Community Support Specialist/Warming Center-Temporary

Are you looking for a rewarding career in Mental Health & Human Services? Apply today to join an amazing team, dedicated to advocating the health & well-being of individuals, families, and communities. The Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties Inc. is looking to fill the position of Community Support Specialist at the Warming Center.  

POSITION TYPE: Temporary (October through April) 

PAY RANGE: $30.00 - $34.00 per hour.  

WORK LOCATION: Hudson, NY.  

SHIFT SCHEDULE: Full time (40 hours/week) with the following shift available:

8:30am-4:30pm, 4:00pm-12:30am, and 12:00am- 8:30am. Shift schedules could vary to include some weekends. 

Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties, Inc.’s Warming Center provides a safe and welcoming space during the winter months, 24 hours daily, for people seeking connection, temporary shelter, and engagement to services and supports. The Community Support Specialist will be responsible for welcoming guests to the space, completing needs assessments, connecting with community partners, completing required documentation, and ensuring a safe and welcoming space for guests.

Job duties include: 

• Welcome guests into the space, provide orientation, and complete necessary documentation. 
• Supervise guests at all times.
• Follow policy and procedure manual.
• Utilize harm reduction strategies to engage individuals in behavioral change to support their personal goal achievement. 
• Provide engagement, support, community linkage/referrals, and follow up contacts to guests both on site and during off hours.
• Utilize behavioral change strategies to assist individuals in setting their personal goals and foster healthy community interdependence.      
• Be able to provide health coaching and recovery support, especially on issues of self-advocacy, wellness self-management, medication adherence, smoking cessation, entitlements, and daily living activities.
• Maintains documents, records, statistics, and other related reports in an organized, timely and accurate manner as per policy and procedure.
• Keep space clean and sanitized. 

• Working knowledge of computer software and electronic health record systems.
• Demonstrated competency in written, verbal and computational skills to present and document records in accordance with program standards.
• Excellent interpersonal skills required.
• You must have the ability and willingness to regularly travel, in some instances with clients in Agency vehicles, to many locations using various modes of reliable and safe transportation.
• Ability to work with a diverse population of urban, suburban and rural cultures and with community members from varying socioeconomic backgrounds. 
• Demonstrate a commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias.
• Proficiency with online technology systems, including electronic health records.
• Valid NYS Driver’s License and a clean MVR required to drive agency vehicles.
• Must attend all assigned trainings. 
• Must be self-motivated.
• Must have excellent verbal, written, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Regular and steady attendance is a requirement for all positions.
• Must have an understanding of HIPPA privacy laws and adhere to them.

Candidates from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. 

All offers are contingent on the candidate’s ability to obtain a Statewide Central Registry and Fingerprint clearance and should have a valid NYS Driver’s License and a clean MVR. 

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we do not discriminate in our employment practices due to an applicant's sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, creed, disability, veteran status, marital status, familial status, military status, domestic violence victim status, sexual orientation or gender identity/expression (including transgender status), predisposing genetic characteristics/genetic information or carrier status, ancestry, ethnic group identification, ethnic background, traits historically associated with race, reproductive health decision making, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. At the Mental Health Association, we believe a diverse and inclusive workforce makes the best workforce. 

Full Time Benefits include Medical, Dental, Life and AD&D plan. Profit Sharing Account (employer contribution) plus Voluntary Vision, Life, AFLAC, Telemedicine (Concierge Medical), Voluntary 401K plans, EAP, generous sick, vacation, personal time, paid holidays, mileage reimbursement at the federal rate per mile driven for business use, tuition reimbursement and much more. Plus, you get to be part of a dynamic, diverse, and supportive behavioral health organization whose mission is to "Provide education and advocacy, and to enhance the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities."