Behavioral Health Clinician (2930) - Citywide (H00042)

Under general supervision the 2930 Behavioral Health Clinician performs essential duties that include but are not limited to the following:

• Assesses prospective clients and their significant others/families for psychiatric services by interviewing clients; reviewing pertinent factors such as: reasons for referral perception of personal problems psychosocial history environment physical health culture and motivation for treatment; advising clients about confidentiality and scope of services; developing and coordinating treatment plans to determine effective use of rehabilitative mental health services;
• Analyzes data by obtaining information through interviews psychological/medical reports and previous psychiatric history to determine the appropriateness of referral and make recommendations for the disposition of each case;
• Compiles and maintains client records by preparing written/electronic documentation charts statistical data periodic reports forms and billing/entitlement information to enhance treatment programs and collection of revenue ensure proper compliance with legal provisions including mandatory reporting and expedite timely access to services;
• Establishes and maintains professional relationships by collaborating with other service providers (e.g. nurses primary care providers with probation and child welfare psychologists teachers lawyers physicians) to consult on medical psychiatric  and psychosocial issues; attends staff meetings/conferences with other agencies/teams to solve problems coordinate care. If appropriate serve as a member of a multi-disciplinary team;
• Develops and implements comprehensive treatment plan aimed at wellness and recovery by engaging clients in appropriate treatment modalities (e.g. individual group collateral crisis intervention); at successive intervals to observe and analyze changes to determine success in treatment goals to help reduce and improve targeted community functionality;
• Provides individual group family (including other significant support systems) psychotherapy crisis intervention outreach services culturally competent interventions case management and rehabilitation to clients enrolled in behavioral health services;
• Refers clients to appropriate community resources services such as mental health consumer service providers self-help organizations medical care vocational rehab and substance abuse services to integrate clinical and practical interventions; actively manages caseload by maximizing use of resources to meet client needs;
• Advocates for accessibility and improved services for individual clients/groups by identifying client needs provides input in developing treatment/program models interfacing with administration and intra-agency contacts;
• Participates and contributes to Quality Improvement activities at local sites and system levels; and
• May supervise support staff such as Health Workers.
• The 2930 Behavioral Health Clinician performs related duties as required.

Nature of  work requires carrying out and explaining established methods and procedures to applicants recipients and others; achieving economies and/or preventing losses through careful and judicious interpretations of various legal provisions methods and procedures in recommending assistance; making regular contacts with applicants recipients their families and others concerned also with employees other departments and outside organizations; gathering compiling and reviewing important detailed psychiatric financial personal and confidential information.

Nature of duties involves occasional exposure to accident hazards and disagreeable elements in dealing with mentally ill and emotionally disturbed persons.

Qualifications :

Required Before Applying

Minimum Qualifications
Possession of a valid license issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) for either:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
  OR
• Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW)
  OR
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
  OR
• Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT)
  OR
• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
  OR
• Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC)

Important Note: Please make sure it is absolutely clear in your application exactly how you meet the minimum qualifications. Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. Please be aware that any misrepresentation of this information may disqualify you from this recruitment or future job opportunities.

SELECTION PROCEDURES

Training and Experience Examination: (Weight 100%)
The Training and Experience Examination that is linked in this job ad is a required part of the application. It measures knowledge skills and/or abilities in job-related areas which may include but are not limited to:

• Knowledge of pertinent laws and regulations refers to the knowledge of the various federal state local and other existing legal provisions/local policies governing client eligibility health facilities confidentiality conditions reportable to authorities care and safety of the client and others and the applicable provisions of the Welfare and Institutions code and the Mental Health Act.
• Decision making ability refers to the interpretation of rules policies and operational procedures; planning and direction of appropriate courses of action as a result of analyses and evaluation of data and other critical factors.
• Knowledge of principles of psychiatric case management refers to the understanding and the application of the theories and techniques of the licensed mental health clinician used in hospitals clinics and forensic or medical service facilities to provide psychiatric assistance to mentally disturbed clients and their families/significant others. This includes knowledge of the trends and ethical standards of the profession familiarity with psychopharmacology co-occurring disorders principles of clinical case management effective assessment advocacy community organization and interviewing techniques.
• Knowledge of clinical methods refers to the utilization of the history culture socio-economic background and environment of the individual client or family to aid in diagnosis and treatment in psychiatric settings; the systematic use of psychiatric principles and techniques to help clients and their families/significant others respond constructively to treatment; the application of appropriate clinical interventions. Areas of treatment include but may not be limited to: mental/physical illness HIV/AIDS substance abuse harm reduction post traumatic stress syndrome and multiple diagnoses.
• Knowledge of appropriate resources refers to the knowledge of community agencies organizations and groups (e.g. substance abuse services and primary care) which provide appropriate services for clients and their families/significant others; the knowledge of the roles of mental health consumers in self-help programs/traditional mental health programs; an awareness of consumer-guided services.
• Knowledge of basic personnel policy and practices.
• Self-protection/assessment skills includes the ability to recognize unsafe situations and protect oneself ones colleagues and ones clients by understanding the precursors of dangerous circumstances when to seek assistance and knowledge of physical methods of safety such as running and restraint.
• Written communication skills refer to the ability to compose and organize information such as reports chart notes case documentation and correspondence and agency forms on a computer or manually.
• Oral communication skills refers to the ability to interpret mental health/medical/social situations concisely and sensitively of diverse ethnic cultural and socio-economic backgrounds individuals/groups and program/management staff; the ability to follow complicated oral instructions; promote good public and professional relations and to establish collaborative interpersonal relationships.

Our e-mail communications may come from more than one department so please make sure your email is set to accept messages from all of us atthis link. Applicants must ensure that email from us is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment therefore it is their responsibility to contact the Analyst if they update their email address. 

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:
Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement including requirements time periods and other particulars except when superseded by federal state or local laws rules or regulations. Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at  The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources 1 S Van Ness Avenue 4th Floor San Francisco CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements applications and examination policies including applicant appeal rights can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at  information regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco: 

• Information about the Hiring Process 
• Conviction History 
• Employee Benefits Overview 
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Workers
• Reasonable Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement
• Veterans Preference

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process please contact the exam analyst Hanz Pagao (she/her/hers) at or .

We may use text messaging to communicate with you if you include a mobile number in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex race age religion color national origin ancestry physical disability mental disability medical condition (associated with cancer a history of cancer or genetic characteristics) HIV/AIDS status genetic information marital status sexual orientation gender gender identity gender expression military and veteran status or other protected category under the law.