Clare Foundation, Inc.·Santa Monica, California
The clinician provides therapy, care coordination, and crisis intervention for individuals with substance use and mental health disorders in community settings. Responsibilities include conducting assessments, developing treatment plans, and linking participants to essential medical and social services.
CLARE|MATRIX “CM” is a nonprofit organization providing effective and compassionate treatment, recovery, and prevention services for alcoholism and substance use to individuals, families, and the community. Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, CLARE|MATRIX maintains multiple facilities in the Southern California region.
Since 1970, CLARE|MATRIX has provided quality substance use and mental health treatment to individuals in treatment for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in Southern California.
As an individual contributor under general supervision, or clinical supervision as required, the Field-Based Services (FBS) Behavior Health Clinician (BHC) provides therapy services, care coordination, and crisis intervention in community settings. The BHC delivers trauma-informed, culturally responsive services, completes assessments and treatment plans, and supports program quality through collaboration and mentorship.
This position may have direct reports, as assigned.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function, with or without accommodation. The requirements listed below are representative of the duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
1. Services
1.
Conduct field-based screenings for substance use risk using validated tools to determine service needs and eligibility for outpatient treatment. 2.
Complete intake documentation in the field, gathering relevant background, environmental factors, and immediate needs to inform level-of-care placement. 3.
Provide participants with orientation to available services, expectations, rights, and program processes within community settings, ensuring understanding despite nontraditional environments. 4.
Complete biopsychosocial assessments and ASAM-informed evaluations in the field to determine clinical needs and level of care. 5.
Treatment
Planning: Develop individualized treatment plans that integrate participant goals, ASAM criteria, harm reduction principles, and field-based environmental realities. 6.
Facilitate individual and group counseling using motivational interviewing, harm reduction, relapse prevention, trauma-informed care, and CBT-informed strategies appropriate for field based service delivery. 7.
Crisis
Intervention: Provide high-level crisis intervention for issues such as withdrawal concerns, suicidality, behavioral escalation, and environmental safety risks, engaging emergency support when necessary. 8.
Participant
Education: Educate participants about substance use, relapse prevention, coping strategies, MAT options, harm reduction, and recovery concepts using accessible language and culturally responsive methods. 9.
Refer participants to appropriate levels of care, medical providers, mental health services, housing support, and community partners using warm handoffs and field-based accompaniment when needed. 10.
Engage in case consultation with supervisors, clinical leadership, and partner agencies to ensure high-quality, coordinated care across systems. 11.
MAT
Support: Educate participants on medication-assisted treatment (MAT) options and coordinate linkage with prescribers; support adherence through motivational support and care coordination.
2. Case management
Provide field-based care coordination linking participants to mental health care, medical services, housing resources, and social support systems. 2.
Advocate for participant needs in community settings by working collaboratively with shelter staff, outreach teams, housing providers, medical partners, and allied community agencies. 3.
Resource
Navigation: Assist participants in obtaining IDs, benefits, transportation, and other essential supports necessary for stability and treatment engagement. 4.
Transitions of
Care: Facilitate transitions between levels of care such as OP, IOP, residential treatment, withdrawal management, and may include harm reduction programs. 5.
Discharge
Planning: Develop discharge plans centered on continuity, safety, and recovery supports, even when participants remain in the community or permanent supportive housing settings.
3. Documentation and billing
1.
Complete timely and accurate documentation in the agency EHR consistent with SAPC, DHCS, and agency requirements for field-based services. 2.
Medical
Necessity: Document interventions, risk factors, environmental conditions, and participant progress to establish and maintain medical necessity. 3.
Billing
Compliance: Ensure documentation supports billing for allowable FBS services, following SAPC guidelines for field service delivery. 4.
Maintain strict compliance with HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 when providing services and documenting care in nontraditional, public, or dynamic field environments.
4. Safety and compliance
Carry naloxone or another FDA-approved opioid antagonist medication during all outreach activities unless prohibited by site-specific regulation. 2.
Environmental
Awareness: Recognize environmental hazards in shelters, outdoor settings, and interim housing communities and adapt service delivery accordingly. 3.
Regulatory
Compliance: Deliver services consistent with SAPC Field-Based Service Standards, including cultural competency (CLAS) and confidentiality requirements. 4.
Program
Compliance: Ensures program compliance with all CLARE|MATRIX Policies and Procedures. The BHC must adhere to all state and federal regulations and prioritize participant safety and dignity in all aspects of care. Adhere to and ensure all staff follows all safety rules and regulations. 5.
HIPPA
Compliance: Secures participant information and maintains strict participant confidence by completing and safeguarding medical records and ensuring participant information is kept confidential. 6.
Professional
Behavior: Ensures strict maintenance of professional boundaries following established limits and guidelines for appropriate behavior with participants, ensuring a safe and ethical environment by clearly separating the professional role from personal interactions, and protecting the participant's privacy and dignity. Boundaries typically include but are not limited to personal disclosure limits, physical touch restrictions, and clear communication about the professional nature of the relationship. 7.
Safety
Standards: Ensure health and safety regulations are upheld to CLARE|MATRIX standards, OSHA, CAL-OSHA, and all regulatory requirements. 8.
Incident reports: Complete incident reports timely and in accordance with company and regulatory requirements.
5. Teamwork and collaboration
1.
Collaborate with nurses, therapists, and other clinical providers to communicate participant changes, needs, updates, and progress. Respond to staff and participants in a professional and courteous manner. 2.
Work in close partnership with shelter staff, case managers, street outreach teams, healthcare providers, and behavioral health collaborators to support integrated care. Participate in staff meetings, one-on-one meetings with supervisors, and other meetings as required. 3.
Interdisciplinary
Participation: Participate in case reviews, coordination meetings, safety briefings, and supervision sessions to support program continuity and clinical quality. 4.
May provide guidance and field-based modeling to other FBS counselors or BHCs, supporting development of trauma-informed and community-based counseling skills. 5.
Education and
Training: Participate in ongoing training, team meetings, and certifications to maintain eligibility for the role.
6. Secondary areas of responsibility
Perform other duties as assigned to support field-based operations, agency needs, or clinical services.
7.
BHC I: License-Eligible
BHC II: Licensed
BBS Status: Active, unrestricted AMFT, ASW, or APCC registration
Active, unrestricted LMFT, LCSW, or LPCC license
Hours: Actively accruing 3,000 supervised hours
3,000 supervised hours completed
Supervision: Must practice under BBS-approved supervisor
Authorized to practice without supervision requirement; supervision of BHC I staff may be assigned
Clinical Knowledge: Working knowledge of co-occurring mental health disorders and SUD
Comprehensive knowledge of co-occurring mental health disorders and SUD
Clinical Autonomy: Practices under clinical supervision
Practices without clinical supervision requirement
1.
8. Knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience
1.
Demonstrates understanding of SUD treatment models, ASAM criteria, community-based systems of care, trauma-informed practice, and may include harm reduction principles. 2.
Exhibits strong therapy skills, de-escalation, communication, and documentation skills adaptable to fluid, nontraditional settings. 3.
Maintains professionalism, cultural responsiveness, emotional maturity, and ethical judgment in high-intensity environments. 4.
Shows ability to work effectively in field settings which may include shelters, permanent supportive housing programs, encampments, and outdoor community environments. 5.
Candidates who identify as being in recovery must demonstrate at least one (1) year of continuous sobriety.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is continuously required to talk and hear. Field-Based Services is a high-mobility role, and the employee must be able to walk for extended periods throughout the workday, often several hours at a time, across a variety of community settings which may include shelters, interim housing, permanent supportive housing, street locations, and encampments. The employee must be able to safely navigate long distances, uneven terrain, stairs, outdoor environments, and unpredictable physical conditions while carrying necessary work materials.
The employee is regularly required to stand, bend, and move between different field locations with limited seating access. The employee is frequently required to use hands and fingers to operate mobile devices and documentation tools. The employee may be required to reach overhead or below the waist and may occasionally need to stoop, kneel, or crouch when engaging participants in nontraditional settings. The employee may be required to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 35 pounds, including outreach supplies and safety equipment.
Vision abilities required for this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus in both indoor and outdoor environments. The employee must be able to perform all physical requirements of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. These physical demands represent the essential physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform this job. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.
All employees who have or may have contact with participants, or who work in food preparation, are required to complete a Health Screening Report or Health Questionnaire as part of onboarding. The Health Screening Report must be completed and signed by a licensed medical practitioner to confirm the employee’s ability to safely perform the essential functions of the position. All employees will also complete a confidential self-report health questionnaire in accordance with ADA/FEHA requirements.
A TB test must be completed under licensed medical supervision no more than 60 calendar days prior to hire or within 7 calendar days after hire and must be renewed annually based on the date of the last TB screening.
This position is primarily located in the field in and may involve working in participant-accessible areas, group rooms, offices, and other designated program spaces. The work environment is fast-paced and requires the ability to adapt to changing participant needs and support a supportive program setting. The role involves regular interaction with participants who may exhibit challenging behaviors, including verbal escalations or agitation.
The position requires the ability to operate standard office equipment and complete documentation at a computer workstation. The employee may be required to work in a confined or shared space at times. While performing the responsibilities of the job, the work environment characteristics are representative of those the employee will encounter during assigned duties. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodation will be provided to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship for the Company. Furthermore, job descriptions may change over time as requirements and employee skill levels change. The Company retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.
This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the functions, job responsibilities and expectations of the role. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.
30 am - 5:30 pm 40 Hours
Candidates must be license-eligible (BHC I) or licensed (BHC II) as an AMFT, ASW, APCC, LMFT, LCSW, or LPCC. Experience with high-acuity community populations and the ability to travel independently between field locations are required.
Market context
In California, behavioral-health roles tied to substance use disorder counseling and case management are typically supported by ongoing community and treatment-program demand. These positions are competitive because employers often look for a high school diploma, at least 2 years of SUD counseling or case management experience, and current Registered or Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor status. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to quickly compare fit and note that professional development and paid continuing education are listed as benefits.
