Behavioral Health Specialist I - ICM PATH & Hypothermia

Are you passionate about helping people experiencing homelessness rebuild their lives? Join Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board's Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) team and become part of a dedicated group of professionals committed to serving adults experiencing homelessness and serious mental illness.

As a PATH Behavioral Health Specialist I (BHS I), you'll provide outreach, engagement, case management, and behavioral health support to individuals where they are-in shelters, campsites, libraries, public spaces, transit stations, and throughout the community. Every interaction is an opportunity to build trust, remove barriers, and help someone take the next step toward stability and recovery.

What You'll Do
You'll make a direct impact by:

• Conducting compassionate street outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness throughout Fairfax County.
• Building trusting relationships and connecting individuals with behavioral health, medical, housing, and community resources.
• Assisting individuals in obtaining identification, benefits, healthcare, and housing documentation.
• Coordinating appointments, transportation, and ongoing case management services.
• Providing supportive services at homeless drop-in centers and emergency/hypothermia shelters.
• Teaching life skills that promote recovery, personal safety, medication management, community functioning, and harm reduction.
• Collaborating with shelters, hospitals, law enforcement, healthcare providers, libraries, landlords, housing agencies, and other community partners.

• Entering and maintaining accurate client data.
• Running monthly data quality reports.
• Identifying and correcting data quality issues.
• Providing technical assistance to staff.
• Ensuring compliance with funding and reporting requirements.
• Supporting program management through accurate reporting.

• Passionate about serving vulnerable populations.
• Comfortable working independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Skilled in communication, engagement, and relationship-building.
• Able to work with individuals experiencing serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and complex medical needs.
• Adaptable, compassionate, and solution-focused.
• Comfortable working outdoors and in non-traditional community settings.
• Able to document services in an electronic health record and transport clients as needed.

• Monday-Friday
• 8 hours each workday
• One or more evening outreach shifts during hypothermia season
• Flexible work locations based on client and community needs

Here are some of the benefits CSB employees enjoy:

• Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home - including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others. We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity. A foreign language skills stipend of up to $1600/year (full-time) may be given for qualified bi-lingual employees.

• The CSB provides clinical supervision for employees who are registered as licensed eligible mental health in one of the following areas: Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner or Licensed Nurse Practitioner.
• License/Certification Reimbursement - Reimbursement for job related licenses and/or certifications once per year.

• To find out more about the benefits of working with Fairfax County Government, please visit the CSB Careers Page.

Note: To learn more about careers that make a difference, watch our video "CSB Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Providing Care."

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position job description.)

• Functions as an active member of a treatment team;
• Functions as a co-leader in groups;
• Assists with data gathering for needs assessment;
• Contributes to the development of individual service plans, with consideration given to the nature and severity of the behavioral health and psychosocial needs, individual strengths and preferences, and support systems;
• Makes interventions as outlined in the service plan;
• Brings forward timely information on individuals' progress and evolving needs to the treatment team;
• Provides individual supportive counseling and skill-building involving specific concerns;
• Conducts admission and orientation into the program/services;
• Provides individual and group psycho-educational sessions for clients, family members, and significant others;
• Maintains and updates information on community resources for individuals, families, and other concerned persons;
• Provides skill building to clients in developing and practicing daily living, recovery, and self-advocacy skills;
• Observes client behavior and provides de-escalation techniques;
• Maintains client records in accordance with state and department regulations;
• Maintains all appropriate program logs and information;
• Provides program coverage and supervises program activities;
• Transports and accompanies individuals to various appointments.

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

• Knowledge of the principles, theories, and methods of the psychological and social development of individuals;
• Knowledge of substance use disorders and the physiological, psychological and social impacts;
• knowledge of public and private community based resources;
• Knowledge of social history development and interviewing and treatment techniques appropriate for individuals with substance use and/or mental illness/ serious emotional disturbance (SED);
• Ability to recognize behavioral symptoms of mental illness/ serious emotional disturbance (SED) and substance use, and developmental disabilities;
• Ability to establish rapport and maintain effective relationships with clients;
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers and the general public;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
• Ability to maintain records and prepare reports;
• Ability to assist with initial screening of the severity of individuals' substance use/mental health symptoms, treatment, and support needs.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, sociology, nursing, public health or a related field;
OR a bachelor's degree and a valid Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) or Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) certification.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

• First Aid and CPR certification, within 90 days of appointment and maintained throughout CSB employment;
• MANDT Certifications within three (3) months of appointment and annually thereafter;
• Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) or Qualified Mental Health Professional-Trainee (QMHP-T)-Required within 1 month of hire
• Valid Motor Vehicle Driver's license with fewer than six demerit points (or the equivalent in another State) and maintained throughout employment with CSB.

• Prior PATH work experience.
• Experience working with adult homeless population.
• Experience conducting outreach and engagement services in the community.