Behavioral Health Intake Specialist - Justice Involved Team # 813

WellPower envisions a community where every person's mental health is fostered through strength, resilience and hope. We empower people to overcome barriers and achieve lasting well-being through collaborative behavioral health care and comprehensive support. 

Our Guiding Principles:

• Person Centered. We honor people's identities, lived experience and journeys and treat every person with the dignity we all deserve.  
• Exceptional Care. We offer compassionate, innovative services that meet people where they are, from immediate support to long-term recovery.
• Integrity. We operate from a deep foundation of ethical, accountable practices in all we do.
• Organizational Resilience. We meet the moment and adapt to changing contexts with collaborative creativity, agile business processes, and financial stewardship.

Position Summary: 

The Behavioral Health Intake Specialist- Justice Involved serves as the primary point of contact for individuals who are 18+ and currently incarcerated or otherwise involved in the criminal justice system and are seeking behavioral health services through WellPower. In this highly collaborative role, the Behavioral Health Intake Specialist- Justice Involved responds to referrals and inquiries from a wide range of criminal justice partners, including Denver City and County Jails, Denver District and County Courts (including competency dockets), Bridges, Competency Restoration and Diversion programs, probation, Co-Responders, STAR, Roads to Recovery, Public Defenders, District Attorneys, and other justice-involved stakeholders.  The Behavioral Health Intake Specialist- Justice Involved can support referrals for both voluntary and certified individuals.  The Behavioral Health Intake Specialist- Justice Involved conducts billable behavioral health screenings to gather clinically relevant information, identify symptoms indicative of mental health diagnoses, and apply clinical judgment to determine appropriate levels of care. The Behavioral Health Intake Specialist- Justice Involved provides real-time support and de-escalation for callers experiencing behavioral health crises as needed.  This position includes authorized access to local jail facilities, allowing the Behavioral Health Intake Specialist- Justice Involved to complete screenings, engagement, and coordination of care for individuals who are actively incarcerated. The Behavioral Health Intake Specialist- Justice Involved also supports the above responsibilities for other partnerships with community organizations as designated.  The Behavioral Health Intake Specialist- Justice Involved works closely with the Justice Involved Department and multidisciplinary teams across WellPower to ensure a smooth, supportive, and person-centered entry or reintegration into community-based services, as well as to support continuity of care and care coordination for existing WellPower clients who become incarcerated, promoting improved outcomes for justice-involved individuals.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Masters $31.25/hr
• LCSW/LPC/LMFT $37.59/hr
• Language Differential $1 - $2.50/hr
• For complete overview of our robust Benefits: https://wellpower.org/workplace-of-choice/

The posted range represents the full hiring range. Offers will not exceed this range, the majority of candidates are placed near the midpoint based on experience and qualifications. 

Job Duties & Functions:  

• Maintain reliable attendance and punctuality to ensure consistent coverage of the CJIntakes referral email (or other referral email/phone calls) and team workflows.
• Monitor, review, and triage incoming referrals via the CJIntakes email (or other referral email/phone calls) using standardized behavioral health screening criteria; Conduct thorough referral reviews to determine appropriate level of care and support smooth care transitions.
• Perform behavioral health intakes, screenings, engagement, and care coordination for justice-involved individuals in jail settings, in the community, virtually, and by telephone; enter and work within jail facilities as required
• Complete billable initial intake assessments, including clinical risk evaluation, provisional diagnosis, formal screenings (e.g., PHQ-9), and 30-day treatment planning. This includes voluntary and CERT status individuals (Support in arrange doc-to-doc discharge conferences for certified referrals)
• Assess crisis situations telephonically and respond in accordance with organizational protocols, including de-escalation and coordination with crisis services when indicated.
• Verify, reconcile, and update individual demographic, legal, clinical, and insurance information, including interpretation of behavioral health coverage and verification of eligibility, across multiple electronic systems.
• Schedule initial and follow-up appointments for new and returning individuals; help individuals identify strengths and symptoms, set goals, and plan appropriate services; coordinate scheduling activities with internal team members
• Communicate clearly and professionally with criminal justice stakeholders, WellPower staff, and community partners regarding referrals, service linkage, and care coordination.
• Make referrals to external community mental health providers when WellPower services are not clinically indicated or available.
• Facilitate continuity of care by supporting communication between incarcerated individuals and their existing WellPower treatment teams when direct jail access is limited for other staff.
• Accurately and timely document all screenings, assessments, communications, and coordination activities in the electronic medical record (EMR).
• Coordinate and attend meetings with criminal justice stakeholders, ERs, consult teams, and community partners regarding referrals and treatment needs as need; meetings can be virtual or in person.
• Demonstrate self-direction, teamwork, and proficiency with Microsoft tools (SharePoint, Word, Excel, Teams).
• Other duties as assigned
• Additional Duties:
• This role supports organizational continuity-of-care goals by helping track and improve transition-related metrics.
• Offer support, assistance, consultation, and psycho-education to individuals and partners in the community.
• Provide supervision to individuals in intern level status or provisional license status or individuals who are supporting the Justice Involved Access Team
• Maintain a trauma informed environment of wellbeing.
• Other duties as assigned 

Requirements & Qualifications: 

EDUCATION: Masters Degree in psychology, social work, or other related human service degree.  Licensure preferred (LPC, LCSW, LMFT, or Licensed Psychologist) or have continual committed hours towards licensure and are currently under WellPower clinical supervision. A CAC II/III/LAC and/or dual language, Spanish speaking, are preferred.

EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of experience working with individuals experiencing severe and persistent mental health conditions or in human services preferred.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:

• Knowledge of local behavioral health systems, community resources, evidence-based practices, and DSM‑5‑TR diagnostic criteria.
• Ability to assess and respond to crisis and emergent situations, including telephonic crisis intervention and assistance with 72‑hour holds when indicated.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including a calm, professional phone presence and customer service orientation.
• Ability to accurately and concisely document clinical information in an electronic medical record (EMR).
• Strong problem-solving, organizational, and prioritization skills in fast-paced environments.

clearly and concisely in an electronic medical record

• Ability to meet and maintain all jail access requirements, including required training, attire standards, and professional conduct expectations.

Work Location: This is an in-person role at our Recovery center. 

Shift/Hours: Tuesday- Friday (7am- 5 pm)

Physical Requirements:

• Repetitive hand and finger motions for computer use with an ability to navigate computer systems and respond to calls
• Standing, walking, stooping, bending, and lifting to 50 lbs
• Requires fine motor skills required for precise clinical procedures.
• Requires visual and auditory acuity to observe patient behavior and respond to alarms and calls.
• Capacity to manage emotionally charged situations while maintaining professional boundaries
• Requires critical thinking and problem-solving skills for diagnosis and treatment planning, and to prioritize multiple tasks and adapt to shifting priorities

Working Conditions 

• Exposure to infectious diseases, bodily fluids, and chemicals may occur; appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided as needed.
• Requires manual dexterity sufficient to operate standard office machines such as computers, fax machines, the telephone and other office and/or clinical equipment.
• Work environment can be fast-paced and emotionally demanding, requiring adaptability and resilience. · Work environment will be based on location of work (community or WellPower site); this can include both City and County jails. · Noise level is generally moderate but may vary during peak patient flow or based on community location of initial assessment. Occasional travel between clinical and other community sites.

Ability to travel in the community and be prompt; ability to perform initial assessments in various settings

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Learn more about WellPower:

WellPower is committed to fair and equitable hiring with salaries based on relevant factors, such as work experience, education, and certification/licensure (rather than wage history). Toward the principle of equal pay for equal work, we post and hire within defined hiring salary ranges. We ask all applicants to carefully review the hiring salary range for each posted job opportunity, as we will not hire outside the predetermined range. 

WellPower is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, transfer, or promotion opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. 

For a complete overview of our robust benefits, visit: https://wellpower.org/workplace-of-choice