Mental Health Crisis Co-Responder

Posting Type: Open Competitive

Work Type: Full-Time

Nature of Work: Under the general administrative direction of the Mental Health Coordinator of the Omaha Police Department (OPD), incumbent provides immediate crisis intervention, clinical case management services, and assistance to citizens and/or their families with a goal of promoting overall stability, minimizing interaction with law enforcement, emergency mental health hospitalization, and incarcerations. These citizens and/or their families may have the following problems: homelessness, substance use issues, mental and/or chronic health illnesses, domestic violence, employment issues, poverty, being a victim of crime, and access to other basic necessities.

Incumbent must be willing to work closely with the entire OPD team, engage with external service providers on a regular basis and have the ability and skills necessary to work with the general public in a positive, friendly, and professional manner. Work is performed with considerable independence; however, general supervision is received from an assigned supervisor.

Education and Experience: The knowledge, skills, and abilities may be acquired through, but are not limited to, the following combination of education and/or experience.

Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling, social work, psychology, or human services required AND
Three (3) years of related work experience which includes assessing the physical, mental, social and economic needs of a diverse population, including field work experience with individuals who experience substance use or mental illness.

License as a Mental Health Practitioner preferred (provisional license accepted).

Special Qualifications: Must possess a valid motor vehicle operator's license from the time of appointment. Must be available to work flexible hours which may include weekends and evenings and may be subject to call-in during emergency situations requiring co-responder assistance.

Pay Range: $57,366.40 with step increases to $75,254.40 Annually (effective 12/22/2024)

Benefits: Forty-hour work week. Paid leave per year: twelve days vacation; five days management; fifteen days sick; and fourteen holidays. Employee's group health insurance, including major medical, vision, and dental, for individual or family. Defined benefit pension plan, plus Social Security, and more. See hr.cityofomaha.org for detailed information.

Who Can Apply: Any person who meets the qualifications and other requirements described in this posting.

How to Apply: Completed City of Omaha employment applications must be submitted using the online application from the City website. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to check and ensure that any and all required application materials and supplemental forms are received by the City of Omaha Human Resources Department by the stated deadline. You may confirm receipt of any materials and forms by contacting the Human Resources Department. If the materials are not received in the Human Resources Department by the stated deadline, they will not be considered. There will be no exceptions to this rule.

Examination Information: The examination will consist of a training and experience form designed to assess job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position. The training and experience form will be given to candidates once their application has been received, reviewed by a recruiter, and accepted to test for the position. The form must be completed and returned to the Human Resources Department by January 6, 2025 (passing score 60%). Final eligibility list will be the training and experience form weighted 100%.

Veteran Points: To claim five (5) points for veteran's preference, you must submit proof of service (such as a DD-214) that includes the date of induction, date of honorable separation, and Social Security number. (You must have completed more than 180 consecutive days of active duty.) To receive an additional five (5) points credit for disability, you must submit proof of eligibility from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs dated within the last 12 months. This information must be submitted to the Human Resources Department by January 6, 2025.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of and ability to operate a computer or other technology using standard or customized computer or systems software applications appropriate to the assigned tasks.
• Knowledge of current principles and practices of mental health administration.
• Knowledge of the purposes, functions, and activities of various public and private health care entities, including advocacy groups involved in mental health and substance abuse.
• Knowledge of current trends in prevention and treatment of mental illness and substance abuse-related state statutes and skill in providing related assessments.
• Skill in effective time management and organization.
• Ability to work independently as well as take initiative and work collaboratively as a part of a team.
• Ability to demonstrate independent judgment to assess and meet citizen needs.
• Ability to have meaningful outcome-oriented dialogue with citizens, families, community agencies and professional schools in coordinating care and services for citizens.
• Ability to maintain appropriate boundaries with citizens and/or their families while providing adequate services to meet citizen needs.
• Ability to maintain a high standard of confidentiality and sensitivity to the persons and/or families on cultural, ethnic, racial, socioeconomic issues and diversity.
• Ability to understand written and oral instructions.
• Ability to demonstrate interpersonal skills, active listening skills, and critical analysis.
• Ability to adhere to safety policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with other city employees, mental health providers and consumers, and the public.
• Ability to present information to interested groups and individuals via group presentations and/or written materials.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with fellow employees, the general public, advocacy groups, and community partners in the areas of law enforcement and mental health to support collaborative efforts to serve individuals.
• Ability to learn and adapt to advances in computer and electronics device technology and software.
• Ability to perform assignments in a timely manner with accuracy and proper detail.
• Ability to sit from 76 to 100% of the time, to stand and walk from 26 to 50% of the time, and reach, bend, stoop, push and pull up to 25% of the time.
• Ability to move objects weighing up to ten (10) pounds up to 33% of the time.

Essential Functions: Any one position may not perform all of the duties listed, nor do the listed examples include all of the duties that may be performed in positions allocated to this class.

• Provides clinical and intensive case management services, including, but not limited to the following: behavioral risk assessments, clinical/crisis counseling, crisis intervention, consultation, support, information, and appropriate referrals to other community agencies.
• Acts as a bridge between the person, department, community, community agencies and other helping professionals to coordinate services and the best route of care for the person needing assistance.
• Documents and monitors interactions with individuals. Routinely assesses the person and family responses to the interventions and services, while also providing follow-up and outreach as needed. Prepares and retains timely correspondence, reports, individual progress, and/or other documentation.
• Provides intervention in response to crisis to reduce symptoms and avoid admission to a more restrictive environment and ensures appropriate service referrals are completed.
• Develops short-term treatment and intervention plans to assist individuals in single or multiple areas of focus.
• Assists with the voluntary and involuntary hospital admission process, as needed, including providing law enforcement officers recommendations for diversion or higher level of care placement.
• Supports the individual in crisis to ensure statutory criteria is met and aid in the involuntary placement based on state statute including completing all documentation associated with placement.
• Participates in diversionary efforts to decrease unnecessary law enforcement contact with individuals needing mental health assistance.
• Provide guidance and recommendations on interventions based on mental health symptomology and presentation during critical incidents with law enforcement
• Provides debriefing to responders following traumatic incidents as requested by the department.
• Assists, educates, informs, and empowers under-represented populations in the community, including vulnerable communities, refugees and immigrant populations.
• Participates in staff/staffing meetings, interdisciplinary team meetings, and other meetings as assigned.
• Participates in training efforts and education for law enforcement and other City Departments, and provides education, formal/informal training as needed.
• Rides with or meets officers to assist in co-responder model serving those in crisis and working with top utilizers of 911 services.
• Maintains regular job attendance in accordance with a schedule established for the position by the supervisor.
• Performs other duties as assigned or as the situation dictates within the scope of this classification.
• The following essential functions are specific to the designated division:
• Youth Crisis Division:
• Attends community meetings and serve as an advocated for youth in crisis who overlap with the OPD.
• Assists School Resource Officers (SROs) with complex cases regarding youth in crisis within the school system as well as in the community.
• Prioritizes response to youth-specific calls for service city-wide.
• Acts as a liaison between youth-involved community agencies, including but not limited to public school systems, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Project Harmony, Child Saving Institute, and other organizations, in order to advocate for treatment needs and divert youth from system involvement.

Conditions of Employment: Candidates must provide proof of U.S. citizenship or proof of permanent residence or authorization to work. The City of Omaha reserves the right to conduct criminal history, driving record, reference and credit checks and a background investigation on applicants for employment. Successfully passing a criminal background review, reference check, and if applicable, a credit check, is required as a condition of employment. If applicable, the City will require that you successfully pass a review of the driver's license, driving abstract, a pre-employment drug test, a hearing test and a back screening examination as a condition of employment. Failure to provide the information requested in the application process in a truthful, accurate and complete manner may result in disqualification, revocation of conditional employment or termination.

Reasonable Accommodation: The City of Omaha does not discriminate on the basis of disability. If you need a disability-related accommodation during the job application or selection process, advise the Human Resources Department at least 48 hours prior to the need by emailing employment@cityofomaha.org.

For a complete description of this job classification, visit hr.cityofomaha.org

Contact Points:

City of Omaha Human Resources Department
1819 Farnam St, Suite 506
Omaha, NE 68183

Phone: (402) 444-5300
Fax: (402) 444-5314

Website: hr.cityofomaha.org
Email: employment@cityofomaha.org