Ellis County Jail-Based Care Coordinator

*** A FULL APPLICATION MUST BE SUBMITTED TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION ***

Ellis County Jail-Based Care Coordinator Job Description

Position’s Role Summary:

NTBHA is the Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA) contracted by Texas Human Services
Commission (HHSC) to provide mental health and substance use disorder services to qualified
indigent consumers in our six-county region of Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, and
Rockwall Counties.

NTBHA is responsible for developing a collaborative system of care for incarcerated adults with
severe mental illness and/or a substance use disorder that are being considered for specialized
mental illness programs and court proceedings.

This position’s actions and work must align with NTBHA values and goals, regulations, and
policies and procedures, and meet all documentation standards and regulatory requirements.
NTBHA is seeking a person with excellent organizational and clinical skills and forensic
experience to provide jail-based assessments and behavioral health services to individuals that
have been incarcerated to ensure continuity of care.

Ellis County Jail-Based Care Coordinators will bridge the potential gap in services between
incarceration and outpatient providers by assisting in providing care for jailed clients in the
NTBHA service area. Their role is to perform complex care coordination and assessment to
assist in identifying strengths and needs to eliminate barriers and to connect incarcerated clients
with mental health providers in an appropriate level of care once they are released. This role
begins while the individual is still incarcerated, and cooperation and coordination with outside
providers and jail administrators is important. The position will also provide limited behavioral
health services, skill training, competency restoration skills training, psychosocial rehab services,
outreach and engagement with released inmates and referrals from patrol, and ensuring access to
care including behavioral health medications. Care Coordinators will also conduct initial
assessments required by the Sandra Bland Act and related laws.

The Ellis County Jail-Based Care Coordinator will actively participate in treatment team
meetings and coordinate with jail mental health providers as well as community partners and
providers to determine the best treatment options and ensure continuity of care from intake to
discharge and through outpatient provider engagement. Intake coordination can include assisting
in the identification of both inpatient and outpatient care of jailed clients prior to incarceration
and assisting the jail mental health provider in accessing this information. Discharge plan
coordination can include referral of clients to appropriate outpatient providers and specialized
teams as well as coordination with mental health courts and providing clinical and social history
information to these organizations; this will also include identification of potential barriers to
engagement and plans for managing these. Follow up responsibilities would include monitoring
engagement of outpatient teams with individuals that have been referred to providers and
released into the community.

Ellis County Jail-Based Care Coordinators will communicate consistently and effectively with
other NTBHA staff regarding clients’ progress, barriers, and needs. They will be expected to
work closely and collaboratively with jail staff, community mental health agencies and relevant
criminal justice personnel such as caseworkers, judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and/or
forensic psychologists and psychiatrists regarding clients’ progress towards release and
engagement in the community.
This position will provide additional skills training, case management, and case monitoring in
conjunction with a client’s existing or planned community agency caseworker. Targeting
identified individual risk and needs relative to reducing recidivism, re-offending, hospitalization
and/or homelessness will be central. The Care Coordinator will utilize NTBHA and HHSC
curriculum and tools to provide for individualized services.

This position may require travel throughout the counties served by NTBHA: Dallas, Ellis,
Rockwall, Kaufman, Navarro, and Hunt. Reliable transportation and valid driver’s license and
car insurance is required. May require cellular availability after hours and flexible work hours to
meet program needs. Responsible for adherence to and compliance with NTBHA policies and
procedures as well as state and federal regulatory codes.

Qualifications required:

Job duties, responsibilities, and skills: