Behavioral Health Navigator- Court Clinic

Position Summary:

The Forensic Behavioral Health Navigator (Court Clinic) supports Philadelphians with First Judicial District (FJD) involvement who are identified for, evaluated by, or recipients of evaluations by the Court Evaluation Clinic. Navigators help individuals with a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) or behavioral health needs "navigate" the maze of the court system, treatment programs, and community supports to empower them to lead successful lives in the community. Navigators also work to reduce the barriers that keep individuals with mental health needs from remaining in the community, getting timely access to treatment, and diversion from incarceration when appropriate. Navigators practice cultural humility and are mindful of racial disparities across the legal system.

The Navigator will work as part of the Court Evaluation Clinic to: 1) Triage individuals referred to or identified within the Court Evaluation Clinic, who qualify for diversion, from further penetration in to the criminal justice system; 2) Connect individuals to services, including Social Determinates of Health (SDOH) support, to facilitate wellness and self determination; 3) Assist with assessing individuals to determine the least restrictive level of behavioral health care they need; 4) Coordinate efforts across several criminal justice partnerships including the Court Evaluation Clinic, FJD, Defender Association of Philadelphia (PD), Office of the District Attorney (DA), Adult Probation and Parole (APPD), the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP), and Norristown State Hospital (NSH) to ensure the individuals successful navigation through the justice system.

The Forensic Behavioral Health Navigator may serve all programs offered by the Behavioral Health and Justice Division of the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) at the intersection of behavioral health and criminal justice. Navigators will further specialize in one intercept point of the Sequential Intercept Model (i.e., police, pre-trial, jail reentry, probation and parole), while working across all intercepts in response to the individual’s needs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

General Duties

• Learn and observe all standard operating procedures developed for the Court Evaluation Clinic, BHJD, and DBHIDS that pertain to Navigation work
• Participate in Navigator training, development, and team building
• Achieve and maintain Key Performance Indicators identified by BHJD’s Continuous Quality Improvement framework
• Maintain a working knowledge of the Sequential Intercept Model and behavioral health treatment
• Enter and maintain clinical and program data in appropriate databases Maintain accurate, confidential records to document services provided using appropriate databases

Diversion

• Support the identification of individuals who could potentially qualify for diversion from the competency restoration track
• Perform behavioral health and criminal history reviews, screenings, and assessments to determine an individual’s treatment needs
• Develop a comprehensive care plan that includes discharge planning and service connection for individuals who qualify for diversion

Service Connection

• Facilitate connection to behavioral health treatment and support
• Activate maximum benefits (e.g., Medicaid, SSI) for individuals
• Assist with referrals to case management
• Arrange medical appointments and other care services as needed
• Incorporate SDOH supports for individuals in need

Cross Partnership Coordination

• Collaborate on a weekly basis with the staff of the Court Evaluation Clinic to effectively triage individuals who are referred to or are being considered for referral to the Court Evaluation Clinic.
• Develop and maintain relationships with the First Judicial District Criminal District, Court Evaluation Clinic, Defender Association of Philadelphia, Office of the District Attorney, Adult Probation and Parole (APPD), the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and NSH.
• Create, update, and report the status of discharge planning, service connection, and other supports to the appropriate criminal justice collaborators to facilitate a continuity of care
• Network with area community providers and provide resource coordination
• Assist with training legal partners on how access and utilize the Court Evaluation Clinic and BHJD’s Resource Hub
• Other duties as assigned

Skills Required:

This position requires strong clinical skills, case management skills, and an ability to navigate systems of care, the criminal justice system, and community resources.

• Strong clinical and case management skills
• Demonstrated understanding of and ability to navigate the behavioral health and criminal justice systems in Philadelphia
• Knowledge of mental health disorders (especially SMIs), substance use disorders, and co-occurring challenges
• Knowledge of how behavioral health issues intersect with the criminal justice system in the City of Philadelphia.
• Cross-cultural skills and experience with culturally diverse populations. Recovery experience preferred.
• Knowledge of benefits, benefits activation, and how to utilize benefits to access treatment and resources.
• Demonstrated excellence in written and oral communication skills. Knowledge of multiple languages a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to work cooperatively and communicate effectively with a wide variety of individuals and agencies representing varying perspectives and interests.

Additional skills include:

• Recognizing signs and symptoms of mental illness
• Understanding medications
• Understanding special populations
• Connecting with families and consumers
• Employing de-escalation techniques to improve and manage behavior
• Initiating 302 petitions

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree preferred in the field of social work, psychology or a related clinical field with at least 2 years of experience working with individuals with serious mental illness.

Candidates must have a working knowledge of the Philadelphia Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice systems.

Equal Opportunity Employment:

PMHCC, Inc. is committed to equal opportunity. It is our policy to support equal employment for all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual preferences, age, national origin, disability, behavioral health status, military status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Americans with Disabilities Act:

Employees as well as applicants who are currently, or become disabled, must be able to perform the functions of the job with either reasonable accommodation or unaided. PMHCC, Inc. will examine reasonable accommodations on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the law.