Description SUMMARY: The Community Support for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness (CSPECH) Worker is an integral part of the Program Team. The CSPECH Worker will perform, but is not limited to, the following duties: administration of program record-keeping, conducting interviews, intakes, developing, implementing and monitoring individualized service plans, case reviews, and advocacy. This position requires home visits and community outreach. This position requires a flexible schedule including 1st and 2nd shifts. The agency has the right to change shifts based on the needs of the organization. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Position Specific Duties
- Perform street outreach to engage the most vulnerable chronically homeless persons.
- Conduct screening and intake interviews to determine consumer eligibility for services.
- Provide consumer program orientation on services and requirements.
- Conduct confidential, quality assessments that are gender and culturally responsive and trauma informed.
- Develop, implement, and monitor an individualized treatment/service plan with each assigned consumer using collaborative information from all sources to develop short and long-term goals.
- Assist consumers with locating, obtaining, and maintaining housing while advocating and mediating with landlords.
- Possess knowledge of effective treatment modalities such as cognitive therapy, motivational interviewing and trauma informed techniques and Integrated Treatment in individual, group and family sessions.
- Meet, collaborate and coordinate services with probation/parole, employment and educational agencies, Department of Children and Families (DCF), human services providers, medical and primary care, clinical mental/behavioral health, and family support.
- Link consumers to services provided by community-based organizations such as peer support groups, legal services, nutritional counseling, HIV rapid-retesting and Hepatitis B and C testing and other sexually transmitted infections.
- Assist consumers with enrollment to obtain health insurance, Medicaid and other benefits such as SNAP, SSI/SSDI and TANF.
- Provide consumer education in finances, housing stability, behavioral and primary health, life skills and all aspects of addiction and related life domains.
- Provide crisis intervention by assessing severity of the episode, de-escalating the consumer, referring to the emergency response team as needed, and developing a safety plan to assist in resolving the crisis.
- Assist with resume writing, interview skills, employment search and enrollment into employment/educational programs.
- Develop and coordinate discharge planning with consumer, family, housing, and other community providers.
- Maintain an ongoing awareness of consumer's mental health status adding services to maintain a therapeutic level of care as need change.
- Ability to climb at least three flights of stairs to visit consumers in their homes.
- Ability to respond to emergency situations by placing calls to Fire, Rescue, Police, and Medical, etc.
Administrative Tasks:
- Complete all required paperwork including monthly statistical data of case contacts, pre-authorizations, billing as required.
- Perform program recordkeeping and filing, and organize vital documents.
- Provide telephone coverage for the assigned program and direct calls to other programs as needed.
- Participate in required supervisions, staff meetings and trainings.
- Participate and cooperate in any investigations conducted by internal and external agencies.
- Ability to use a computer including inputting information into data systems.
Compliance Requirements:
- Remain awake during your shift at all times.
- Attend all mandatory trainings and update all licenses and certifications.
- Adhere to program/project/department requirements and services.
- Follow all reporting guidelines by deadlines including the completion of a Confidential Incident Report.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: The CSPECH Worker must perform each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. The qualifications listed below are representative of the knowledge/skill and/or ability required.
- Bachelor's Degree in behavioral sciences from an accredited college or university is required or a waiver has been submitted to the funder/insurance company and approved.
- Minimum of two years of related work experience providing services to homeless individuals and families affected by mental health and/or substance use disorders.
- Good working knowledge of computers, electronic health records and data collection.
- Requires valid driver's license due to business-related travel at least 50% of the time.
WORK ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTS: The work environment requirements are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.
- The work noise level is that of an average busy home.
- Ensure safety through fire drills and emergency evacuations.
- Ensure a safe workplace to reduce potential risk of violence.
- Ensure a safe and clean program addressing and communicating any facility issues.
- Observe all health and safety requirements including Tuberculosis (TB) screening.
- Abide by the Hazard Communication policy and the disposal of hazardous waste.
- Abide by the Bloodbourne Pathogens/Universal Precautions policy and procedure.
- Adhere to all emergency evacuation procedures.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The physical requirements are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Requires good vision (the ability to see) either with or without various assistive devices.
- Requires the ability to hear either with or without various assistive devices.
- Requires the ability to communicate information effectively to others both verbally and in writing.
- Some manual dexterity is required in carrying out applicable aspects of position responsibilities.
- Some manipulative ability is required in carrying out applicable aspects of position responsibilities.
- Position requires overall light physical effort.
- Frequent climbing of stairs is required in carrying out applicable aspects of position responsibilities.
- Ability to quickly move throughout the facility in carrying out applicable aspects of position responsibilities
- Ability to quickly perform emergency-type actions as needed (Police, Fire, Medical, etc.)