BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ASSISTANT Grade 11

Full Job Description

Position Summary:

The Behavioral Health Assistant will be working alongside law enforcement officers responding to behavioral health crises in the community and leveraging lived experience and/or case management skills.

This role provides real-time support to individuals in crisis, assists with recovery planning, promotes engagement in services, and follows up to ensure continuity of care and stabilization.

Preferred Qualifications & Experience:

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Certification as a Georgia Certified Peer Specialist (or ability to obtain within 6 months).
• Minimum of 1 year of experience providing peer support in a behavioral health setting.
• Lived experience with recovery from a mental health condition and/or substance use disorder.
• Valid Georgia driver’s license and reliable transportation.
• Field-based work or mobile outreach programs.
• Familiarity with law enforcement or criminal justice systems.
• Training in motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, or suicide prevention.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provides follow-up to behavioral health-related 911 calls referred by the clinician and officer, offering peer support or case management in the field.
• Initiates engagement with individuals experiencing behavioral health or co-occurring mental health and substance use crises.
• Provides emotional support through shared lived experience (Peer Specialist) or service navigation and coordination (Case Manager).
• Assists clients in accessing and attending appointments with behavioral health, housing, employment, and other community providers.
• Collaborates with clinicians and law enforcement to ensure person-centered and trauma-informed responses.
• Encourages participation in prosocial activities, community reintegration, and development of natural supports.
• Educates individuals and families on behavioral health recovery, crisis safety planning, and available services.
• Collects pre- and post-engagement surveys to measure program impact and service satisfaction.
• Maintains documentation of services delivered, referrals made, and client outcomes.
• Participates in regular case staffing, field training, and community outreach efforts.
• Supports follow-up services, including wellness checks, connection to peer-led groups, and recovery coaching.

Minimum Qualifications:
High School Diploma or GED required, supplemented by vocational or technical training in a related field; one year of experience in a similar setting; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.

Specific License or Certification Required: Must possess and maintain a valid Georgia driver's license.

Specific Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities: Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all county or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position.

Examination:
The examination will consist of an evaluation of education and experience, accomplished by analysis of the application. Application must document that the applicant possesses the minimum knowledge, skills, education and experience as listed to be rated as qualified. If selected, an official, accredited college transcript is required, at time of employment, for all degrees/course work used to qualify for this position.

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED IN FULL BEFORE THEY ARE SUBMITTED. PLEASE REVIEW ALL APPLICATIONS FOR ACCURACY AND MAKE ALL CORRECTIONS BEFORE SUBMITTAL BECAUSE ERRORS CAN RESULT IN NOT MEETING THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS. WE DO NOT ACCEPT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AFTER APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT.

Requirements

Purpose of Classification:
The purpose of this classification is to perform operational duties related to managing cases for mental health, substance abuse, and/or developmentally disabled clients including performing intake and triage, determining client eligibility for behavioral health services, assisting clients in the development of life and/or socialization skills, and maintaining client records. Behavioral Health Assistant is distinguished from Behavioral Health Technician in that the former manages cases and determines client eligibility for
behavioral health services, whereas the latter advises clients in need of services.

Essential Functions:
The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

Interviews clients for intake information, including obtaining and documenting client's history, maintaining client's charts, and determining client's eligibility based on the results of the interview.

Screens, evaluates, and trains potential clients to determine which behavioral health services should be provided, including developing crisis plans and/or referring clients to other agencies for services.

Performs telephone triage and provides crisis intervention as required.

Organizes structured program activities to help clients acquire new skills in developing a positive self image and in solving problems.

Plans and conducts activity therapy groups using crafts.

Intervenes in crisis situations.

Conducts home visits and performs other outreach activities to link clients with community resources, such as food assistance and housing.

Transports clients to necessary medical treatment and/or program-related appointments.

Additional Functions:
Performs other related duties as required.

Qualifications

Performance Aptitudes:
Data Utilization: Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification, and in referencing such analysis to established standards for the purpose of recognizing actual or probable interactive effects and relationships.

Human Interaction: Requires the ability to provide paraprofessional counseling and medical treatment to others.

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and/or advisory data and information.

Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; the ability to calculate decimals and percentages; the ability to utilize principles of fractions; and the ability to interpret graphs.

Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems; to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; and to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.

Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving evaluation of information against measurable or verifiable criteria.

Additional Information

It is the policy of Fulton County that there will be equal opportunity for every citizen, employee and applicant, based upon merit without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, genetics, disability or sexual orientation.