Mental Health Professional (MHP) Case Manager

Description

Days Off: Saturday, Sunday

Shift: Office Day

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:

DESC   (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is a nonprofit organization  working  to help people with the complex needs of homelessness,  substance use  disorders, and serious mental illness achieve their  highest potential  for health and well-being through comprehensive  services, treatment, and  housing. Our vision is a community where no  person is abandoned,  ignored, or experiencing homelessness.

As  the region's leading  provider of services to multiply disabled adults  who have experienced  chronic homelessness, DESC serves almost 3,000  people each day. Our  integrated service model is designed to help  people secure and maintain  appropriate, safe and affordable housing.  DESC is recognized nationally  and regionally as an innovator in  developing solutions to homelessness.

JOB DEFINITION:

DESC's Program for Assertive Community Treatment team works in a highly collaborative manner to provide services to participants who have been unable to succeed in traditional treatment settings.

Join the team utilizing a nationally recognized evidence-based practice to make a real difference in the lives of individuals challenged by severe and persistent mental illness! DESC’s Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) team is a great opportunity for mental health professionals and social work providers who:

• Prefer to work with clients in actual community settings such as grocery stores, community centers, sporting events, and client homes. (You like to get out from behind your desk!)
• Value the lower caseload (~ 9-10 clients per team member) which allows more opportunities to interact with and make a difference in the lives of each client.
• Are excited about the opportunity to do intensive work with very high needs clients.

Studies have shown that the highly collaborative PACT model is more effective than traditional treatment for people experiencing mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder and can significantly reduce hospitalizations. Unlike traditional models where case managers are individually responsible for a group of clients, all members of the PACT team (including nursing and psychiatric staff) are responsible for every participant. The team has daily meetings to review the status of every participant, and make a daily schedule of services in accordance to each participant’s current wants and needs.

Team scheduling requirements reflect this commitment to provide participants with intensive wrap-around, 24/7 services at their homes and in a variety of community settings. Team members provide rotating coverage for 12 hours per day Monday to Friday and 8 hours per day on weekends & holidays. In addition, all team members participate in on-call rotations to provide 24-hour crisis coverage.

MAJOR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide ongoing assessment of participants’ mental illness symptoms and make appropriate changes in treatment plans as soon as they are needed. Provide psychoeducation to enable participants to identify their mental illness symptoms and integrate CD services as appropriate.
• Promote participants’ personal growth and development by assisting participants to adapt to and cope with internal and external stressors.
• Provide individualized assessments, counseling, supportive therapy, coaching and/or side-by-side support to clients to assist their development in the areas of activities of daily living, social & interpersonal relationships, general time management and basic employment skills.
• Plan, structure & support community-based activities such as obtaining and setting up housing, grocery shopping, nutrition assistance, house cleaning and other household activities, money management, social activities, and vocational support.
• Coordinate with outside service providers including inpatient and outpatient treatment services, social security, veterans’ benefits, legal and advocacy services, and personal primary care medical and dental providers.
• Provide practical help and supports, advocacy, coordination, side-by-side individualized support, problem-solving, direct assistance, training, and supervision to help participants obtain the necessities of daily living including medical and dental health care; legal and advocacy services; financial support such as entitlements or housing subsidies; money management services (e.g. payeeships); and transportation.

SPECIALTY AREA:

• Provide direct clinical services including individual supportive therapy and psychotherapy to participants on an individual, group, and family basis in the office and in community settings.
• Utilize a stage-based treatment model that is non-confrontational, considers interactions of mental illness and substance abuse, and has participant-determined goals. Be comfortable with Harm Reduction approaches.

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.

OTHER:

• Participate in daily team meetings, psychiatric consultations, clinical supervision, program meetings and in-service trainings; participate in clinical reviews and case conferences.
• Comply with the agency's clinical accountability policies and procedures; maintain current, timely and complete clinical records; participate in quality assurance reviews when assigned.
• Comply with applicable program research and evaluation procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

MINIMUM 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. A current Washington State driver's license and insurable driving record are required.
• Interest in working with clients who are difficult to engage and maintain in traditional mental health/substance use disorder programs.
• Good oral and written communication skills including the ability to communicate and work effectively with participants and staff from various backgrounds.
• Must have a strong commitment to the right and ability of each person with a severe and persistent mental illness to live in normal community residences; work in market jobs; and have access to helpful, adequate, competent, and continuous supports and services.
• Able to prioritize multiple responsibilities, work independently and exercise professional judgment.
• Basic computer skills: email, data entry, file creation, correspondence.
• Skills and competence to establish supportive trusting relationships with persons with severe and persistent mental illnesses. Respect for participant rights and personal preferences in treatment are essential. Clear understanding and respect for the importance of maintaining participant confidentiality.
• Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across DESC and other outside agency programs and of consideration and respect for participants. DESC expects a high degree of cooperation and collaboration among its staff, programs, and community agencies. The specific duties and responsibilities of each position necessarily requires flexibility cooperation to achieve the organization's and programs goals.
• Participation in regular on-call rotation (paid) to provide 24-hour crisis coverage (both on the phone & in person) for mental health issues for PACT clients.

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.