Behavioral Health Specialist - Emergency Services & Crisis Care

Job Announcement

Seeking an energetic, flexible, and engaging mental health technician to work in a large multidisciplinary Emergency Services serving individuals with mental health/co‑occurring disorders in psychiatric crisis. Must have strong communication and time‑management skills, and be able to work collaboratively across programs, agencies, and with the community to meet the needs of at‑risk seriously mentally ill individuals and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

This is an exciting opportunity to work in a program that provides specialized services such as assessment for temporary detention, evaluation for hospitalization, critical incident stress management, and short‑term crisis intervention treatment. Must be able to work with individuals of all ages with a recovery‑based orientation and provide support and direction regarding referrals and resources within Fairfax County and the community.

Here are some of additional 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 $1560/year (full‑time) may be given for qualified bilingual employees.
• The CSB provides clinical supervision for employees who are registered as licensed eligible mental health professionals 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 Clinical Nurse Specialist.
• 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…