Behavioral Health Clinician I

Description

About Wellness Equity Alliance

Wellness Equity Alliance is a national multidisciplinary health organization that designs and delivers integrated, community-based care for populations most impacted by health inequities. We do this through mobile and field-based models, providing medical care, behavioral health services, substance use treatment, harm reduction, and care coordination in nontraditional settings such as encampments, schools, reentry sites, and rural communities, as well as with sovereign tribal nations. Grounded in trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and data-driven practices, WEA combines clinical expertise, lived experience, and advanced population health analytics to reduce barriers to care, improve continuity, and strengthen local systems. We have partnered with more than 60 public agencies, managed care plans, and community-based organizations across the U.S. to implement scalable, sustainable programs that are advancing health equity and improving outcomes for historically marginalized populations.

We are known as Renegades, Rebels, Disruptors, and Dreamers. If that sounds like you, we want you on our team.

About the Behavioral Health Crisis Walk-In Center

WEA's Behavioral Health Crisis Walk-In Center (CWIC) is located on the behavioral health campus of Riverside University Health System in Indio, CA. It offers 24/7 walk-in, voluntary crisis services for adults and children ages 5 and older. The center is designed to provide immediate, accessible care and serves up to 20 youth and adult patients at a time.

Position Summary

The Behavioral Health Clinician I (Pre-Licensed Associate) is a frontline clinician at the CWIC. Under the required supervision of a licensed clinician, the role provides rapid assessment, crisis intervention, and short-term stabilization for youth, adults, and families with acute behavioral health needs.

This role helps individuals stabilize quickly, engage personal and community supports, and transition safely to ongoing care. Clinicians work in a fast-paced, high-acuity environment and support individuals with standalone or co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges.

The scope of independence, case complexity, and shift-lead responsibility grows with experience and progress toward BBS-supervised hours. Newer associates work closely with supervisor consultation. More experienced associates take on greater independence in risk assessment, support inpatient discharge planning, serve as shift lead more regularly, and mentor newer clinicians.

The Behavioral Health Clinician I works closely with an interdisciplinary team that includes peer support, nursing, psychiatry, and site operations. The clinician also partners with clinical leadership and their assigned supervisors to deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care. This is a high-impact entry point into licensed clinical practice, ideal for associate clinicians who thrive in crisis settings and want to serve vulnerable populations with empathy, structure, and clinical excellence.

Key Highlights

• Compensation: $75,000–$82,000 annually. Placement and increases are based on experience, qualifications, and role scope, and you become eligible for increases upon licensure.
• Work Location & Expectations: This role requires daily in-person work at the Behavioral Health Crisis Walk-In Center in Indio, CA.
• Supervision: Regular individual and group supervision toward BBS-recognized hours for licensure (LCSW, LMFT, or LPCC track).
• Growth Within the Role: As experience and supervised hours accrue, clinicians take on greater case complexity, shift-lead duties, and mentorship of newer associates, and compensation grows accordingly within the posted range.
• Professional Development: Opportunity to collaborate with cross-functional leaders across Behavioral Health, Medical, Street Medicine, Public Health, Rural Health, and Tribal Health initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

1. Crisis Response & Stabilization

• Conduct timely, comprehensive behavioral health assessments for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults.
• Perform suicide and safety risk assessment and planning to support safe care and discharge. Newer associates do this with supervisor consultation, and independence grows as experience and supervised hours accrue.
• Provide crisis counseling, emotional support, and developmentally appropriate therapeutic interventions.
• Support rapid stabilization through short-term, solution-focused care approaches.
• Monitor client progress during the stabilization period and adjust interventions as needed.
• Engage family members and caregivers to promote safety, stabilization, and continuity of care.
• Support individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use concerns through early intervention, psychoeducation, and care linkage.

2. Care Coordination & Transitions

• Develop individualized safety plans and transition plans aligned with patient needs.
• Coordinate referrals and warm handoffs to outpatient mental health services, substance use treatment, youth services, and community-based resources.
• Support discharge planning to inpatient treatment settings with nurses and prescribers as case complexity and experience allow.
• Collaborate with internal team members, including peer support specialists, nurses, prescribers, and operational staff.
• Build and maintain relationships with external partners such as schools, social services, hospitals, and crisis response teams.

3. Team Collaboration & Interdisciplinary Care

• Shift Lead Duties: Based on clinical experience and shift assignment, you may serve as the highest-level Behavioral Health Clinician on shift and act as shift lead in collaboration with the Lead RN, APP, and Site Directors.
• Mentor newer Behavioral Health Clinician associates and give them day-to-day guidance as your experience grows.
• Participate in daily clinical huddles and team-based care coordination.
• Contribute to a collaborative, team-oriented environment focused on patient safety and quality care.
• Communicate effectively with clinical leadership and team members to escalate risks and support care decisions.
• Partner with clinical and operational leadership to support smooth patient flow and care delivery.

4. Documentation & Compliance

• Complete timely, accurate, and thorough documentation of assessments, interventions, and care plans.
• Maintain compliance with program requirements, documentation standards, and applicable regulations.
• Support continuity of care through clear, professional communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support quality review of documentation for newer associates as directed by clinical leadership.

5. Patient & Family Engagement

• Build trust with patients and families through empathetic, culturally responsive care.
• Provide education and support to individuals and caregivers during moments of crisis.
• Promote patient dignity, autonomy, and engagement in care planning.

6. Continuous Improvement & Clinical Excellence

• Apply critical thinking and clinical judgment in high-pressure situations, consulting with a supervisor as needed.
• Participate in quality improvement efforts and feedback loops that strengthen program effectiveness.
• Contribute to a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous improvement, including onboarding support for newer associates as your experience grows.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Associate-level clinician (ACSW, AMFT, or APCC) currently registered in good standing with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) and working toward licensure under supervision.
• 1 or more years of experience providing behavioral health services, crisis intervention, or counseling. Placement higher in the pay range requires 2–4+ years of experience and demonstrated progress toward BBS-supervised hour requirements.
• Experience supporting individuals in acute distress, including mental health crises and/or substance use challenges.
• Strong crisis de-escalation, assessment, and stabilization skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-acuity environment.
• Excellent communication, organization, and teamwork skills.
• Willingness to work 12-hour shifts and meet minimum availability expectations for daytime, overnight, weekend, and holiday shifts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in crisis settings such as a crisis walk-in center, CSU, ED, urgent care, or community crisis program.
• Experience working with youth and family systems.
• Experience supporting individuals with co-occurring (dual diagnosis) conditions.
• Experience with care coordination and discharge planning.
• Prior experience mentoring or informally supervising junior staff.
• Bilingual (Spanish strongly preferred).
• Lanterman-Petris-Short Act (LPS)/5150 designation in Riverside County.
• Familiarity with local community mental health and social service resources.
• Proficiency with electronic health records (EHRs).

Key Competencies

• Crisis assessment, de-escalation, and stabilization.
• Trauma-informed and culturally responsive care.
• Care coordination, scaling from routine to more complex cases with experience.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to remain calm and effective under pressure.
• Team-based care and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Clinical judgment and adaptability in dynamic environments, with active use of supervision.

Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Because we serve a diverse community in the Coachella Valley, we actively encourage applications from people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with unique recovery backgrounds. Individuals with shared life experience are encouraged to apply.

Third-Party Recruiting Notice: Wellness Equity Alliance does not currently accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from third-party recruiters, staffing agencies, search firms, or other external recruiting vendors. Please do not contact hiring managers or members of our People & Culture team regarding recruitment services unless you have an existing agreement with WEA.

Any unsolicited resumes or candidate information submitted without a current, authorized agreement will be considered the property of Wellness Equity Alliance, and no placement fee or other compensation will be owed in connection with any resulting hire.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.