Competency Facilitator-Jail Based

Title: Jail-Based Competency Facilitator 

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. 

Position’s Role Summary: 

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.  

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. 

This position involves excellent organizational and clinical skills to provide jail-based assessments to individuals that have been incarcerated to ensure continuity of care. We are focused on trauma-informed, resilience-oriented care in all services provided. 

Jail-Based Assessors/Care Coordinators will bridge the potential gap in services between incarceration and outpatient providers by assisting in providing care for jailed clients in the NTBHA service area. Their role is to perform complex coordination and assessment to assist in identifying strengths and needs to eliminate barriers and to connect incarcerated clients with mental health providers in an appropriate level of care once they are released. This role begins while the individual is still incarcerated, and cooperation and coordination with outside providers and jail administrators is important. 

The Jail-Based Assessor/Care Coordinator will actively participate in treatment team meetings and coordinate with jail mental health providers as well as community partners and providers to determine the best treatment options and ensure continuity of care from intake to discharge and through outpatient provider engagement. Intake coordination can include assisting in the identification of both inpatient and outpatient care of jailed clients prior to incarceration and assisting the jail mental health provider in accessing this information. Discharge plan coordination can include referral of clients to appropriate outpatient providers and specialized teams as well as coordination with mental health courts and providing clinical and social history information to these organizations; this will also include identification of potential barriers to engagement and plans for managing these. Follow up responsibilities would include monitoring engagement of outpatient teams with individuals that have been referred to providers and released into the community. 

Jail-Based Assessors/Care Coordinators will communicate consistently and effectively with other NTBHA staff regarding clients’ progress, barriers, and needs. They will be expected to work closely and collaboratively with community mental health agencies and relevant criminal justice personnel such as caseworkers, judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and/or forensic psychologists and psychiatrists regarding clients’ progress towards release and engagement in the community. 

This position will provide additional skills training, case management, and case monitoring in conjunction with a client’s existing community agency caseworker. Targeting identified individual risk and needs relative to reducing recidivism, re-offending, hospitalization and/or homelessness will be central. 

Travel is required as part of this role’s duties.   Travel can vary from 20% to 100% per day. This would include all counties within NTBHA Catchment area (Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro & Rockwall Counties). 

This role may be required to use a fleet vehicle and/or a personal vehicle for business needs.  This may include, but is not limited to field & home visits, offsite meetings, co-located sites and/or pick up items for business needs, etc.  If your program requires transport of individuals, this would only be allowed with a company vehicle and approval from management. 

This position is classified as exempt and requires flexibility in scheduling to meet organizational needs, including adjusting work hours as necessary to ensure job responsibilities are completed

Qualifications required: 

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, behavioral health, or related field 

• Minimum of one year of experience in a law enforcement or correctional setting (county or local jail or detention center, state prison, state jail, or federal correctional center, probation, parole, or law enforcement or similar) involving direct care/contact with incarcerated individuals 

• Minimum of two years of experience in outpatient mental health working with individuals having severe persistent mental illness and substance use disorders that includes crisis services, or two years of experience with a master’s degree 

• Experience in providing psychosocial education, skills training, or teaching, 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 criminal justice system in general and the local court systems within the NTBHA service area 

• 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 maintains a valid driver’s license.  Pass and maintain a clear background record as required for healthcare organization under state and federal contracts  

Job duties, 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. 

• Assist clients while they are incarcerated in accessing appropriate mental health services and facilitate their release to ensure continuity of care 

• Monitor the client’s progress and accurately report to NTBHA as well as partner agencies regarding the client’s mental health needs in compliance with the client’s rights as well as all relevant State and Federal statutes, local court rules, and NTBHA policies and procedures. 

• Develop and maintain rapport with criminal justice-involved persons using modalities such as Motivational Interviewing in order to communicate and relate legal concepts through oral and written means. 

• Develop and maintain rapport with the various courts, jails, attorneys, and administrative systems involved with incarcerated clients in the NTBHA service area. 

• 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. 

• 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). 

• Duties and projects may be assigned or changed to meet business needs. 

• Bilingual ability preferred but not required 

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. 

Benefits: 

• 457(b)
• Paid time off
• Health, Dental and Vision insurance
• Health savings account
• Flexible spending account
• Tuition reimbursement