Class Description and Minimum Qualifications for C4J - Clinical Behavioral Specialist

Class Description

Valid as of: July 1, 2015

This class series uses two levels in the Health Care Services Occupational Group and describes work in the psychology and mental health care fields. Positions in this class series apply the principles, theories, and practices of the fields of psychology and counseling. This class series is distinguished from the psychologist class series, in part, by the lack of licensure as a psychologist.

Clinical behavioral specialists investigate, identify, and measure the mental health and behavioral characteristics of clients; recommend treatment, rehabilitation, or habilitation procedures; and participate in or provide treatment delivery to clients. Duties include, but are not limited to, administering and scoring a variety of aptitude, achievement, intelligence, and personality tests to provide behavioral and mental evaluations of clients; using clinical interviews to assess clients; participating in the development of or developing treatment approaches to be applied to clients, often as a member of a multidisciplinary team; providing behavioral therapy and psychotherapy treatment to clients; and, preparing various evaluative reports on clients and the results of interpreted test scores or interviews. Some positions work in security settings where the positions follow policies and procedures to ensure the safety of themselves and others.

CLINICAL BEHAVIORAL SPECIALIST II C4J1XX

Concept of Class

Positions in this class have increased responsibility for diagnosing a client's treatment needs through tests and clinical interviews, recommending specific treatment modalities, participating in a client's rehabilitation or treatment program, or acting as the primary provider of treatment.

Factors

Allocation must be based on meeting all of the three factors as described below.

Decision Making 

The decisions regularly made are at the process level, as described here. Within limits set by professional behavioral needs measurement and care standards, the agency's available technology and resources, and behavioral care program objectives and regulations established by a higher management level, choices involve determining the evaluation and measurement process and determining the treatment processes. For example, a position utilizes a clinical interview to establish a diagnosis and treatment plan for a client. The general pattern, program, or system exists but must be individualized. This individualization requires analysis of client data that is complicated. Analysis is breaking the client's problem or case into parts, examining these parts, and reaching conclusions that result in evaluative or treatment processes. This examination requires the application of known and established psychological theory, principles, conceptual models, professional standards, and precedents in order to determine their relationship to the problem. New protocols, processes, or objectives require approval of higher management. For example, a position applies general admission criteria to decide that a potential client would be suitable for treatment in a unit and then decides on a specific evaluation or measurement process for the client.

Complexity 

The nature of, and need for, analysis and judgment is patterned, as described here. Positions study client information to determine what it means and how it fits together in order to get practical solutions in the form of client measurements and evaluations. For example, a position uses agency guidelines and professional standards in deciding to hospitalize a client involuntarily. Measurement and testing guidelines in the form of agency protocols and procedures exist for most client situations. Judgment is needed in locating and selecting the most appropriate of these guidelines which may change for varying client circumstances as the evaluation or measurement task is repeated. This selection and interpretation of guidelines involves choosing from alternatives where all are correct but one is better than another depending on the given circumstances of the client or situation. For example, a bank of testing devices and clinical interview techniques are all appropriate for a client, but given the client's focus and attitude, one testing device or technique is the most appropriate to apply.

Line/Staff Authority 

The direct field of influence the work of a position has on the organization is as an individual contributor. The individual contributor may explain work processes and train others. The individual contributor may serve as a resource or guide by advising others on how to use processes within a system or as a member of a collaborative problem-solving team. This level may include positions performing supervisory elements that do not fully meet the criteria for the next level in this factor.

CLINICAL BEHAVIORAL SPECIALIST III C4J2XX

Concept of Class

This class describes formal, first level, unit supervision over professional mental health positions, as described in the descriptions of occupational work. The Clinical Behavioral Specialist III differs from the Clinical Behavioral Specialist II on the Complexity, Line/Staff Authority, and possibly Purpose of Contact factors.

Factors

Allocation must be based on meeting all of the three factors as described below.

Decision Making 

The decisions regularly made are at the process level. Within limits set by professional mental health standards, the agency's available technology and resources, client care program objectives and regulations established by a higher management level, choices involve determining the service delivery processes. Such processes include designing the set of specific operations involved in assessment, planning and delivering client care through counseling and therapeutic approaches. Within general guidelines, employees in this class determine client needs for services and decide, on an individual client basis, how those services may best be provided (e.g., through individual or group counseling). The general pattern, program or system exists but must be individualized for varying clients’ needs. This individualization requires analysis of client data that are complicated. Analysis includes breaking the client's problem or case into parts, examining these parts and reaching conclusions that result in client treatment plans and the delivery of needed services and counseling to clients and families. This examination requires the application of known and established mental health theories, principles, conceptual models, professional standards and precedents to determine their relationship to the client's need for services.

Complexity 

The nature of, and need for, analysis and judgment is formulative. Employees in this class evaluate the relevance and importance of mental health theories, concepts and principles to tailor them to develop a different service delivery approach or tactical plan to fit specific client population or unit circumstances. While general agency policy, precedents or nonspecific practices exist, they are inadequate so they are relevant only through approximation or analogy. In conjunction with theories, concepts, and principles, employees use judgment and resourcefulness in tailoring the existing guidelines so they can be applied to particular circumstances and to deal with emergencies. For example, employees alter processes to deliver client services to meet the needs of teaching or research functions of a facility. The mere application of theory and method is inadequate for rating at this level. Positions must have command of the full range of behavioral theories, methods, practices and principles such that they may evaluate and interpret the relevance of such constructs to varying assignments or programs.

Line/Staff Authority 

The direct field of influence the work of a position has on the organization is as a unit supervisor. The unit supervisor is accountable, including signature authority, for actions and decisions that directly impact the pay, status and tenure of three or more full-time equivalent positions. At least one of the subordinate positions must be in the Clinical Behavioral Specialist, Social Worker or Substance Abuse Counselor class series or at a comparable conceptual level. The elements of formal supervision must include providing documentation to support recommended corrective and disciplinary actions, signing performance plans and appraisals and resolving informal grievances. Positions start the hiring process, interview applicants, and recommend hire, promotion or transfer.

Entrance Requirements

Minimum entry requirements and general competencies for classes in this series are contained in the State of Colorado Department of Personnel web site.

For purposes of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the essential functions of specific positions are identified in the position description questionnaires and job analyses.

History of Changes Made to Class Description

The​ ​following​ ​is​ ​a​ ​summary​ ​of​ ​changes​ ​made​ ​to​ ​this​ ​class description.

Effective July 1, 2018

Update the Class Code of C4J1TX to C4J1X, C4J2XX per administrative updates.

June 30, 2015

Updated and removed the purpose of contact.

Effective July 1, 2003

Abolished vacant Clinical Behavioral Specialist I (C4J1). Published proposed 2/20/2003.

Effective July 1, 2001

Change in class code only. Draft published 2/21/2001, proposed 5/10/2001, and final 7/1/2001.

Effective September 15, 1996

Addition of supervisory level. Published as proposed 8/15/1996.

Effective September 1, 1993

Job Evaluation System Revision project. Published as proposed 5/24/1993.

Revised July 1, 1982

Minimum qualifications changed.

January 1, 1975

Created.

Summary of Factor Ratings

Minimum Qualifications

Valid as of: August 29, 2023

This​ ​document​ ​includes​ ​the​ ​following​ ​levels:
 

CLINICAL BEHAVIORAL SPECIALIST II (C4J1XX)

Experience Only:

Eight (8) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position.

OR

Education and Experience:

A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position equal to eight (8) years.

CLINICAL BEHAVIORAL SPECIALIST III (C4J2XX)

Experience Only:

Nine (9) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position.

OR

Education and Experience:

A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position equal to nine (9) years.

History of Changes Made to Minimum Qualification

The​ ​following​ ​is​ ​a​ ​summary​ ​of​ ​changes​ ​made​ ​to​ ​this​ ​minimum​ ​qualification.

Aug. 29, 2023 (Whole Document)

• New format (updating to adhere to accessibility standards)
• Updated minimum qualifications to align with the Skills-based Hiring initiative

July 1, 2018 (C4J3XX Changed to C4J2XX)

Review and correction of the classification codes to align with the 2018-19 pay plan and compensation grades approved by the CHRO.

Jul. 1, 2018 (C4J2XX Changed to C4J1XX)

Review and correction of the classification codes to align with the 2018-19 pay plan and compensation grades approved by the CHRO.

Oct 16, 2017 (Whole Document)

Made formatting changes.

Mar. 20, 2017 (Whole Document)

• Part of the 2017 MQ Project
• New format
• Conditions of employment (COEs) have been removed from the minimum qualifications statement. COEs are position specific, and should be documented in the position description (PD) and job analysis. Further, all COEs should be placed in the Conditions of Employment section of the job announcement
• Translated the substitution statements and reapplied to the concept of entry into the class
• Rewrote the MQ to require the bachelor’s degree, will continue to allow for the substitutions
• Translated the experience requirements, leaving the substitution for additional education for experience requirements
• Removed language regarding certification/licensure. If required, this may be added as a special qualification, as justified by the position description