Assessment Specialist

Description

The Assessment Specialist is a licensed clinician responsible for the clinical assessment, intake, and admission process for individuals seeking Rise Recovery services. This position evaluates substance use, mental health, suicide and safety risk, and other presenting needs to determine clinical appropriateness and connect individuals to the appropriate program, service, or external level of care. The Assessment Specialist serves as a key clinical entry point into the organization and supports timely, safe, and appropriate access to care.

Essential Job Functions

• Conduct comprehensive clinical assessments and intake interviews to evaluate substance use, mental health, medical, psychosocial, family, environmental, and recovery-support needs.
• Assess for suicidal ideation, self-harm, overdose risk, withdrawal concerns, acute mental health symptoms, and other safety risks; initiate established crisis, escalation, or emergency response procedures when indicated.
• Apply clinical judgment, approved assessment tools, ASAM criteria, DSM-5 classifications, and established program criteria to determine clinical needs, service eligibility, and appropriate level of care.
• Determine appropriate disposition following assessment, including admission to Rise Recovery services, referral to the appropriate internal program or clinical department, or referral to an external provider when needs exceed the organization's scope of services.
• Facilitate the admission and intake process for clinically appropriate participants, ensuring required clinical information and documentation are complete prior to transition into services.
• Develop initial clinical, treatment, and recovery recommendations based on assessment findings and communicate relevant needs and recommendations to the receiving care team.
• Educate participants and families regarding assessment outcomes, recommended services, available programs, expectations, referral options, and next steps in the admission or care process.
• Collaborate with clinicians, program staff, referral sources, and community providers to support appropriate placement, continuity of care, and coordinated transitions between services.
• Complete accurate, objective, and timely documentation of assessments, risk screenings, clinical determinations, admissions, referrals, and related activities in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) in accordance with organizational, regulatory, licensing, funding, and accreditation requirements.
• Provide clinical documentation and information necessary to support authorization, funding, admission, and continuity-of-care requirements within the scope of the position.
• Maintain current knowledge of Rise Recovery programs, eligibility criteria, levels of service, community behavioral health resources, and referral options necessary to make appropriate clinical recommendations
• Monitor assessment, intake, admission, and referral activity and communicate trends, barriers to access, service gaps, or program-capacity concerns to clinical leadership.
• Participate in clinical consultation and interdisciplinary case review when complex presentations, safety concerns, or placement decisions require additional clinical consideration.
• Contribute clinical expertise to the ongoing development and improvement of assessment, intake, admission, and referral practices to support quality, compliance, efficiency, and participant access to care.

Requirements

Required

• Current Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) license in good standing in the State of Texas.
• Minimum of three (3) years of professional experience in substance use disorder treatment, behavioral health, clinical assessment, intake, or a related service environment.
• Experience conducting clinical assessments, screenings, intakes, or determining appropriate services and referrals based on presenting needs.
• Working knowledge of substance use disorders, co-occurring mental health concerns, recovery principles, and behavioral health treatment and support services.
• Knowledge of ASAM criteria, DSM-5 substance use disorder classifications, and applicable Texas requirements governing substance use disorder counseling and treatment.
• Demonstrated ability to recognize and appropriately respond to suicidal ideation, self-harm concerns, overdose risk, withdrawal symptoms, acute mental health concerns, and other clinical safety risks within professional scope of practice.
• Ability to exercise sound clinical judgment, synthesize assessment information, and make appropriate recommendations regarding services, placement, and referrals.
• Strong clinical interviewing, documentation, interpersonal communication, organization, problem-solving, time-management, and attention-to-detail skills.
• Ability to maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation within an Electronic Health Record (EHR).
• Ability to maintain all continuing education, licensing, and professional requirements applicable to the position.

Preferred

• Master's degree in Counseling, Social Work, Psychology, Behavioral Health, or a related clinical field.
• Advanced or additional behavioral health licensure or credentialing applicable to the position.
• Five (5) or more years of experience in substance use disorder treatment or behavioral health services.
• Experience working specifically in clinical assessment, admissions, intake, crisis screening, or clinical triage.
• Experience assessing and supporting individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs.
• Familiarity with community behavioral health resources, treatment providers, and referral networks.
• Experience working within recovery-oriented programs serving adolescents, young adults, adults, and/or families.
• Personal or family experience with long-term recovery.