Access Screener -Clinical (Primary SUD)

About the role

The Access Screener assists the public in a warm and welcoming manner with requests for mental health, Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD), and substance abuse services. Responsibilities include providing information, referrals, screening, and assessment of eligibility for public behavioral health services in Oakland County for children with emotional disturbances, adults with mental illness, persons with substance use disorders, and persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities. When individuals are not eligible for public behavioral health services, Access Screeners coordinate and collaborate with other entities to support individuals in meeting their immediate needs.

Responsibilities

• Welcome all individuals in need with excellent customer service skills, empathy, and support.
• Ensure adequate, accurate, and timely eligibility screenings.
• Determine eligibility for Medicaid specialty services for those seeking mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and substance use services, and determine the appropriate level of care using clinical tools (LOCUS, MichiCANS, ASAM).
• Provide a provisional diagnosis to individuals appropriately.
• Complete all documentation accurately and within appropriate time frames.
• Serve as the link to ADOS clinicians to determine if the Autism benefit is appropriate, educate individuals about the benefit, and complete tools prior to referral (SCQ or MCHAT).
• Set intake appointments with provider agencies and other community agencies.
• Complete Second Opinion determinations for persons found ineligible for services through OCHN.
• Adhere to established Quality Improvement Indicators.
• Understand OCHN provider agencies and inform eligible individuals about appropriate and available choices of agency and services.
• Have knowledge of multiple community resources and communicate these to individuals who are in need and/or do not meet criteria for OCHN services.
• Understand and review County of Financial Responsibility (COFR) guidelines and refer possible COFR individuals to the Access Supervisor for follow-up.
• Link and coordinate with Crisis Providers if a person is in crisis during an Access screening.
• Collaborate and coordinate as needed with internal and external providers.
• Collect all necessary documentation and data for OCHN.
• Understand waitlist policies and procedures and appropriately place individuals on the waitlist when necessary.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a mental health field.
• Valid clinical license (LLP, LP, LMSW, LPC, LMFT, LLMSW, LLPC, CAADC, CADC, CCS, CPS, CPC-R, CCDP, or development plan preferred).
• Minimum of 1 year of Behavioral Health or Substance Use Disorder experience.
• Knowledge of OCHN provider network and how to access additional community services (preferred).
• Knowledge and understanding of admission and discharge criteria for each treatment program, and ability to determine and designate appropriate levels of care (preferred).
• Knowledge of DSM-IV TR and DSM-V criteria (preferred).
• Knowledge of Michigan Mental Health Code (preferred).
• Knowledge of Children’s SED Waiver requirements (preferred).
• Knowledge of LOCUS, CAFAS, and ASAM requirements (preferred).
• Knowledge of substantial functional limitations (preferred).

Skills

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to articulate a complex service system while establishing positive rapport with individuals in need.
• Create a welcoming environment that demonstrates empathy and non-judgment.
• High level of proficiency with Word, Excel, online search engines, and other relevant software programs.
• High level of interpersonal skills in direct personal interactions and on the telephone.
• High level of oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to handle a high volume of relatively complex assignments accurately and timely.
• Organizational skills needed to establish office procedures and maintain files and records.
• Understanding of recipient rights policies.
• Understanding of trauma-informed principles.
• Ability to use basic intervention skills.

Core Competencies

• Integrity/Building Trust: Interacting with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization; demonstrating loyalty to the organization and its mission and values; maintaining social, ethical, and organizational norms; firmly adhering to codes of conduct and ethical principles.
• Customer Focus: Making customers and their needs a primary focus of one’s actions; developing and sustaining productive customer relationships, recognizing that the ultimate customer is the person served.
• Continuous Learning: Actively identifying new areas for learning; regularly creating and taking advantage of learning opportunities; using newly gained knowledge and skill on the job and learning through their application.
• Work Standards: Setting high standards of performance for self and others; assuming responsibility and accountability for successfully completing assignments or tasks; self-imposing standards of excellence in addition to consciously adopting organizational standards of excellence.
• Communication: Clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message.

Additional Information

• Must have available means of transportation to and from OCHN and for required offsite meetings or site visits.
• Must be available for meetings and events which may occur outside of standard office hours.
• Able to complete all physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.
• Work performed primarily in an office environment.
• Hybrid (onsite/remote) work schedule available.

Bilingual in Spanish desirable.