Youth Crisis Outreach Team (YCOT) Specialist

Job Code: YCOT - 111
Revision Date: February 20, 2024

Starting Salary: $18.59 hourly; $38,872 annually

FLSA: Non-Exempt

Overview

We are an agency committed to innovative behavioral health services in trauma-informed care that promote healing and recovery to instill a sense of empowerment and foster a lifelong sense of resilience.

General Description

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 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 El Paso County. 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 class will report directly to the YCOT Program Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities

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 the practitioner on-call (POC), licensed practitioner of the healing arts (LPHA), and/or the administrator on duty (AOD). 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 class works under close to general 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.
• Maintains compliance with all Joint Commission, Texas Health and Human Services, American Association of Suicidology, and CCBHC training requirements relevant to job duties, including but not limited to those dealing with use of restraints and physical holding of individuals receiving services.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Requires a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Social Work, Social Sciences or related behavioral field, supplemented by one (1) year of direct casework/case management experience; or possession of any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities.

• Relevant experience in crisis intervention, particularly with children and youth.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care principles and strategies.
• Familiarity with relevant laws and regulations governing crisis services for children and youth.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Adherence to all relevant policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.

Required Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of trauma-informed theories, principles, and practices (includes multi-faceted understanding of concepts such as community trauma, intergenerational and historical trauma, parallel processes, and universal precautions), preferred.

Physical Demands

Performs sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis or sustained keyboard operations.

• Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment)
• Involves routine and frequent exposure to
• Bright/dim light; Dusts and pollen.
• Extreme heat and/or cold; Wet or humid conditions.
• Extreme noise levels, Animals/wildlife.
• Vibration; Fumes and/or noxious odors.
• Traffic; Moving machinery.
• Disease/pathogens.
• Violence.
• Other extreme hazards not listed above.

Special Certifications and Licenses

• Must possess and maintain Qualified Mental Health Professional-Community Service (QMHP-CS) certification.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state Driver's License with an acceptable driving record.
• Must be able to pass a TB, criminal background and drug screen.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance

Emergence Health Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires Emergence Health Network to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management.

Other Job Characteristics

• Staffing requirements, including criteria that staff have diverse disciplinary backgrounds, have necessary State required license and accreditation, and are culturally and linguistically trained to serve the needs of the clinic's patient population.
• Credentialed, certified, and licensed professionals with adequate training in person-centered, family centered, trauma informed, culturally competent and recovery-oriented care.
• 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.

Note: This Class Description does not constitute an employment agreement between Emergence Health Network and an employee and is subject to change by the Emergence Health Network as its needs change.