TJJD - Health Specialist V - VI -VII Mental Health

Agency committed to transforming lives and building safer communities through collaboration, open communication, integrity, and professionalism. The team values accountability, transparency, and respect, focusing on the physical and emotional safety of youth, staff, and the community. Excellence is pursued through continuous growth, thoughtful decision-making, and mission-driven collaboration.

About the role

This position is part of the approved TJJD career ladder for Health Specialists, with the working title of Mental Health Professional. Placement on the career ladder depends on education, licensure, and experience, with opportunities for promotion based on eligibility criteria. The role supports youth committed to the agency through a trauma-informed, multidisciplinary approach, including the Texas Model of Trauma Informed Corrections and the Mental Health Treatment Program (MHTP).

The MHTP provides enhanced psychiatric and psychological assistance to youth with moderate to severe mental health needs, allowing rehabilitation case managers to focus on risk reduction and protective factors. This collaboration ensures holistic and individualized treatment for youth requiring MHTP services.

May require working over 40 hours per week, different shift patterns, on-call availability, and occasional travel.

Responsibilities

• Provides direct psychological services to youth adjudicated delinquent of felony offenses, including trauma-informed groups, individual, family, trauma, and crisis counseling sessions.
• Administers and interprets psychological evaluations for youth at risk of suicide or in need of specialized treatment services.
• Assists in monitoring the agency’s Texas Model of Trauma Informed Corrections treatment program and reviews specialized treatment programs.
• Collaborates with facility administrators, specialized treatment staff, case management, parole officers, contracted staff, and halfway house staff.
• Participates in or leads program evaluations in high or medium restriction facilities or contracted programs.
• Participates in Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) staffing for youth transitioning into the community or exiting the agency system.
• May train, lead, assign, or prioritize the work of others.
• Conducts trauma-informed psychological evaluations, suicide risk assessments, and suicide monitoring.
• Serves as a member of a multidisciplinary response team within the Regulation Safety Unit (RSU), providing clinical consultation on assessment, treatment, intervention strategies, and behavioral modifications.
• Responds to critical incidents on campus with the RSU team, assisting in de-escalation interventions and training staff on these techniques.
• Supports RSU programming by leading groups, conducting brief individual sessions, Behavior Chain Analyses, and maintaining presence in the milieu.
• Develops behavior modification interventions and other clinical evaluations.
• Serves as a triage point to assess youth programming needs and ensures proper program referrals based on assessment results.
• Communicates with managers of forensic risk and mental health programs regarding referrals.
• Acts as a liaison with the assigned Youth Services Team (YST) to ensure smooth transitions from RSU back to the dorm environment.
• Communicates with campus leadership on specific youth needs and staff training based on assessments and call data.
• Contributes to the development, maintenance, and delivery of in-service training for facility staff related to rehabilitation and treatment programs.
• Documents direct services provided to youth and families.
• Engages in professional development activities to maintain licensure or certification.
• Coordinates and collaborates with program staff in planning, development, implementation, analysis, and documentation of agency programs.
• Provides advice and counsel by interpreting policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and standards related to the program.
• Assists in developing program policies, procedures, and standards.

Levels of Work

• Health Specialist V: Performs advanced (senior-level) work under limited supervision with considerable latitude for initiative and independent judgment.
• Health Specialist VI: Performs highly advanced (senior-level) work under minimal supervision with considerable latitude for initiative and independent judgment.
• Program Specialist/Health Specialist VII: Performs highly advanced (senior-level) work under minimal supervision with considerable latitude for initiative and independent judgment.