Housing Clinician

SCHEDULE: 40 hours, Monday Friday, 8:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m., or comparable. Some flexibility required.

LOCATION: Office location 3368 Washington St. Jamaica Plain, MA 20130. Minimal travel is required for this position.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION:

The Housing Clinician will be available to Pine Street Inn tenants and staff (especially case managers) at the Washington St. program to provide support, clinical services and consultation, appropriate resources addressing the complexities of care for tenants with histories of trauma, mental illness and/or addictive disorders, utilizing Harm Reduction as a model of engagement, intervention and evaluation. The Housing Clinician works closely with the PSI Case management team and other providers such as BHCHP providers and the Community Builders property management team. The Housing Clinician will maintain close communication with the Housing Stabilization Team (HST), collaborate with, and coordinate with the team regarding high-risk individuals and programs that are high risk/acute/high need.

REQUIREMENTS:

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

PREFERRED:

* Masters degree or higher in a related field (i.e. social work, clinical psychology, education, nursing)
* LICSW, LMHC or other qualified licensure (e.g.: LCSW) or the ability to obtain licensure within 6 months of hire

KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

REQUIRED:

* Minimum of three (3) years direct care experience providing services, including assessment and individual and/or group therapy, to adults living in the community with mental illness and/or addictive disorders
* Clinical skills and competence to offer education around substance use, trauma, co-occurring disorders, mental illness diagnoses, and emotional and mental health generally
* Strong computer skills, including but not limited to use of management information systems or database programs
* Knowledge of and strong commitment to Harm Reduction philosophy, principles and practices.

PREFERRED:

* Experience working with chronically homeless, medically vulnerable individuals, with tri-morbidities (mental illness, substance abuse, medically compromised)
* Experience coaching, mentoring, empowering and otherwise supporting non-clinical direct-care staff
* Familiarity with Housing First as a model of permanent, supported, affordable housing
* Expertise in Motivational Interviewing and case management responsibilities
* Expertise in Trauma-Informed Care, including the impact on direct-care staff (i.e. secondary traumatic stress, vicarious traumatization)
* Bilingual Spanish/ English

PHYSICAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

REQUIRED:

* Ability to travel to all PSI Housing residences regularly in all weather conditions
* Ability to access public transportation
* Ability to climb many flights of stairs
* Ability to lift heavy objects
* Ability to work at a computer for prolonged periods of time

MENTAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

REQUIRED:

* Strong awareness of and commitment to self-care strategies, practices and support
* Strong, professional organizational and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to engage very vulnerable and disenfranchised individuals and the people who care for them
* Positive and supportive attitude, including the ability to see, elicit, acknowledge and appreciate the strengths, intentions, skills, wisdom, values, commitments and resilience of direct-care staff
* Ability to provide coaching, mentoring, and accompaniment in addition to clinical supervision and psycho-education
* Empathy, creativity and compassion in holding the complexities of the many and competing needs, demands and expectations that direct-care staff face in their work
* Excellent self-care and personal modeling of active self-care practice
* Ability to model teamwork, dialogue, empowerment, healthy boundaries, time management and other supportive skills
* Ability to work collaboratively as a member of cross-functional teams
* Ability to function under pressure in a fast paced human service environment
* Ability to develop, implement and evaluate training curriculum for direct supports staff
* Previous open door experience of creatively working with and problem solving effective ways to meet a diversity of needs of an at risk, and sometimes non-compliant population who choose not to engage in services
* Highly developed professional ethics to maintain appropriate boundaries
* Ability to work independently and as a part of a team

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

* Meet with PSI case managers and members of the Community Builders management team to discuss her/his experiences of the work; consult on a regular basis about clinically sensitive and/or challenging situations with particular residents.
* Conduct regular group clinical meetings where case managers bring clinically challenging situations with particular residents for which they need consultation.
* Identify clinical challenges present in each case managers work, and offer clinical insight, ideas and advice to support and empower case managers in working with clinically vulnerable residents.
* Coordinate with the HST to support tenants experiencing mental health crises to facilitate access to emergency psychiatric services; facilitate the connection of appropriate HST staff to draft and communicate safety and risk planning and assessments, and risk response plans, as well as hospitalization discharge planning.
* Meet with the Director of the Housing Stabilization Team on regular basis to ensure alignment with Housing Department initiatives, scheduling, and general service needs.
* Engage in active, compassionate listening with PSI Washington St. tenants and case managers, acknowledging and validating their struggles and eliciting their values, strengths, skills and wisdom for engaging the complexities of their work (as well as the realities of their limitations).
* Provide consultation and assistance in psychiatric and substance abuse related emergencies.
* Interact with PSI Washington St. residents as necessary, both as a role model for staff and, as necessary, when an immediate clinical intervention is required.
* Coach and mentor staff through the process of advocating for residents within medical and mental health settings. As needed, serve as liaison with outside agencies and others with regard to a residents treatment needs and follow up.
* Perform risk management assessments of tenants to determine possible safety risks to staff and residents.
* Provide education and resource identification including, but not limited, to trauma, mental health, addiction, Harm Reduction, Motivational Interviewing, and Trauma-Informed Care to case management staff, individually (as needed).
* Employ evidence-based best practices/interventions with those who struggle with hoarding behaviors and Ability to provide guidance and training to staff who assist participants who hoard to further develop their skill and understanding of hoarding.
* Collaborate with Care Coordination Entities and other providers to ensure access to appropriate medical, clinical, self-help, and peer modalities during times of crisis, care transitions, other life transitions and changes in health status.
* Conduct trainings on subjects of interest or concern with the case managers. Assist PSI Washington St. team in development and implementation of a training curriculum.
* Offer opportunities for phone consultations and/or unscheduled conversations as needed.
* Maintain effective communication with the Community Builders management team and adhere to Community Builders management policies/standards. Act as a liaison between PSI and the Community Builders management team when needed on clinical issues for PSI tenants.
* Attend all mandatory trainings and other trainings that will enhance ability to assist residents in maintaining and enhancing their quality of life.
* Uphold the rights of all residents. Be continually aware of these rights and act in accordance with these rights. Interact with residents in ways, which establish a climate of respect for human dignity.
* Work cooperatively with representatives of all PSI departments, including but not limited to Operations, Advancement and External Affairs, Finance and Human Resources.
* Represent PSI in a professional manner in all contacts with neighbors and representatives of other agencies.
* Partner with program supervisors to coordinate communication, team-building, ongoing education and training for PSI staff community.
* Contribute to planning on enhancements to PSI housing programs. Strategize about congregate residences where there are a combination of interrelated issues regarding residents and their behaviors which impact the safety and well-being of staff and residents.
* Provide continual quality assurance around clinical documentation including the documentation of all Clinician residents visits and interactions in Carelogic (Electronic Health Record) to ensure compliance for both contract and insurance billing
* Perform additional duties as required.

INTERNAL CANDIDATES INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION, PLEASE SUBMIT A PROMOTION/TRANSFER APPLICATION TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF POSTING.

Pine Street Inn is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer