CLINICAL CASE MANAGER HOUSING AND HEALTH INTEGRATION PATHWAY

Description

Clinical Case Managers on The Housing and Health Integration Pathway Expansion team will provide mental health and housing stability case management services to unhoused individuals engaged through the CTA Safe Riders program. The CTA Safe Riders program is a collaborative project between the CTA, Housing Forward and other local community social service agencies to address the needs of the multiple unhoused individuals riding and sleeping on or near the CTA trains and stations. The Housing and Health Integration Pathway program offers individuals up to twelve months short-term transitional shelter housing paired with mental health and case management services while working towards permanent housing placement. The program supports participants with services aimed at securing sustainable income, building long-term support networks, and connecting to ongoing community-based mental health care. 

The Clinical Case Managers will be the primary client relationship manager and contact. They will work with the client to identify service needs and goal achievement, maintaining the client relationship and service activities toward goal attainment until the individual is determined to be connected to community based mental health supports and stably housed, care is transferred to another provider, or if the individual chooses not to continue services. 

Requirements

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Client Services 

• Assess clients referred to HHIP Expansion through the Safe Riders program to determine eligibility, level of interest and commitment to participate in the program.
• Meet with HHIP Program Manager and Behavioral Health Specialist to identify and enroll assessed participants for program openings. 
• Performs comprehensive, in-depth assessments of clients in the program identifying immediate barriers to mental health stability and finding permanent or long-term housing within 90 days of placement.
• Develop a service plan to address those barriers and to ensure success in connecting with ongoing community mental health and medical management support and finding permanent housing. 
• Serves as primary case manager to a caseload of up to 15 clients in the program by ensuring that clients have access to a full range of counseling, advocacy, educational, and case management services either through direct delivery of services or through referrals. 
• Have a minimum of one contact per week with clients, and more if indicated.  At least two contacts per month should be a home visit to assess their progress  in maintaining independent living and carrying out activities of daily living. 
• When indicated, schedules, coordinates and transports clients to appointments including medical assisted treatment, and other program related services.  
• Respond to behavioral crisis situations as needed and in consultation with supervisor, senior management and Behavioral Health Specialist, develop and execute appropriate intervention including involuntary psychiatric hospitalization.  
• Work with housing navigators to ensure that clients have basic household furniture and items to maintain independent living.   
• When indicated, the case manager will work with the Benefit Coordinator to ensure that clients apply for Social Security and other appropriate government sponsored benefits.
• When necessary, refers clients and supports attendance to appropriate community support groups (AA, NA, NAMI, Ascension  peer group, etc.)  
• Refers clients to appropriate WRAP services and other Housing Forward programs as indicated. 

Community Relations and Partnerships? 

• Establishes referral network/linkages with outside agencies for participants.  
• Represents and interprets the program to the community at large.
• Participate in meetings with the partners in this project and provide information to ensure appropriate communication among partners.

Administrative 

• Takes a proactive role in the development of services and programming that addresses the goals and metrics of the program.? 
• Complies with agency record-keeping expectations including timely entries of client contact and case notes in HMIS and other client tracking systems.  
• Assists in the preparation of narrative and quantitative reports 
• Attend team and agency meetings and trainings.
• Other tasks that may be assigned. 

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in social work or equivalent counseling degree from an accredited college or university.LCSW or other licenses preferred. Two years related post-master’s experience at an intermediate skill level,required. 
• A proven record of working with individuals with severe psychiatric disorders and /or profound substance use.? Knowledge of psychiatric terminology and nomenclature including but not limited to DSM-5 diagnoses, 
• Must have access to a car, a valid driver’s license, and proof of insurance.   
• Ability to maintain assigned community and home-based services.? 
• Ability to work effectively with diverse individuals and groups.? 
• Bilingual Spanish preferred. 
• Must have smartphone to utilize Agency communication and collaboration tools. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is required to sit and stand for sustained periods of time, frequently talk, hear, use hands and fingers to feel, handle and operate objects or controls, and occasionally stand, bend, stretch, stoop, kneel, crouch, and walk up and down stairs. 
• The employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, and viewing a computer terminal. 
• The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. 

Housing Forward does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, citizenship, ethnic or national origin, age, disability, medical status, military status, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, ancestry, or any legally protected status. This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits and training. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, national origin, or disability.

Job descriptions are not intended and should not be construed to be all-inclusive lists of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with a job. While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the job requirements, management reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties from particular jobs and to assign other duties, as necessary. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.