Outreach Case Manager

Days Off: Saturday, Sunday

Shift: 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

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 2,000 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:

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 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:

Participate in the planning, organizing and facilitating of unit mitigations for clients on your caseload. Unit mitigations are coordinated efforts to support clients with maintaining healthy living conditions. This can include but is not limited to attending care conferences related to unit mitigation, outreaching and supporting clients in their residential units with tools and skills to maintain their units, coordinating with Housing staff to ensure proper work orders are filed in a timely manner, participating in cleaning out clients’ units, and documenting barriers to unit mitigation.

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. *Mental Health Professionals are paid on a higher pay scale - please see above*
• 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 to sit, communicate with other employees, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 40 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.