Co-Responder – Prairie Village/Leawood PD (Clinician II)

Position Title

Job Title

Co-Responder – Prairie Village/Leawood PD (Clinician II)

Organizational Unit

Johnson County KS -> Mental Health -> MNH-Crisis Services

Location

Mental Health – Shawnee – Shawnee, KS 66203 US (Primary)

Position Grade

17.17 Exempt

Pay Range (actual pay depends on qualifications)

$29.11 – $43.67

Employment Category

Fulltime-Regular (40 hrs, Full Benefits)

Work Schedule

Varies

Job Description

Johnson County Mental Health is looking for qualified candidates who are interested in working alongside law enforcement to fill the position of a shared Co-Responder Clinician for the Leawood Police Department and Prairie Villiagee Police Department. This position will work as a member of JCMHC’s Emergency Services Division but will have an office in both departments.

The JCMHC co-responder program started in 2011 and has grown exponentially in the last year from 11 positions to 20.5 countywide. The Leawood and Prairie Village Co-Responder program started in 2017 sharing one co-responder position with our Northeast cities. In 2018, the cities recognized that they needed their own full-time co responder to be shared between Leawood and Prairie Village. The cities are expanding their program to add a second full-time co-responder to cover evening hours.

The co-responder position is perfect for clinicians who like working in fast paced environments, resolving crises, and improving the intersection between law enforcement and mental health. The goals of the program include decreasing unnecessary trips to the emergency rooms, avoiding preventable arrests and reducing repeat mental health calls for the police department by connecting people to the appropriate resources. The co-responder will respond to behavioral health 911 calls alongside their respective police department. The co-responder will provide interventions at various locations in the community but will always be accompanied by a law enforcement officer once the scene has been determined to be safe. The co-responder will provide outreach by phone or in person to determine if the crisis has resolved, help engage individuals in the least restrictive treatment and connect to the appropriate community resources. The co-responder team leader will review all applications and contact candidates to determine next steps. Learn more about the co-responder program here or e-mail the team leader, Jen Melby at jen.melby@jocogov.org.This position will remain open until filled. The primary responsibilities for this position include:

Responds in person to 911 behavioral health calls alongside law enforcement to conduct an assessment to recommend appropriate level of care, including assessing individual risk for suicide and other safety related concerns, and determining the need for resource referrals.
May complete State Hospital Screenings for involuntary commitments to assist with keeping individuals safe and getting critical services.
Reviews police reports and determines appropriate next steps, including follow up needs after the initial call to ensure the crisis has resolved and/or if additional resources are needed. Follow up is conducted by phone or an in-person outreach alongside a law enforcement officer.
Collaborates with JCMHC teams and other community agencies to advocate and partner for individuals’ needs.
Submits clinical documentation regarding services provided and makes necessary referrals to internal and external resources.
Facilitates trainings for police department regarding co-responder role and mental health related topics; participate in presentations in the community regarding the co-responder program.

There is some flexibility with creating a schedule that works mutually for the program and the selected candidate. Schedules are indicated below and are 8-hour days with a working lunch. The schedule may include meetings and trainings outside of the normal work hours, so flexibility is necessary. This position will not be able to start until January 1, 2023.

Available Schedules:
There is a questionnaire at the end of the application to indicate preferences. The candidate can choose what their schedule will be from the following:

Days of the week:
- Sun-Thurs
- Mon-Fri
- Tues-Sat
Hours for the shift:
- 3 pm – 11 pm
- 4 pm – 12 am

Johnson County has implemented a skill-based pay plan of up to $4200 annually for staff who have obtained licensure by the BSRB at the Clinical Level.

Check out our other Co-responder open positions here: Deltek Talent Management – View All Jobs (hrsmart.com)

Job Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, Addiction Counseling, or other Human Services field and Kansas Behavioral Sciences licensure at the master’s level in the area of focus are required. Requires a valid driver’s license with acceptable driving record. Applicants who meet Kansas licensure requirements may be considered if Kansas licensure is obtained by time of an employment offer and licensure is pending confirmation at the time of employment application. Candidates must be able to meet REJIS/KCJIS requirements (for law enforcement positions) and will be required to successfully complete a background investigation, including post-offer polygraph and drug screen, as a condition of employment.

Kansas Behavioral Sciences license at the clinical level and one year of experience in the area of focus is preferred.

Johnson County Government requires reference/background screening for all positions. Specified criteria may vary by Department/Agency.

Physical, Environmental, and Special Working Conditions:
All County employees may be called upon to assist other departments/agencies in a declared emergency situation.

Driving Status

Intermediate (5% to 25%)