Title: YCOT Specialist - Youth Crisis Outreach Team - LPHA

Title: YCOT Specialist - Youth Crisis Outreach Team - LPHA
Do you have a passion for helping others and want a career where you can make a difference? Then join our NTBHA team. We have proved to be a strong, self-sufficient and enduring foundation within our community. We are committed to connecting and serving our clients where they live.
NTBHA is the Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA) contracted by Texas Human Services Commission (HHSC) to provide mental health and substance use disorder services to qualified indigent consumers in our six-county region of Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, and Rockwall Counties.
We are responsible for developing a collaborative system of care for individuals in crisis in the NTBHA service area. We are focused on trauma-informed, resilience-oriented care in all services provided.
Position Role Summary:
The Youth Crisis Outreach Team Specialist will play a vital role in the implementation of the YCOT program, offering immediate support to children and youth along with their caregivers and families experiencing crisis situations. The purpose of the YCOT Specialist is to provide crisis intervention, screening, referral, relapse prevention, and follow-up/case monitoring services for Children and Youth who are experiencing crisis situations within NTBHA's catchment area. This role involves trauma-informed interventions, crisis resolution, and ongoing support to ensure the well-being and mental health stability of the individuals served.
Work involves developing and maintaining professional contact with clients, client families, and service providers for medical, social, educational, psychiatric and related service needs in order to specifically reduce client crisis experience. YCOT is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, on a month to month rotating schedule. This position's actions and work must align with NTBHA values and goals, regulations, and policies and procedures, and meet all documentation standards and regulatory requirements.
Qualifications required:

• Graduated from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree with a major specialization in Human/Behavioral/Social Services or related field.
• Licensed Practitioner of the Healing Arts (LPHA), LPC, LCSW, Licensed Psychologist, or LMFT.
• Minimum of two years of experience in community mental health working with children & youth having severe persistent mental illness and substance use disorders that includes crisis services
• Familiarity with relevant laws and regulations governing crisis services for children and youth.
• Experience in working case-management with children & youth or field crisis response teams
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care principles and strategies
• Experience in providing psychosocial education, skills training, or assessments, particularly with the target population
• Experience with participating in a treatment team that develops and monitors treatment plans for persons with severe persistent mental illness and substance use disorders
• Knowledge of the Texas crisis response requirements
• Knowledge of the various community resources and providers within the NTBHA service area including (but not limited to) supportive housing and employment, shelters, food banks, social service agencies, charities, medical and behavioral health providers, and other resources for the indigent population
• Possess and maintain a valid driver's license. Pass and maintain a clear background record as required for healthcare organization under state and federal contracts in addition to requirements for working with the telehealth system as needed.
• Advanced Microsoft Office Suite skills - Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc., with an ability to become familiar with company-specific programs and software.
• Must be able to work on and have knowledge of a PC (personal computer).

Job duties, responsibilities, and skills:
The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this position. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the position as necessary.

• Develop and maintain professional contact with clients, client families, and service providers for medical, social, educational, psychiatric and related service needs in order to specifically reduce client crisis experience. Provides on-site and off-site emergent/urgent screening assessments with rapid crisis intervention and crisis management to children and youth experiencing a behavioral or emotional crisis with the potential for life threatening behavior and/or acute psychiatric crisis.
• Provide trauma-informed interventions and strategies to de-escalate children and youth in psychiatric crisis.
• Collaborate with the Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT), Crisis Intervention Services (CIS), Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) to facilitate stabilization in the least restrictive environment.
• Coordinates and provides appropriate referral and linkage services after staffing with YCOT supervisor/or designee. Develop and implement relapse prevention and safety planning strategies for children and youth in crisis.
• Ensure ongoing communication with the individuals served and their families to provide support and guidance.
• Link children and youth to appropriate mental health services and community resources.
• Collaborate with Emergency Department, Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) or Local agencies for children and the youth to divert from inpatient and law enforcement interventions.
• Offer ongoing mental health support to children and families for up to 90 days, with a minimum of 4 weeks, after the crisis occurs.
• Ensure a seamless connection and coordination with community mental health resources and clinics to facilitate continued support beyond the crisis period.
• This position works under supervision according to set procedures with moderate latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.
• Demonstrates a positive role model to youth and/or adults and advocates on their and their family's behalf.
• Responsible for coordination, planning, and implementation of the Safety Plan as required for appropriate level of care.
• Documents any service delivery, intervention conducted, communication with others, to include outside agency personnel with rationale for intervention, date, time, name of person spoken to, and purpose.

Additional responsibilities and skills:

• Use NTBHA's approved curriculum and assessments with clients in accordance with their developmental and cognitive abilities as well as their mental health status and symptoms
• Provide services to the published crisis standards of the State of Texas Health and Human Resources contained in Information Item V
• Seek clinical consultation as needed from the YCOT Supervisor and/or supervisor identified
• Provide accurate and timely reporting metrics to the YCOT supervisor and/or designee
• Make accurate and effective assessments and recommendations regarding the client's mental health needs in compliance with the client's rights as well as all relevant State and Federal statutes, and NTBHA policies and procedures
• Develop and maintain rapport with persons in crisis using modalities such as Motivational Interviewing and other relevant and appropriate methods in order to communicate and relate with callers in order to resolve crises
• Develop and maintain rapport with the various agencies and organizations involved with the YCOT team
• Prepare, create, and maintain records, files, documents, reports, and correspondence both within NTBHA and partner agencies and organizations
• Work with other NTBHA employees, members of partner agencies and organizations, as well as the target population and their families in a constructive and efficient fashion
• Duties and projects may be assigned or changed to meet business needs.
• Bilingual ability preferred but not required
• Hours and shift assignments: Position requires a flexible schedule due to a variety of rotating shifts, to include evening, graveyard, and weekend shifts to meet client needs of a 24/7-hour crisis unit.

NTBHA is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our hiring practices and in our experiences as employees. We strive to create a mindful and respectful environment and culture that is free of perceived harassment, racism, and discrimination, creating an environment of understanding and compassion for all lived experiences.