Mental Health Clinician III

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services is dedicated to principles of behavioral health that address both mental health and substance use disorders. Our services span inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care, substance use disorder support, behavioral health education, and advocacy, among others. We operate throughout Stanislaus County, managing sites and collaborating with community agencies and County departments.

The Mental Health Clinician III will provide clinical administrative support and technical assistance in the areas of quality improvement, utilization management/managed care, compliance/regulatory standards, and workforce development and training for the Mental Health and Drug Med-Cal Organized Delivery System plans.9

To learn more about Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, click here.

Click here for details.

This recruitment is being conducted to fill vacancies for Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and establish an eligibility list to fill future Full-Time, Part-Time, Extra Help and On-Call vacancies.

Quality Services

This team provides comprehensive support and technical assistance to the BHRS Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder departments. We focus on enhancing service quality by upholding regulatory standards, protecting beneficiary rights, and facilitating continuous improvement through state and internal audits. Additionally, we offer targeted support to empower staff at all levels, from frontline and support staff to senior leadership, to deliver quality care. Our primary objective is to equip our customers, including BHRS staff and contract provider agencies, with the tools and knowledge needed to excel in their roles, whether that be administrative or clinical. By doing so, we ensure that they not only meet the regulatory requirements but also deliver the highest level of care to clients, fostering an environment of continuous progress.

The Workforce Development and Training

The Workforce Development and Training Department provides effective training that promotes continuous learning and professional development and offers opportunities for staff to maintain their licensure, or re-certification by providing continuing education units. The Workforce Development and Training Department Mental Health Clinician III will assist in the Department's Training Program under the direction and guidance of the Workforce Education and Training Coordinator/Manager. The Mental Health Clinician III will work directly with the different systems of care to assure they are receiving the appropriate and required training to promote their staff's knowledge and quality service for all clients. The Mental Health Clinician III will also help review, research, create and/or facilitate trainings for BHRS staff and contractors. In addition, the Mental Health Clinician III will assist in providing clinical supervision to ASW/AMFT/APCC's and school interns. This position requires effective oral and written communication skills, the ability to work within a team framework and multicultural knowledge, skills and experience. Other desirable qualities for these positions include the ability to maintain accurate, well-organized records, knowledge of clinical standards and Medi-Cal documentation requirements for both mental health and substance use disorders, and an understanding of the quality improvement processes and tools. Knowledge and experience using the electronic health record, spreadsheets and database software are extremely important to succeed in this position.

Utilization Management/Managed Care

Utilization Management (UM) conducts utilization reviews to ensure compliance with county and state regulations related to access criteria and medical necessity for Stanislaus County Medi-Cal beneficiaries. This position will also provide oversight for compliance with State and Federal requirements to guard against waste, fraud, and abuse. Additionally, UM staff monitor the under and overutilization of services, and track and monitor trends that may potentially negatively impact client care. UM staff also coordinate the development of training resources for all staff related to documentation standards that are related to UM activities.

Compliance, Privacy, and Ethics

This team provides support and technical assistance to the BHRS Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder departments in the areas of ethical and compliance standards, maintaining beneficiary privacy, State and internal audits, and training. Our customers are BHRS and contract provider agency staff, from line and support staff through Senior Leadership. Our goal is to support our customers in meeting BHRS clients' needs and maintaining high standards and compliance with all regulatory requirements.

Unless otherwise provided, this position is part of the Classified Service of the County and is assigned to the Community & Health Services bargaining unit for labor relations purposes.

Individuals who are in a full-time classification position are required to serve a twelve-month probationary period, which may be extended an additional six months, for a total of eighteen months. Incumbents may also be subject to overtime, standby, callback, weekend, holiday and shift assignments as identified in their MOU (Memorandum of Understanding).

The Job Task Analysis provides information detailing the physical and functional demands of the classification. under the "Disability" tab.

Quality Services:

• Participate in out of county activities related to Quality Services such as meetings and annual conferences;
• Managing Medi-Cal Certifications for both BHRS and contract providers, including on-site visits;
• Support staff and contractors in the department documentation content and Medi-Cal standards to ensure compliance;
• Assist in organizing, data collecting, and facilitating the State/Federal audits for the department;
• Assist with testing and training electronic health record updates and new releases;
• Assist the state required Performance Improvement Projects;
• Assist with providing support around clinical tasks such as Procedure Codes, EHR clinical forms, and others as assigned;
• Assist/Lead with drafting, editing, and finalizing documents, including department policies related to BHRS Quality Services
• Analyze new regulations related to Quality Services and assist with implementation;
• Provide support to the Quality Management Team;
• Analyze new clinical processes and regulations and assist with implementation through the electronic health record or other necessary platforms;
• Set priorities and meet multiple, overlapping deadlines;
• Communicate verbally & write concise reports;
• Assist in promoting employee awareness of ethical and compliant practices;
• A strong commitment to and demonstrated skills in provision of culturally competent services to diverse populations, consistently utilizing multicultural skills, knowledge and experience
• Other duties as assigned.

Workforce Development and Training

• Provide culturally competent supervision for assigned clinical and/or interns;
• Provide presentations on various identified trainings for department and contract agency staff;
• Train in ethical practices and compliance issues;
• Knowledge of Mental Health Services Act/ Behavioral Health Services Act essential elements;
• Strategically build and maintain relationships with co-workers, community partners across the county, and participate in a wide range of community collaborative and capacity building efforts, and provide education to reduce stigma;
• A strong commitment to and demonstrated skills in provision of culturally competent services to diverse populations, consistently utilizing multicultural skills, knowledge and experience;
• Evaluate employee performance related to progress toward licensure and ability of staff they are clinically supervising;
• Provide group and individual clinical supervision and training focusing on case formulation and clinical diagnosis;
• Other duties as assigned.

Utilization Management:

• Monitor all Utilization Management (UM) delegated activities
• Review and authorize documentation and requests for services
• Assist with monitoring concurrent chart review contract and support any sub-acute inpatient chart review, partial hospitalization chart review, and residential chart review, which includes provider appeals
• Attend coordination meetings as needed, such as Eating Disorder treatment and/or timely discharge planning from inpatient hospitalizations
• Perform Mental Health and DMC-ODS Audit Reviews and track trends
• Communicate verbally and in writing, concise audit summaries regarding BHRS audit results
• Coordinate and collaborate with the Training Department for needed trainings
• Set priorities and meet multiple, overlapping deadlines
• Work in a high paced environment which may include self-led learning
• Collaborate with BHRS Compliance Officer, Quality Services Manager, Compliance & Privacy Manager
• Assist with preparation for external audits and reviews
• Participate in committee meetings, as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Compliance, Privacy, and Ethics:

• Participate in out of county activities related to compliance and privacy such as meetings and annual conferences;
• Conduct audits and monitoring activities of BHRS and its contractors related to Federal and State regulations;
• Assist/Lead with drafting, editing, and finalizing documents, including Compliance policies and procedures;
• Assist/Lead the assignment, monitoring, and validation of General Compliance, Ethics, and Privacy training and reporting;
• Analyze new regulations, provide analysis of those regulations to the Compliance Manager and Compliance Officer, and assist with implementation;
• Communicate verbally & write concise reports regarding findings from program & department audits or monitoring activities;
• Communicate with BHRS and contracted providers regarding the outcomes of reviews and audits or monitoring activities;
• Set priorities and meet multiple, overlapping deadlines;
• Analyze new clinical processes and regulations and assist with implementation through the electronic health record or other necessary platforms;
• Coordinate and collaborate with the Training Department for needed trainings;
• Assist in researching and developing trainings related to noncompliance trends identified in reviews/audits (within scope of competence);
• Manage and validate Corrective Action Plans for multiple types of audits;
• Develop newsletters and additional communications to disseminate compliance, privacy, and ethics related topics and requirements to all county and contracted agency staff;
• Assist Compliance Manager in investigations of potential protected health information breaches, ethical and compliance violations, and Medi-Cal fraud, waste, and abuse;
• Review trend analyses provided by staff services analyst related to audits, reviews, and monitoring activities for submission to Compliance Manager for dissemination to BHRS leadership;
• Assist in promoting employee awareness of ethical and compliant practices;
• A strong commitment to and demonstrated skills in provision of culturally competent services to diverse populations, consistently utilizing multicultural skills, knowledge and experience;
• Other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE

ALL positions:

Possess all the knowledge of a MHC II classification including clinical licensure in addition to;

• Extensive experience and training in the provision of culturally competent services to diverse populations and groups;
• Regulatory compliance issues, departmental policies, documentation standards, legal and ethical issues and quality management; and
• Multicultural skills.

Workforce Development & Training position ONLY:

• Current BBS requirements for appropriate licenses.

SKILLS/ABILITIES

ALL positions:

Possess all the skills and abilities of a MHC II in addition to:

• Maintain licensure though the BBS;
• Participate as a positive contributing member of within a collaborative team, utilizing conflict resolutions techniques;
• Demonstrate high level of ethical practice with no ethical violations;
• Demonstrate specialized clinical practice knowledge and skill with specific client populations.
• Ability to utilize technology and computer software (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Office, etc.)

Workforce Development & Training position ONLY:

• Maintain required supervision records related to licensure and BBS requirements;
• Collaborate and cooperate with the administrative supervisor;
• Participate as a member of the team and supervise Mental Health Clinicians I/II;
• Complete BBS Supervision Training;
• Demonstrate excellence in clinical practice, clinical supervision and cross cultural supervision;
• Demonstrate evidence of exemplary clinical service.

We recognize your time is valuable, please only apply if you meet the following required qualifications.

Minimum Qualifications - How do I bring value to the organization

• Graduation from an accredited two (2) year graduate program with receipt of a master's degree; AND
• Licensed in the State of California as a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC); AND
• Enrollment through the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment (PAVE) portal; AND
• One (1) year of post-licensure clinical practice experience in a behavioral health setting.

Proof of education and enrollment through PAVE is required for verification purposes at the time of application. Applicants who are unable to submit proof of education must call ... or email ... to make other arrangements. Failure to submit proof or make other arrangements before the final filing date will result in disqualification.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES/FINAL FILING DATE

Applications cannot be submitted later than 5:00 p.m. on the final filing date. Make your online application as complete as possible so a full and realistic appraisal may be made of your qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application.

Attaching your resume and cover letter are an optional feature for those who wish to do so in addition to completing the required application. Information on your resume and cover letter will not substitute for the education, work experience and required fields on the County application. The online County application is the primary tool used to evaluate your job qualifications.

EXAMINATION PROCESS

Most County recruitments consists of the steps detailed below and are governed by Merit Principles. The examination process ensures that all applicants are given the same opportunity to gain employment within Stanislaus County.

• Application Review and Screening. Applications are carefully screened based on information provided. Those who submit incomplete applications that lack relevant qualifications or do not submit all required documents will not be invited to move on.
• Written Examination. Applicants will be invited to participate in a written exam that tests knowledge for the position.
• Oral Examination. Applicants are invited to a panel interview in which they will be evaluated by County subject matter experts.
• Eligible Lists. Candidates who pass the examination will be placed on an eligible list for that classification. Eligible lists are effective for six months, but may be extended up to eighteen months.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE

Application Deadline: May 26, 2025

Oral Examination: Tentatively week of June 2, 2025

Note: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, part-time and full-time vacancies throughout Stanislaus County.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Final appointment will be conditional upon successfully passing a County paid pre-employment drug screening (if applicable for position) and a job-related background investigation.

Some positions may require possession or the ability to obtain, and maintenance of a valid California Driver's license or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job related essential functions.

Stanislaus County supports the good health of its workforce. More information is available at

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