Mobile Crisis Registered Clinician

Bonita House, Inc. (BHI) is a well-respected nonprofit mental health agency with multiple sites in Alameda County and a current operating budget of $11 million. Founded in 1971. BHI is also a social rehabilitation agency providing a full range of Medi-Cal services to adults with co-occurring serious mental health and substance use disorders.

The first of its kind in Alameda County, the Community Assessment and Transport Team (CATT) Program was developed in collaboration with Alameda County Behavioral Health Services, Alameda County Emergency Medical Services, Falck Ambulance Company and Bonita House, to provide assessment, crisis management, transportation and referral as appropriate to individuals presenting behavioral emergencies in the community. CATT is comprised of an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and a Behavioral Health Clinician who respond to calls of suicide and self-harm in public settings including assisting individuals who present as disoriented, delusional and/or exhibiting symptoms of intoxication. In addition to behavioral health assessment and de-escalation, the CATT EMT is qualified to provide basic medical treatment (such as wound care, prevention of infection) to reduce the need for hospitalization care and decrease the chances of furthering mental health decompensation. CAT Teams are 100% field-based and are responsible for utilizing advanced technology such as laptops, tablets, two-way radios, dispatch systems, and other mobile devices.

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2020/06/15/alameda-county-mobile-teams-to-help-people-in-mental-crisis/

https://voicesofmontereybay.org/2020/10/02/mobile-crisis-teams-crank-up-in-alameda-county/

Agency Values:

Compassion: Committed to caring, dignity, and kindness

Respect: Honor each individual and provide highly ethical services

Progress: Leading the way in creating opportunities to change for the better

Resilience: Channeling hope, building strengths to successfully recover, adapt and grow

Embracing Differences: Honor and celebrate our diverse communities and individual uniqueness

Bonita House fully supports the Board of Behavioral Sciences' commitment to protect the consumers of California through effective enforcement, ensure credibility and high professional standards through examinations and licensing requirements, and provide excellent customer service to all its constituents.

Position Summary:

Working collaboratively with the EMT as a team, the CATT Clinician will respond to the call, evaluate and determine the disposition of the person in need and facilitate that process. The CATT Clinician will utilize a variety of resources in consultation up to and including law enforcement, psychiatric prescribers, and hospital staff, to effectively provide rapid quality mental health care.

CATT Clinician is required to maintain fidelity to Roberts’ Seven-Stage Crisis Intervention Model (SSCIT), other evidence-based practices, other crisis management interventions, and the use of screening tools to help inform the decision-making process. Must have a strong knowledge and be able to provide practical application of Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (for depression, anxiety, psychosis, substance use disorder, insomnia, and suicide prevention), trauma-informed care, Solution Focused Therapy, mindfulness/mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques, culturally specific mental health needs, and provide linkage to local community resources. CATT Clinician’s contribution to the performance of the CATT Program helps to reduce repeat Psychiatric Emergency Services and Emergency Department presentations month to month by client and has great impact reducing 5150’s regionally.

This position requires 12-hour shifts working 3 days one week and 4 days the next week, repeating this schedule. Locations across Alameda County.

Current shifts open:

Sunday - Wednesday

Oakland 11 am- 11 pm

Fremont 10 am - 10 pm

Wednesday - Saturday

San Leandro 11 am - 11 pm

Required Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will be experienced in the field of crisis management; committed to the practices and principles of Roberts’ Seven-Stage Crisis Intervention Model (SSCIT) and experienced in working with a highly diverse community.

• Is experienced in rapid screening and assessment, DSM5 Diagnosis and works effectively and efficiently in stressful situations.
• Registration (ASW, AMFT, APCC) with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences or Board of Psychology.
• Minimum two years of experience providing behavioral health services in a public health, community mental health, crisis services, or other setting serving people who are unhoused.
• Basic Life Support certified within 30 days of employment (training provided by program).
• Must be able/willing to work outside during most of shifts, travel in van with others between crises, and physically move frequently during shift.
• Must be able to travel to and from worksite and other locations within Alameda County
• Ability to work with and honor a highly diverse community served, as well as CAT team members, while showing humility and openness.
• Willingly open to learn and understand different perspectives, as well as show self-awareness around race, gender, class, sexual orientation, lived experience, and other important attributes.
• Must have experience with Electronic Health Record systems (e.g. Welligent, Clinicians Gateway, Reddinet, Epic)
• Must comply with all legal and ethical mandates including child and elder abuse reporting, HIPPA, PHI and PII.
• Must be able to meet the Immigration Reform Act of 1986 requirements.
• Must have valid California Driver’s License and a driving record acceptable by the Agency’s insurance company.

Essential Functions/Skills:

• Direct crisis intervention and crisis management services
• Timely documentation including consistency with Agency and Accreditation standards
• Attend clinical meetings and trainings
• Billing- Medi-Cal and Medicare
• Assists with tracking program outcome data and ensure all consumers a provided with after-care follow-up
• Community Outreach- internal and external stakeholders-
• Perform other clinical duties assigned by the CATT Program Director

Physical demands:

• Constantly have ability to bend and stoop, ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time, possess hand-eye-foot coordination and color recognition, good manual dexterity, with the ability to perform all tasks related to job assignments.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Benefits Package:

Valued on average at $9,000 annually per employee, our benefit package includes:

• Medical coverage (Kaiser)
• Dental coverage (Delta Dental - Dental Premier) including adult orthodontia.

• Vision coverage (VSP - Signature Plan)
• Life and AD&D insurance (Sterling)
• Long-Term Disability insurance (Reliance)
• Flex Spending Account (FSA) (Sterling)
• Chiropractic and Acupuncture coverage (Landmark)

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 13 Paid Holidays
• Birthday off without using PTO
• 23 days of accrued PTO during the first year
• Retirement plan (Mutual of America)

• Supervision toward licensure for most interns
• iPhone and laptop with data for mobility in fieldwork
• Flexible schedules
• Tuition reimbursement
• 5 paid professional development days

COVID-19 considerations:
In response to COVID-19, we have instituted many safeguards to protect our employees by requiring that all staff and clients be required to wear masks prior to entering our facility, are COVID symptom screened and contact traced, we are taking temperature checks daily, and have installed a clear protective barrier at our front desk.

EOE AA M/F/V/Disability:

BHI is committed to providing equal opportunity to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law (“Protected Status”).