Mental Health Specialist (Detox)

Mental Health Specialist (Detox)

Salary

$18.95 - $30.25 Hourly

Location

HS- BARC Central, 325 SW 28th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

1414769

Department

Human Svcs BARC Detox

Opening Date

10/15/2026

Closing Date

10/21/2026 5:00 PM Eastern

Veterans Preference Notice

Under Section 295.07, Florida Statutes, certain servicemembers and veterans, and the spouses and family members of such servicemembers and veterans, receive preference and priority, and certain servicemembers may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements, in employment with Broward County and are encouraged to apply for the positions being filled.

International Degree Verification

International degrees must be evaluated by an approved member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) www.naces.org/members or the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE) https://aice-eval.org/endorsed-members. Candidates are responsible for all evaluation expenses. Completed evaluations do not guarantee employment and are subject to approval by Broward County Human Resources.

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

REQUIREMENTS AND PREFERENCES

Broward Addiction Recovery Center (BARC) provides comprehensive services for adults affected by substance use and co-occurring disorders. Through compassionate, confidential care and collaboration with community providers, BARC delivers individual, group, and family interventions that support clients throughout their recovery journey.

2026 Benefits of Broward County Employment

Eleven (11) paid holidays each year

Vacation (Paid Time Off) = 2 weeks per year

Tuition Reimbursement (Up to 2K annually)

Up to 40 hours of Job Basis Leave for eligible positions

Paid Parental Leave

Health Benefits

High-Deductible Health Plan - bi-weekly premiums: Employee $10.90 / Family $80.79

Includes a County Funded Health Savings Account of up to $2,000 Annually

Consumer Driven Health Plan - bi-weekly premiums: Employee $82.58 / Family $286.79

Florida Retirement System (FRS) - Pension or Investment Plan

457 Deferred Compensation County matches up to $2,000 a year

General Description

The Mental Health Specialist provides direct support to clients by maintaining a safe therapeutic environment, assisting with daily program activities, monitoring client behavior, and delivering supportive interventions that promote recovery and stabilization. The role includes accurate documentation, crisis response, and collaboration with interdisciplinary staff to ensure consistent, client-centered care.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Requires one (1) year working with the substance abuse/mental health population providing support services.

Special Certifications and Licenses

Must possess and maintain a valid Florida drivers license.

Special Requirements

This position is an evening shift (3pm - 11:30pm 5 days a week, INCLUDING every other weekend) and will include nights/weekends/holidays, subject to change based on business needs.

Position is located on site.

Preferences

• Certified Recovery Peer Specialist (CRPS) or similar through the Florida Certification Board
• Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC) Certification or other applicable Florida Certification Board Certifications
• Evidence-based Practice Certification as a certified trainer in Whole Health Action Management (WHAM) and/or Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP)
• Bilingual English/Spanish or English/Creole
• Associates, Bachelors, or Masters degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in human services or closely related field.

SCOPE OF WORK

Duties and Responsibilities

The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this class. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the job as necessary.

• Supports a safe and therapeutic environment by conducting regular patient safety checks, monitoring and documenting client behavior, performing room and personal belonging searches, and promptly reporting concerns.
• Assists with patient intake, triage, admission, orientation, and discharge processes, including verifying information, explaining program expectations, preparing documentation, and coordinating schedules.
• Checks and records vital signs; assists with medication monitoring for compliance; performs urine drug screens, pregnancy tests, and other assessments at the direction of medical staff.
• Maintains accurate, timely, and confidential documentation in electronic health records and prepares required reports using computer-based systems.
• Facilitates or co-facilitates educational and therapeutic groups; monitors dining areas; supports patients during daily program routines; and provides supervised case management activities as assigned.
• Provides supportive interventions, assists with activities of daily living and skill-building, encourages participation in treatment activities, and helps patients build formal and informal support networks.
• Accompanies patients to hospitals, appointments, and therapeutic recreation activities, and supports community participation and integration.
• Participates in team treatment planning, interdisciplinary staff meetings, shift reports, and required training sessions.
• Models self-advocacy, adaptive communication, professional integrity, mutual respect, and organizational values in all interactions.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Competencies

• Action Oriented:

Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm. Takes timely action on important or difficult issues. Identifies and pursues new opportunities that benefit the organization.

• Plans and Aligns:

Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals. Outlines clear plans that put actions in a logical sequence; conveys some time frames. Aligns own work with relevant workgroups. Takes some steps to reduce bottlenecks and speed up the work.

• Interpersonal Savvy:

Relates openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people. Recognizes even subtle social cues and nimbly responds to others needs and preferences. Helps to defuse difficult interpersonal situations by showing high levels of tact, sensitivity, and consideration. Builds rapport with ease.

• Communicates Effectively:

Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences. Listens attentively and takes an interest. Keeps others well informed; conveys information clearly, concisely, and professionally when speaking or writing.

• Demonstrates Self-Awareness:

Uses a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and weaknesses. Seeks and reflects on feedback; actively integrates and applies key insights to enhance effectiveness. Clearly understands own impact on others and willingly makes adjustments when needed.

• Self-Development:

Actively seeks new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels. Takes advantage of available opportunities to update knowledge, skills, and abilities and to apply them on the job. Seeks guidance concerning opportunities and resources for continuous learning and development.

• Manages Ambiguity:

Operates effectively, even when things are not certain or the way forward is not clear. Embraces change, staying focused, positive, and effective. Addresses problems without clear solutions, making substantial progress.

• Situational Adaptability:

Adapts approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations. Serves as an example of adaptability and provides guidance and support to help others adapt to new situations. Considers the needs of clients, constituents, and the organization; shifts priorities appropriately.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Physical Demands

Physical demands refer to the requirements for physical exertion and coordination of limb and body movement.

Performs light work that involves walking or standing most of the time and involves exerting up to 20 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis, or skill, adeptness and speed in the use of fingers, hands or limbs on repetitive operation of electronic office equipment within moderate tolerances or limits of accuracy.

Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment)

Unavoidable hazards refer to the job conditions that may lead to injury or health hazards even though precautions have been taken.

None.

SPECIAL INFORMATION

County Core Values

All Broward County employees strive to demonstrate the Countys four core behavioral competencies.

• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Customer focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Instills trust: Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Values differences: Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.

Copyright 2025 Korn Ferry. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance

Broward County is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusion. Broward County is committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. We support the hiring of people with disabilities; therefore, if you require assistance due to a disability, please contact the Professional Standards Section in advance at 954-357-6500 or email Profstandards@broward.org to make an accommodation request.

County-wide Emergency Responsibilities

Note: During emergency conditions, all County employees are automatically considered emergency service workers. County employees are subject to being called to work in the event of a disaster, such as a hurricane, or other emergency situation and are expected to perform emergency service duties, as assigned.

County-wide Employee Responsibilities

All Broward County employees must serve the public and fellow employees with honesty and integrity in full accord with the letter and spirit of Broward Countys Employee Code of Ethics, gift, and conflict of interest policies.

All Broward County employees must establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public, co-workers, elected and appointed officials and members of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, political affiliation, familial status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or gender identity and expression.

Broward is a dynamic county that offers an exciting, stable career with incredible employee benefits such as 11 annual holidays, accrued annual/vacation and sick leave, FRS retirement, $50,000 of County-paid life insurance, training and development, and participation eligibility in a deferred compensation (457) plan with a match up to $2,000. In addition, Broward County offers 2 health plans, a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a County-funded Health Savings Account (HSA), and a Consumer Driven Health plan (CDH), Dental insurance, Vision insurance and Section 125 Flexible spending accounts for Medical Expenses and Dependent Care. Employees who are hired into a full-time, or part-time position working 20 hours per week, are considered benefits-eligible. Benefits become effective on the first of the month following 30 days of employment. Additional information about Broward County Benefits.

01

How many years of experience do you have working with the substance abuse/mental health population providing support services?

• Less than 1 year
• 1-3 years
• 4-6 years
• 7 or more years

02

Will you have a valid FL Class E Driver's License at time of appointment and able to obtain and maintain authorization to drive on County business?

• Yes
• No

03

This position is an evening shift. The current schedule is 3pm - 11:30pm, 5 days a week, INCLUDING every other weekend and subject change based on business needs. Are you able to meet these scheduling requirements?

• Yes
• No

04

This role is fully onsite and cannot be performed remotely. Do you confirm that you are able and willing to work onsite during all scheduled work hours?

• Yes
• No

05

Please summarize your education and experience in addiction, substance use, and mental health services, including your time providing direct client care or working as a Mental Health Technician.

06

What interests you about this position and in working with the substance use population and what do you think is the most challenging factor in working with the substance use and/or criminal justice population?

07

On a scale of 1-5, with five being the best, how would you rate your computer skills? What software programs are you familiar with? What Electronic Health Record System have you worked with?

08

Are you familiar with Joint Commission or CARF accreditation? What has been your involvement with the (re)accreditation process?

09

Please describe your experience performing urine drug screenings, including collection methods, adherence to chain of custody standards, documentation, and reporting processes.

Required Question

Employer Broward County

Address 115 S. Andrews Ave.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33301-4800

Phone (954) 831-4000

Website http://www.broward.org/careers