Job Description

Posting number: 26SEP80095 O

Department: Fire and Rescue Department

Job classification: Behavioral Health Administrator

Posting type: Open

Categories: Human Resources

Summary

Career Opportunity

The city of Las Vegas invites applications for a Behavioral Health Administrator. This position provides and administers behavioral health services for city employees on work, personal, and family matters as needed and/or requested by employees or their management. This individual will provide support, assistance, information, training and individual and peer guidance; and recommend community and professional support when appropriate.

Ideal Candidate

Preferred candidates will have prior direct experience working with Fire & Rescue, EMS, Military, or Law Enforcement.

Supervision Received and Exercised

Receives direction and supervision from the department’s senior management or designee.

Selection Process

The selection process will include a review of all applications with only the most qualified participating in an interview. Final candidate selection may include a hiring interview (if applicable). Any individual offered employment may be required to complete a background check.

Examples of duties

Essential Functions

1. Maintain strict confidentiality of information obtained in the course of providing Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) services and peer support. Information discussed with participants of the program will be considered privileged and confidential with the following exceptions:

• The participant poses an immediate threat to self or others that would otherwise legally obligate any behavioral health clinician, in similar circumstances, as a mandatory reporter.
• The participant admits to the commission of a felony crime that would otherwise legally obligate any behavioral health clinician, in similar circumstances, as a mandatory reporter.

1. Manage, develop, and oversee the implementation of objectives, strategies, policies, and procedures for the city's Behavioral Health programs; which assists employees who witness traumatic incidents in the course of their work; coordinates activities with other local organizations when an incident involves multiple agency response and with regional and national agencies in the event of a major emergency.
2. Depending on area of assignment, may direct a Peer Support Team (PST) program by creating, training, and guiding PST Volunteers, as well as, new employee hires and supervisors.
3. Provide crisis intervention, and mental fitness, or wellness support through guidance and referrals to appropriate resources, for city employees and their families.
4. Recruit and train new Peer Support Team Volunteers to provide immediate assistance to employees, and ensure necessary continuous training for those volunteers.
5. Provide continuous stress management resiliency through education and resource referral for all department staff to address on-going, non-critical, job-related stress; encourage proactive response to stress management.
6. Follow up with affected individuals and family members for a period of time, considered reasonable enough to ensure those individuals and/or their family members have suitable resources made available to them, no barriers preventing or hindering access to those resources; and the resources that are recommended are found to be suitable, effective and/or beneficial for whomever requires the resource connection..
7. Manage, direct, and oversee the Peer Support Team members who provide critical incident individual and group debriefings. Participate in debriefings where critical incidents have higher likelihood of causing emotional or psychological trauma.
8. Coordinate psychological care for employees after critical incidents, maintain contact and track progress of employees, facilitate their return to duty when appropriate.
9. Write specific protocols for any Peer Support Team Volunteers, defining call-out and follow-up procedures; write other program policy and procedure documents.
10. Develop and maintain an atmosphere of openness and approachability so employees feel comfortable discussing personal issues; visit department work locations, to give employees an opportunity to discuss concerns or issues they are facing.
11. Stay abreast of new developments and innovations in the field of workplace mental and emotional wellness.
12. Provide confidential and anonymized reports on a defined basis to the supervisor or designee that may include such information as:

• Number of employees requesting support.
• Number of employees referred to other services.
• Types of services being provided.
• Feedback regarding the benefits and/or efficacy of services provided.
• Recommendations (such as addition, subtraction, or modification) regarding programs, policies, practices or services that have some nexus to mental or emotional wellness.
• (Subjective or objective) assessment of trends, feelings, moods, morale, etc. of personnel deemed appropriate to share with the supervisor.

Marginal Functions

1. Serves as the Behavioral Health liaison for CLV sponsored programs/efforts as well as valley wide emergency assistance, crisis intervention or other similarly categorized efforts.
2. Depending on department assigned to, may provide some types and levels of behavioral health services to retirees with the approval of the department head.
3. Prepare and manage a budget as needed.
4. Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

Qualifications

Experience

Five years of progressively responsible experience in public safety, crisis intervention, employee counseling, or behavioral health counseling.

Clinical experience preferred.

When assigned to an area involving public safety (Fire Department or Department of Public Safety), preferred candidates will have prior direct experience working with military, law enforcement, or fire & rescue organizations.

Evidence of progressively responsible administrative experience and/or project management/development is also preferred.

Training

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in social work, counseling, psychology, sociology or a closely related field. Education requirement may not be substituted with additional work experience.

Master’s Degree or greater is preferred.

License or Certificate Requirements

Possession of an appropriate, valid driver’s license on the date of application, and maintenance thereafter.

Possession of a certificate in individual and group CISM within six months of appointment, and maintenance thereafter.

Special Requirements

Areas assigned may require support on any shift or day. The Behavioral Health Administrator must assemble and direct a support team that is able to respond to calls for assistance during any shift. When requested by department, the Behavioral Health Administrator must carry a department issued cell phone at all times. The Behavioral Health Administrator will also confer with their supervisor or designee regarding a coverage plan for when the administrator will be absent or otherwise unavailable.

Any plan for PST support or absentee coverage must be agreed upon by the supervisor, and communicated to by the department through communication tools deemed most appropriate by the supervisor.

Supplemental information

Knowledge of

Principles and practices of peer counseling and crisis intervention; the methods and techniques of interviewing; department policies and procedures; local area professional and community support organizations and resources; and the causes, symptoms, and treatment of drug, alcohol, and gambling dependency, and suicide intervention.

Critical incident stress management techniques, protocols, and procedures.

Crisis intervention with emergency workers techniques, protocols and procedures. Critical incident stress management activities conducted by other organizations locally, regionally and nationally.

Techniques of counseling, especially in the areas of peer support, recognition of violence in the workplace, suicide prevention, and grief and mourning support. The demands and stresses to which employees of the assigned area are subject.

Stress management techniques.

Ability to

Coordinate and administer the critical incident stress management Behavioral Health Program.

Respond calmly, rationally, decisively and tactfully in difficult situations.

Create and maintain an atmosphere of respect, trust and confidence. Demonstrate highly developed active listening skills.

Recruit and provide training for the peer support team.

Develop and maintain Behavioral Health Program policies, protocols and procedures.

Procure and maintain mental wellness resources and make ongoing determinations as to their efficacy.

Promote a proactive approach to stress management throughout the department. Provide preparation applicable to and available for Behavioral Health and any peer support team volunteers.

Recognize situations that are appropriate for referring an employee to the city’s employee assistance program or other appropriate resources as available.

Demonstrate initiative and independent judgment within established guidelines. Work independently and as a member of a team.

Effectively communicate concerns to the supervisor or designee, and where possible, offer recommendations.

Work effectively with members of other agency’s behavioral health and/or crisis intervention coordinators. (This includes functioning in a democratic/collaborative capacity as well as if placed in a leadership capacity.)

Be on call, responding to incidents as required.

Operate a PC, using common office software.

Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

Safely operate a city vehicle.

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Competencies

Core Workforce Competencies

Professionalism... Demonstrates core values by being honest, respectful and positive.

Effective Communication... Expresses verbal and written thought in a clear and understandable manner.

Customer Focus... Demonstrates genuine concern and satisfies external and/or internal customers based on the CLV core purpose and values.

Adaptability... Able to effectively modify behavior to suit changing workforce demands.

Problem Solving... Solves problems by considering all causes, solutions and outcomes.

Productive Partnerships... Develops, maintains and strengthens partnerships with others.

Technical and Safety Expertise... Possesses a depth of knowledge, skill and ability in a technical (job) area.