Outreach Case Manager - Day, COAT

Description

Days Off: Saturday, Sunday

Shift: Day (9:00am-5:30pm)

Insurance Benefits: Dental, Life, Long-term Disability, Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage)

Other Benefits: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan

Union Representation: This position is a part of a union and is represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.

About DESC:

Recognized nationally as an innovator and leader in developing solutions to  homelessness, DESC is a social services organization, supportive housing  operator, and licensed behavioral health treatment provider focused on  meeting the needs of people experiencing long-term homelessness and  living with complex behavioral health and other medical conditions. Approximately 3,000 people are actively receiving services from DESC at  any given point in time. Our vision is a community where all people are  shown compassion, treated with dignity, and everyone has a safe, stable,  and affordable place to call home.

DESC operates five shelter/emergency housing programs,19 permanent supportive housing facilities with over 1,750 units, several hundred additional scattered  site apartments, and a range of behavioral health services including  outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment, residential crisis stabilization, street outreach, mobile crisis response, and treatment for opioid use disorder. 

JOB DEFINITION:

The COAT (Community Outreach & Advocacy Team) Outreach Worker/Case Manager is a member of a multi-disciplinary team responsible for providing outreach, engagement and intensive case management services to adults. The model incorporates a modified assertive community treatment (ACT) approach with caseloads of 1:20 with companion-based services to ensure people are identified and assessed, supported and accompanied to any services or appointments that are indicated. The team will consist of behavioral health staff, a psychiatric prescriber, a psychiatric registered nurse, all of whom will provide services with an intensive outreach and client-centered approach. This position is involved in all aspects of referral, outreach and engagement, intensive case management services, as well as coordination with other providers to assure successful transition of consumers to on-going care. Services will be provided in Seattle and King County areas. Many services will be provided on the streets, in shelters and other service centers as assigned. Some evening and weekend hours as needed. This position requires a high degree of coordination and collaboration with other DESC programs as well as outside agencies.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide outreach and engagement services, as assigned, working with Supervisor & other team members when meeting new referrals
• Provide variety of case management activity focused on stabilization and transition to other ongoing providers as appropriate.
• Provide and prioritize crisis intervention with clients as needed. This may include de-escalation, going to EDs, and/or making referrals to crisis system if necessary.
• Conduct intake evaluations and behavioral health assessments and develop support and treatment plans with the greatest client participation possible.
• Assume primary responsibility for coordinating all aspects of clients' support and treatment plans. This includes providing and/or coordinating the following: survival services with a focus on access to food, shelter and clothing; fastest possible acquisition and stabilization of housing; acute and ongoing medical care, psychiatric treatment, financial assistance, criminal justice system coordination, substance use treatment.
• Advocate for clients' access to community resources and services, ensuring that clients' needs are met and rights maintained; consult and collaborate with community providers to ensure continuity of care.
• Develop and maintain strong collaborative relationships with DESC staff, and other service and resource organizations to ensure full continuity of care for clients.
• Other duties & responsibilities:
• Participate in psychiatric consultation, supervision, program meetings and in‑service trainings; participate in clinical reviews and case conferences for clients on caseload.
• Comply with the agency's clinical accountability policies and procedures; maintain timely and complete clinical records; participate in quality assurance reviews when assigned.
• Comply with applicable program research and evaluation procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

LIVING CONDITIONS:

Support your clients with achieving and maintaining healthy living conditions. This can include but is not limited to attending care conferences related to living conditions, outreaching and supporting clients in their residential units with tools and skills to maintain their units, coordinating with housing staff, participating in cleaning out clients’ units, and documenting barriers to maintaining healthy living conditions. 

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Relevant Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, or related behavioral science, OR  
• A combination of 1 year of relevant paid work experience and demonstration of the ability to perform required job duties.
• Ability to meet Washington Department of Health requirements for registration as a Registered Agency Affiliated Counselor (AAC) or any other superseding credential
• Interest in working with clients who are difficult to engage and maintain in traditional mental health/substance use disorder programs.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds.
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of behaviors.
• Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for clients.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Eligible for a Licensed AAC credential or any other superseding credential that meets RCW 71.05.020 requirements to act as a Mental Health Professional whose scope of practice includes independently conducting mental health assessments and making mental health diagnoses.
• Master's degree in social work, psychology or other relevant behavioral science or Bachelor of Nursing degree with specialty in mental health.
• Ability to drive an agency or personal vehicle to conduct agency related business, including a current Washington State driver's license and insurable driving record.
• Bilingual in Spanish and English.
• Bicultural background/experience and/or Qualified Minority Mental Health Specialist designation.
• Experience working with adults who have experienced homelessness.
• Experience working with adults who have experienced mental health and substance use issues.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the  duties of this job, the employee will be required sit for long periods  of time, communicate with other persons by talking and hearing, required  to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds and to operate  computer hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision,  depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

DESC  is committed to diversity in the workplace and promotes  equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The  Agency will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual  orientation, age, national origin, caste, marital status, or the  presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any  employment practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational  qualification. Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.