Crisis Intervention Specialist

The Human Services Department works to support a vibrant community through the creation and maintenance of services that empower individuals, strengthen families, encourage self-sufficiency, enhances neighborhoods and fosters a high quality of life. The Department values its people, creativity, quality service, integrity, open communication, collaboration, building community partnerships, mutual respect and diversity. Our staff finds their work challenging, yet rewarding, and most importantly they enjoy the chance to make a difference through public service. 

Essential Functions

Mental Health Clinician Assignment

• Partners with a police officer to provide on-scene crisis intervention and referrals.
• Provides advice on behavior health related service calls related to Welfare and Institution Code Section 5150.
• Provides crisis intervention response when community members are undergoing a mental health crisis, avoids using involuntary psychiatric hospitalization when appropriate by providing alternative treatment resources which may include consultation, crisis intervention and referral to brief treatment and/or diversion or other voluntary crisis services as available.
• Completes follow-up visits or makes a "warm handoff" to other Crisis Intervention Specialists as appropriate.
• Provides outreach with known individuals who have recently been placed on a 72-hour hold under a 5150 or to high-risk populations, such as the homeless, providing mental health follow-up referrals for assistance with other needs leading to client stabilization including housing assessment, if homeless.
• Explains treatment facility procedures and clients' rights and responsibilities.
• Provides individual crisis intervention as needed, stabilizes clients in crisis including brief intervention in clinic; arranges for hospitalization and coordinates treatment elements.   
• Works weekend and evening hours as required.
• Testifies in court when required, for determination of client's legal status regarding outpatient court-ordered treatment.    
  
   

Social Worker Clinician Assignment
 

• Receives client referrals from other Crisis Intervention Specialists,  other MET team members or members of the Human Services Department.
• Conducts comprehensive client assessments to collect functional, psycho-social, environmental, employment, financial, housing and family information in order to develop a stabilization plan.
• Assists as needed, in establishing a health home, including arranging required transportation to and from services.
• Conducts housing problem solving and housing assessment, as part of Alameda County's Coordinated Entry System.   Assessments will be conducted at locations where client finds comfortable and is easily accessible. Assists with housing applications if needed.
• Trains to utilize County Housing Management Information System (HMIS) to enter and retrieve data related to work with homeless clients.
• Conducts housing assessments, as needed, as part of Alameda Counties Coordinated Entry system.
• Maintains current knowledge of public benefit programs and community resources for all age groups. 
• Researches relevant services to meet client needs.
• Accompanies or assists clients in accessing needed services and advocates on their behalf.
• Assists and or accompanies Code Enforcement and Police Department employees in outreach efforts to homeless locations to provide resource information.
• Provides regularly scheduled visits to Fremont Seasonal Warming Center for homeless or other temporary shelters to provide resource information and to conduct coordinated entry housing assessments.
  
   

Essential Functions for all assignments:
 

• Works to maintain an updated resource list outlining services and programs to support client population.
• Develops and maintains strong working relationships with staff in the Police and Human Services Department, other City Departments, hospitals, health care professionals, family service providers, the Family Resource Center, homeless/housing service providers and the community at large.
• Maintains program documentation and outcome measures
• Prepares written and statistical reports
• Completes Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) Attends regular and ongoing coordination meetings with other MET team members
• Prepares correspondence and reports on client histories, treatment progress and other matters related to case treatment.
• Enters data into client health record system.

Marginal Functions

• Other duties as assigned.
  
   

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of:  The techniques and methodology of educational and social service program design, development, and administration; manual and automated record keeping systems; needs assessment and program evaluation practices and techniques; local and/or regional resources available to meet the needs of the targeted population; the principles and practices of program administration and budgeting; principles and techniques of interviewing clients; diagnostic assessment tools public relations techniques; the preparation of written and verbal reports.



Skill in:  Understanding human behavior and family dynamics especially of high risk vulnerable populations with Mental Health needs  or duel diagnosis, who may be homeless;understanding the functions and organizations of public assistance; medical and psychological, educational and social service resources, especially access to dignity and housing resources.



Ability to:  Conduct mental health and other related needs assessments in the field, community, school, office or home; determine and implement the appropriate course of action in emergency or stressful situation; develop and maintain effective working relationships with other staff, agencies, service providers, and institutions; participate in the development and implementation of operational policies and procedures; establish effective relationships with clients from a variety of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds and age groups; prepare concise narrative and statistical reports and evaluations, using appropriate word processing and spreadsheet technology; communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.



Incumbents must possess the physical and mental capacity to work under the conditions described in this document and to perform the duties required by their assigned position.



Education/Experience



Any combination of education and/or experience that has provided the knowledge and skills necessary to satisfactory job performance would be qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and skills would be:  Education and/or experience equivalent to graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree in social services, psychology, counseling, sociology, nursing or a related field and two (2) years of experience, one year of which has been individuals with mental health challenges including homeless populations.

 

Licenses/Certificates/Special Requirements



A LCSW, Psychologist, Registered Nurse, MFT or MSW is required for placement into this class.



Incumbents will be required to work other than normal office hours.  This position requires the ability to travel independently within and outside City limits.  Therefore, a valid Class C California Driver's License is required by time of appointment. 



Failure to possess or maintain the required, valid licenses shall result in discipline up to and including termination of employment.



Incumbents must pass a full background investigation including fingerprints and a personal history questionnaire.   



Physical and Environmental Demands



Rare = < 10%, Occasional = 11-33%, Frequent = 34-66%, Constant = >66%



Sitting:  Constant

Walking:  Occasional

Standing:  Occasional

Bending (neck):  Frequent

Bending (waist):  Rare

Squatting:  Rare

Climbing:  Rare

Kneeling:  Rare

Crawling:  Never

Jumping:  Never

Balancing:  Never

Twisting (neck):  Occasional

Twisting (waist):  Never

Grasp - light (dominant hand):  Occasional

Grasp - light (non-dominant):  Occasional

Grasp - firm (dominant hand):  Rare

Grasp - firm (non-dominant):  Rare

Fine manipulation (dominant):  Occasional

Fine manipulation (non-dominant):  Occasional

Reach - at/below shoulder:  Occasional

Reach – above shoulder level:  Rare



Push/pull:

Up to 10 lbs.  Rare – setting up conference rooms

11 to 25 lbs.  Rare – setting up conference rooms

26 to 50 lbs.  Rare – setting up conference rooms

51 to 75 lbs.  Never

76 to 100 lbs.  Never

Over 100 lbs.  Never



Lifting:

Up to 10 lbs.  Occasional

11 to 25 lbs.  Rare

26 to 50 lbs.  Rare

51 to 75 lbs.  Never

76 to 100 lbs.  Never

Over 100 lbs.  Never

 

Carrying:

Up to 10 lbs.  Occasional

11 to 25 lbs.  Rare

26 to 50 lbs.  Rare

51 to 75 lbs.  Never

76 to 100 lbs.  Never

Over 100 lbs.  Never



Coordination:

Eye-hand:  Required

Eye-hand-foot:  Required

Driving:  Required



Vision:

Acuity, near:  Required

Acuity, far:  Required

Depth perception:  Required

Accommodation:  Required

Color vision:  Required

Field of vision:  Required



Talking:

Face-to-face contact:  Required

Verbal contact w/others:  Required

Public:  Required



Hearing:

Normal conversation:  Required

Telephone communication:  Required

Earplugs required:  Not required



Work environment:

Works outdoors when traveling to home visits and homeless clients.  Works indoors using computer monitor, works around others, works alone, works with others.

 Class Code:   6935

FLSA:  Non-exempt

EEOC Code:  TBD Barg.  Unit:  CFEA

Probation:  12 months

Rev.:  9/18

Salary : $103,889 - $126,278