The Behavioral Health Division in the Health Services Department is requesting to add one (1) Mental Health Specialist II position, one (1) Mental Health Community Support Worker II position, and one (1) Substance Abuse Counselor position. These positions will be assigned to the Behavioral Health Division’s Housing Services Program which provides mentally ill adults with a continuum of housing care and mental health services from the least restrictive to locked facility settings. The Housing Services Program offers a large spectrum of resources ranging from the inpatient psychiatric setting, where medical necessity drives the decision-making process – to community placements which include crisis residential treatment, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and homeless shelters. The addition of these positions will provide intensive outpatient mobile crisis stabilization and mental health support to clients receiving services through the Housing Services Program. The Mental Health Specialist II will provide intensive support, crisis intervention, and stabilization to prevent community crises. The Mental Health Community Support Worker II will perform similar duties alongside the Mental Health Specialist II and will provide support from a peer perspective. The Substance Abuse Counselor will provide substance use counseling and stabilization. The addition of these positions will help mentally ill residents with the necessary mental health support and linkages to appropriate community services.

If this action is not approved, the Behavioral Health Division's Housing Services Program will struggle to provide the necessary intensive behavioral health and substance use services to their clients in a timely manner.