Starting Salary: $20.77 (per hour)

Job Summary:

The School Mental Health Resource and Referral Specialist provides information, resources, and referrals to individuals, families, school faculty, and other community members who are seeking services for mental health, substance use disorders, and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities. They assist individuals, families, school faculty, and other community members in identifying appropriate mental health supports and services that are available in the community, within the school system, and in the OCHN network. Determine the appropriate information and referral for the individuals which may include Access screening, community referrals, other county Access departments, Oakland County Core Provider Agencies, Oakland County Customer Services department, OACIS, and others as applicable.

Essential Functions:

Under direction perform the following:

• Check Access department voice mails and emails and facilitate follow-up with appropriate staff.
• Facilitates families’ access to funding assistance for copays and deductible payments to reduce barriers to mental health services;
• Serves as an additional point of contract for School Mental Health Program;
• Assists Navigator in triaging referrals;
• Provides support to Navigator:
• Provides resources and referrals to Navigator, school personnel, and families;
• Compiles and maintains a current database of available resources;
• Coordinates communication between schools, families, OCHN, and providers;
• Assists Navigator in compiling and tracking data for program monitoring and CQI activities.
• Receive telephone calls from school social workers, counselors, psychologists, other faculty, students, families, and other community members to provide information, resources, and referrals.
• Provide information and advocacy to individuals and families seeking supports and services.
• Review basic information with individuals seeking services and inquiring what services are being sought, county of residency, insurance, address, telephone number, and others as assigned.
• Review insurance status with individuals seeking services, including using Medicaid Look-Up tool within the electronic medical record.
• Review policies and procedures with individuals regarding the OCHN waiting list.
• Create a new medical record for individuals seeking an Access Screening, if applicable, complete initial documentation in medical record, and warm transfer to the next available Access clinician.
• Maintains emphasis on answering and resolving calls at the time the individual originally calls - expedites access to information, resources and referrals for individuals calling and reduces “call backs”.
• Maintains emphasis on short waiting times for services requested for walk-in individuals.
• Provides information and warm transfer when appropriate for individuals who need other resources (community referrals, etc.).
• Schedules appointments and provides information to persons needing a face-to-face Access appointments (I/DD Access screenings, substance use disorder Access screenings, second opinions, and others as requested).
• Complete required documentation in ODIN.
• Completes due-process letters for individuals determined ineligible for OCHN services as appropriate.
• Provide excellent customer service to internal and external customers.
• Collaborate with Core and Substance Use Disorder Provider Agency Intake Departments to resolve problems.
• Track School Mental Health Program data and complete reports in Microsoft Excel, specifically other reports as requested.
• Share reports with program leadership in a timely manner, alert leaders of detected trends or changes, and share any identified barriers to achieving departmental and program goals with program leadership.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education Requirements:

• High school diploma or GED.
• Minimum two years related college/university coursework preferred.
• Knowledge and understanding of mental health, substance use disorder and intellectual/developmental disability issues and the OCHN system, core / substance use disorder provider network, and/or community resources preferred.

***Bilingual in Spanish desirable***
Experience Requirements:

• At least 2 years of experience providing service within the healthcare field. Preference for experience in public mental health.

Preferred Requirements:

• Ability to type documentation into an electronic medical record while concurrently speaking with the individual seeking services
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Knowledge of applicable sections of the OCHN Utilization Management Manual.
• Knowledge of OCHN Access processes, including Due Process and Second Opinion rights.
• Ability to apply trauma-informed principles and value.
• Ability to relate to a diverse population which includes a variety of age, sex, economic and educational background.
• Able to work with a multi-disciplinary team successfully.
• Knowledge of current behavioral management and de-escalation techniques.
• Knowledge of and ability to use basic intervention skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office – Word, Excel, Outlook.
• Demonstrated ability to work positively with co-workers and individuals served by OCHN.

Job Specific Competencies/Skills:

• Adheres to OCHN core values.
• Promotes a team environment.
• Focuses on the strengths and needs of the person/families served.
• Works in a recovery oriented and supportive environment framework.
• Adheres to a welcoming environment that demonstrates empathy and non-judgment.
• Adhere to established Quality Improvement Indicators.
• The work environment may subject staff to behavioral and medical problems that could be physically hazardous.
• Adheres to OCHN policy on confidentiality.