a wide variety of treatment modalities, types of drugs targeted, service intensities, specialty services, strengths and special programs geared towards particular demographic or cultural subpopulations. Refer clients to substance use treatment, as appropriate in collaboration with the care team.
• Conduct occasional street outreach to engage eligible clients in program services; Identify and locate clients who are out of care or need support to remain in care.
• Identify resources and promote program; serve as liaison to community by conducting presentations on all program activities. Participate in community walkabouts, health fairs, tabling events, and Harlem United events.
• Make home and field visits to do outreach, case finding, and locating clients to ensure program participation and engagement in services.
• Act as liaison between the client and internal/external service providers to ensure client engagement and trust.
• Meet projected service targets, including number of clients to be served and expected amount of service encounters.
• Track and record in internal care coordination database and funder databases all client encounters, referrals and the outcomes of those referrals.
• Ensure the maintenance of appropriate, accurate, and clear documentation of all counseling, outreach, education, case management and other activities. Conduct chart reviews.

Other Responsibilities

• The following duties are to be performed as assigned by the supervisor:
• Support all activities of the Integrated Harm Reduction Program, including but not limited to street outreach and overdose prevention education.
• Conduct administrative work. Monitor completion of forms, records, data entry and documentation.
• Actively participate in confidentiality trainings, on-going skills enhancement trainings, and network meetings. Attend all required trainings per funder and agency.
• Assist in preparation for programmatic audits and site visits to ensure proper and consistent charting of all client activity.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor, including additional support to other department-wide programs as needed.

Education and Certification

Required: Undergraduate degree, Psychology, Mental Health, Social Work, or related field. Three years’ experience in direct clinical practice with marginalized populations.

Preferred: Master’s degree in social work (with clinical focus) or mental health counseling.

Special Skills and Knowledge

• In addition to the above-listed job responsibilities and educational requirements, the ideal candidate for this position possesses most or all of the following:
• Knowledge and demonstrated application of harm reduction principles.
• Previous experience in HIV/AIDS services including counseling and testing, case management, entitlements, and benefits a plus.
• Candidate must be knowledgeable about sexual health and HIV prevention, including among LGBTQ+ populations and people who use drugs.
• Familiarity with the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change/Stages of Change, DBT, CBT and Motivational Interviewing.
• Bilingual Spanish-speaking preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential; candidate must have strong organizational and time management skills, and ability to pay attention to details and follow through on complex projects.
• Knowledge of community networks and resources in the Greater New York area, particularly in Upper Manhattan, and the South Bronx.
• Candidate must have a strong sense of commitment to Harlem United’s mission.