Mental Health Specialist

Broward Addiction Recovery Center (BARC) provides comprehensive services for adults affected by substance use and co-occurring disorders. Through compassionate, confidential care and collaboration with community providers, BARC delivers individual, group, and family interventions that support clients throughout their recovery journey.

General Description

The Mental Health Specialist provides direct support to clients by maintaining a safe therapeutic environment, assisting with daily program activities, monitoring client behavior, and delivering supportive interventions that promote recovery and stabilization. The role includes accurate documentation, crisis response, and collaboration with interdisciplinary staff to ensure consistent, client-centered care.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Requires one (1) year working with the substance abuse/mental health population providing support services.

Special Certifications and Licenses

Must possess and maintain a valid Florida driver's license.

Special Requirements

This position is an overnight shift (11pm-7:30am, Sunday-Thursday ) and will include nights/weekends/holidays, subject to change based on business needs.
Position is located on site.

Duties and Responsibilities

The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this class. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the job as necessary.

* Supports a safe and therapeutic milieu by observing and redirecting client behavior, conducting regular room checks and facility rounds, completing headcounts, and promptly reporting safety concerns.
* Assists with patient intake, orientation, triage, and discharge procedures, including explaining program rules, schedules, expectations, documenting required information, returning property, and preparing discharge materials.
* Checks and records vital signs; conducts or assists with searches, breathalyzers, urine drug screens, CO2 tests, and other routine assessments as required.
* Maintains accurate, timely, and confidential documentation, including shift notes, observations, incident reports, group attendance, and records within ARIZE or other designated systems.
* Monitors and supports clients during structured groups, educational activities, life skills sessions, dining times, recreation, and daily program routines; facilitates or co-facilitates groups as assigned.
* Provides supportive interventions, assists with activities of daily living, encourages participation in treatment activities, and helps clients build formal and informal support networks.
* Participates in interdisciplinary communication through team meetings, change-of-shift reports, Level II staffing, and ongoing coordination with clinical and supervisory staff.* Responds to crises using trauma-informed de-escalation techniques, reports incidents per policy, and communicates unusual or dangerous behaviors to appropriate staff.
* Assists with supervised case management tasks, therapeutic activities, and family engagement as directed by clinical staff.
* Facilitates transportation, accompanies clients to appointments or activities, and supports community participation and integration.
* Oversees client medication lines and performs assigned medication observation responsibilities.
* Supports AMA-prevention efforts through early risk identification, engagement, supportive conversations, and timely communication with clinical staff.
* Assists clients with paperwork, phone calls, and participation in court hearings when needed.
* Maintains patient confidentiality in accordance with state and federal regulations.
* Performs assigned housekeeping or program support tasks, such as monitoring laundry times and cleaning/defrosting refrigerators and freezers on scheduled days.
* Performs other related duties as assigned.

Competencies

• Action Oriented:
  Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm. Takes timely action on important or difficult issues. Identifies and pursues new opportunities that benefit the organization.
• Plans and Aligns:
  Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals. Outlines clear plans that put actions in a logical sequence; conveys some time frames. Aligns own work with relevant workgroups. Takes some steps to reduce bottlenecks and speed up the work.
• Interpersonal Savvy:
  Relates openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people. Recognizes even subtle social cues and nimbly responds to others' needs and preferences. Helps to defuse difficult interpersonal situations by showing high levels of tact, sensitivity, and consideration. Builds rapport with ease.
• Communicates Effectively:
  Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences. Listens attentively and takes an interest. Keeps others well informed; conveys information clearly, concisely, and professionally when speaking or writing.
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness:
  Uses a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and weaknesses. Seeks and reflects on feedback; actively integrates and applies key insights to enhance effectiveness. Clearly understands own impact on others and willingly makes adjustments when needed.
• Self-Development:
  Actively seeks new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels. Takes advantage of available opportunities to update knowledge, skills, and abilities and to apply them on the job. Seeks guidance concerning opportunities and resources for continuous learning and development.
• Manages Ambiguity:
  Operates effectively, even when things are not certain or the way forward is not clear. Embraces change, staying focused, positive, and effective. Addresses problems without clear solutions, making substantial progress.
• Situational Adaptability:
  Adapts approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations. Serves as an example of adaptability and provides guidance and support to help others adapt to new situations. Considers the needs of clients, constituents, and the organization; shifts priorities appropriately.

Physical Demands

Physical demands refer to the requirements for physical exertion and coordination of limb and body movement.

Performs light work that involves walking or standing most of the time and involves exerting up to 20 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis, or skill, adeptness and speed in the use of fingers, hands or limbs on repetitive operation of electronic office equipment within moderate tolerances or limits of accuracy.

Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment)

Unavoidable hazards refer to the job conditions that may lead to injury or health hazards even though precautions have been taken.

None.

County Core Values

All Broward County employees strive to demonstrate the County's four core behavioral competencies.

• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Customer focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Instills trust: Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Values differences: Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.

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Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance

Broward County is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusion. Broward County is committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. We support the hiring of people with disabilities; therefore, if you require assistance due to a disability, please contact the Professional Standards Section in advance at 954-357-6500 or email Profstandards@broward.org to make an accommodation request.

County-wide Emergency Responsibilities

Note: During emergency conditions, all County employees are automatically considered emergency service workers. County employees are subject to being called to work in the event of a disaster, such as a hurricane, or other emergency situation and are expected to perform emergency service duties, as assigned.

County-wide Employee Responsibilities

All Broward County employees must serve the public and fellow employees with honesty and integrity in full accord with the letter and spirit of Broward County's Employee Code of Ethics, gift, and conflict of interest policies.

All Broward County employees must establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public, co-workers, elected and appointed officials and members of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, political affiliation, familial status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or gender identity and expression.