Youth Behavioral Health Liaison (YBHL)

The Youth Behavioral Health Liaison (YBHL) is a mental health professional who forms local community partnerships with various youth-serving organizations to address specific behavioral health needs of vulnerable children and youth. YBHLs will function as service connectors for youth with co-occurring mental illness, substance use and/or developmental disability to link youth to services available through community partners. A primary goal of establishing YBHLs is to form better community partnerships between Community Mental Health Centers and other behavioral health treatment providers, Division of Developmental Disability providers and regional offices, Juvenile Offices and Family Courts, Children’s Division, schools, and hospitals to help improve outcomes for youth with behavioral health issues. YBHLs will work to divert youth from inpatient hospitalization and out-of-home placements such as residential treatment centers, juvenile detention, and jail, while supporting youth in natural family and/or community-based setting. Through their interactions with the YBHLs, youth and families with behavioral health issues and developmental disabilities who have frequent interaction with Children’s Division, Juvenile and Family Courts, law enforcement, and inpatient hospitals will have improved access to behavioral health treatment.

1. A qualified addiction professional (QAP)

2. A qualified mental health professional (QMHP)

3. An individual with a bachelor’s degree in a human services field including, but not limited to, social work, psychology, nursing, education, criminal justice, recreational therapy, human development and family sciences, counseling, child development, gerontology, sociology, human services, behavioral science, and rehabilitation counseling

4. An individual with any four- (4-) year combination of higher education and qualifying experience

5. An individual with any four- (4-) year degree and two (2) years of qualifying experience

6. An individual with an Associate of Applied Science in Behavioral Health Support degree from an approved institution

7. An individual with four (4) years of qualifying experience.

Qualifying experience must include delivery of services to individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders, or developmental disabilities. Experience must include at least one (1) of the following: 1. Providing one-on-one or group services with a rehabilitation/habilitation and recovery/resiliency focus; 2. Teaching and modeling for individuals how to cope and manage psychiatric, developmental, or substance use issues while encouraging the use of natural resources; 3. Supporting individuals in their efforts to find and maintain housing, employment, and/or to function appropriately in family, school, and community settings; and 4. Assisting individuals to achieve the goals and objectives in their individual treatment plans.

• knowledgeable about the local system of care, including but not limited to the operation of the community providers, the Access Crisis Intervention (ACI) system, and inpatient psychiatric/residential resources, civil commitment and guardianship processes (for transitional age youth)

• knowledgeable of trauma-informed principles to support youth and families recovering from trauma, violence, and/or adverse life experiences

• knowledgeable about behavioral health disorders, especially within the child and youth populations; • proficient in public speaking and experienced in delivering professional training.

Core competencies and skills of all YBHLs include, but are not limited to

• Maintain professional, “champion” behavior

• Provides quality customer service

• Provides services with a commitment to service excellence

• Works in a way that exhibits a commitment to personal excellence • Team oriented and values diversity • Collaborative relationships

• Conflict resolution

• Creative and strategic thinking

• Decision making/problem solving

• Empowers others

• Flexible thinking

• Organizational and time management

• Teamwork

Each YBHL is expected to engage in liaison functions on a full-time basis and do not have other duties during regular business hours. Priority responsibilities of working with the local systems of care would include, but not be limited to the following:

1. Establish ongoing relationships with schools, juvenile offices, courts, and Children’s Division including:

a. Juvenile Office staff

b. Juvenile and Family Court judges and court staff

c. Children’s Division staff

d. Local law enforcement

e. Local school staff (administration, counselors, School Resource Officers, etc.)

f. Local hospital staff g. Local children’s and youth’s service agencies

2. Coordinate services with local systems of care for children and youth with behavioral health needs including, but not limited to:

a. Facilitate access and navigation of behavioral health services for youth and families during a behavioral health crisis (including availability of in-patient and out-patient services)

b. Answer general questions about youth mental health diagnoses, issues, and treatment

c. Link youth and families to age-appropriate services/resources

d. Connect youth requiring a greater intensity of services than currently being provided with appropriate care

e. Provide youth and families with education about behavioral health and treatment options

f. Provide or coordinate trainings on behavioral health issues specific to youth for youth serving organizations

g. Facilitate new referrals for mental health/substance use services and resolve issues with obtaining treatment (e.g., explain paperwork, explain eligibility requirements, identify availability of different services, address lack of health insurance, etc.)

h. Follow-up with both new and existing youth and families to monitor treatment

i. If a child/youth/family is not attending treatment, continue to encourage treatment and, where possible, resolve potential barriers

j. Work to resolve communication and structural issues regarding children and youth services between schools, juvenile office, courts, law enforcement, and community behavioral health centers

k. Assist law enforcement in residency and wellness checks as needed/requested l. Discuss individual cases and general follow-up with referral source

3. Coordinate with Access Crisis Intervention (ACI):

a. Assist law enforcement in assessing children and youth with behavioral health needs to assess and coordinate services 4 April 2022

4. The YBHL may be requested to participate on local Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) or other initiatives which assist law enforcement in working with individuals with behavioral health needs.

5. Attend monthly conference calls, webinars, and face-to-face meetings/trainings, and conferences such as the annual MBHC and MO CIT, if possible.

6. Attend all quarterly YBHL meetings coordinated by MBHC and DMH.

7. Work closely with all agencies which have Community Behavioral Health Liaisons and corresponds to prevent duplication of efforts, duplication of data, and to prevent confusion with community stakeholders and partners.

8. Work closely with MBHC’s Youth Services Manager and the DMH Children’s Director.

a. Complete reporting requirements:

i. Enter all referral data through CareManager to track communication with referral sources

ii. All referral data should be entered into CareManager in a timely manner