Mental Health Program Specialist

Distinguishing Characteristics of Work

Caseflow management is a process to monitor the time and events involved in the movement of a case through the court system from the point of initiation to disposition. The program specialist is responsible for following time standards set by Florida Statute for expeditious case dispositions. The program specialist will be assigned to a specific division(s) and will work with the judge(s) in that division to help manage the cases. This will be accomplished by following mechanisms such as early screening, creation of event deadlines and continuous oversight and measurement of progress. The program specialist also may perform some of the following tasks:

• Monitors requests for mental health evaluations for Circuit and County Criminal Court.
• Prepares and processes orders for competency and intellectual disability evaluations.  Monitors completion of evaluations and distributes evaluations to participants.
• Attends hearings and provides information to the Court about pending and completed evaluations.
• Updates and maintains manual and/or automated case management system.
• Monitors and tracks cases of defendants on conditional release. Prepares orders for judges’ signatures.
• Prepares hospital commitment orders for judges’ signatures and defendants’ case information for Broward Sheriff’s Office. Sets up transportation of defendants to and from the hospital.
• Identifies events and trends which impact negatively upon the timely progress of the case and provides reports to the Court and Administration.
• Maintains statistical data and records regarding activities conducted; maintains accurate records and filing of all work processed.
• Performs related work as required.
• Provides case management for Mental Health Diversion Court and Veterans Court.
   

Education & Training Guidelines

Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, criminal justice, or related field; supplemented by two years of supervised experience in legal case management that provides considerable knowledge of the court system and judicial process, with an emphasis in mental health and legal case management. Master’s degree may substitute for a portion of the required experience.

Additional relevant experience may substitute for the recommended educational level on a year-for-year basis.
 

Knowledge Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of court case management principles.
• Knowledge of community resources and ability to make appropriate referrals.
• Knowledge of Florida Statutes Chapter 916.
• Knowledge of courtroom protocol for mental health court hearings.
• Ability to interact effectively with professional and support staff.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively and make written and oral presentations to Judges and community representatives.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion concerning case management.
• Ability to use personal computer, word processing and software applications.
• Ability to analyze data and case information.
• Ability to identify problems and make recommendations for improvements.
• Ability to establish work priorities and meet deadlines.
• Timeliness and attendance are essential functions of the job.