Behavioral Health Specialist - Crosswalk in Spokane, Washington at Volunteers of America Eastern Washington

Crosswalk Youth Shelter
Regular Full-Time | Hourly, Non-Exempt

Crosswalk Youth Shelter is a WA DCYF-licensed youth shelter serving young people experiencing homelessness, housing instability, trauma, behavioral health challenges, substance use concerns, family conflict, and crisis.

We are looking for a Behavioral Health Specialist to join our Crosswalk team. This is a master’s-level behavioral health role designed for someone actively enrolled in a graduate program in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Psychology, Marriage & Family Therapy, Behavioral Health, or a closely related field.

This role is a strong fit for someone who wants real-world behavioral health experience in a youth shelter setting, with clinical supervision, team support, and meaningful hands-on work with young people who need consistency, patience, and practical support.

As the Behavioral Health Specialist, you will provide brief behavioral health support, skill-building, psychoeducation, care coordination, crisis support, and warm handoffs under the supervision of a Licensed or Associate Licensed Clinician. This role does not provide independent clinical diagnosis or unsupervised clinical treatment.

When youth are overwhelmed, guarded, escalated, or unsure who to trust, you help create calm, connection, and next steps.

• Provide brief behavioral health support and supportive counseling under clinical supervision.
• Support youth with emotional regulation, coping skills, behavioral stabilization, problem-solving, and crisis prevention.
• Facilitate psychoeducational groups, skill-building groups, and therapeutic activities.
• Use trauma-informed, strengths-based, culturally responsive, and person-centered approaches.
• Respond to behavioral health concerns, participant conflict, emotional escalation, and crisis situations in partnership with program staff and clinical leadership.
• Provide behavioral health screening, supported referrals, care coordination, and warm handoffs.
• Build trusting relationships with youth through consistent engagement in the shelter environment.
• Collaborate with shelter staff, supervisors, licensed clinicians, housing specialists, care coordinators, peer supports, and community providers.
• Assist youth in navigating behavioral health, medical, educational, employment, housing, and community support systems.
• Participate in care coordination meetings, case consultations, staff meetings, training, and supervision.
• Complete timely, accurate, and clinically appropriate documentation in accordance with Medicaid, agency, OHY, and program requirements, with training and clinical supervision provided.
• Support data collection and reporting connected to the youth shelter and integrated behavioral health programming.

Minimum qualifications:

• Must be actively enrolled and in good standing in a master’s degree program in:
  • Social Work
  • Mental Health Counseling
  • Psychology
  • Marriage & Family Therapy
  • Behavioral Health
  • Or a closely related human services field
• Must be 21 years of age or older due to WA DCYF licensing requirements for this youth shelter position.
• Ability to obtain an AAC credential within 30 days of hire.
• Minimum of one year of experience working with youth, young adults, homelessness, behavioral health, substance use, or vulnerable populations preferred.

You will also need:

• Strong interpersonal and therapeutic engagement skills.
• Ability to build rapport with youth experiencing trauma, instability, crisis, or system fatigue.
• Ability to stay calm, grounded, and professional in a fast-moving shelter environment.
• Strong crisis intervention and de-escalation skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively within an interdisciplinary team.
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries, confidentiality, and ethical practice standards.
• Openness to clinical feedback, reflective practice, and ongoing professional growth.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive care.

• Shelter, residential, behavioral health, youth services, outreach, crisis response, or integrated care experience.
• Experience providing behavioral health support, psychoeducation, skill-building, or crisis intervention.
• Familiarity with trauma-informed care, harm reduction, strengths-based care, and person-centered practices.
• Experience working with high-acuity youth or young adults.
• Experience with Medicaid documentation, HMIS, electronic health records, or behavioral health documentation systems.

This is a full-time position, typically working 40 hours per week. Crosswalk operates as a 24/7 residential youth shelter, so schedules may vary and may include day, evening, weekend, and occasional holiday hours based on participant and program needs.

• 8 paid holidays plus up to 5 floating holidays
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, approx. $12,000–$15,000 annual value
• Employer-paid life insurance and long-term disability, approx. $1,500–$2,500 annual value
• Generous PTO, including sick leave and vacation
• 403(b) retirement plan
• PSLF-eligible employer
• Ongoing training and professional development
• Free electric vehicle charging at our main location

At Crosswalk, behavioral health support happens in real life — in shelter spaces, during hard conversations, after conflict, in moments of crisis, and in the small windows where a young person is willing to engage.

The Behavioral Health Specialist helps create those moments of connection. You bring clinical learning, calm presence, practical support, and a belief that young people deserve care that is steady, respectful, and rooted in dignity.

We use AI tools to help us draft and format job postings so they are clear, consistent, and easier to read. But when it comes to your application, we believe people should review people.

AI is not used to screen, rank, or make hiring decisions. Our hiring team reads applications, reviews screener responses, and takes time to understand each candidate’s experience, skills, and interest in the role.