Crisis Support Clinician

SCHEDULE: 40 hours, Monday-Friday, 7:30AM-4PM, on-call as needed

Pays $60-65K annually DOE

LOCATION: 35 Creighton Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130. Travel is required depending on living situation of persons being served. Most residences are located within Greater Boston.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION:

The Crisis Support Clinician on the Housing Stabilization Team will work closely with the housing departments programs and teams to develop and offer solution-focused interventions that promote stability, wellness and recovery, with the goal of ultimately restoring housing environments to their non-crisis state as quickly and efficiently as possible. Interventions with tenants may include activation of a personal crisis plan, in-person risk assessment, referrals to respite, detox, or other inpatient settings and coordination with emergency services personnel. The position reports directly to the Associate Director of Clinical Supports and will work within a team. The Crisis Support Clinician will coordinate care and work very closely with the housing and program clinicians and the associate and Directors of Congregate, Scattered Sites and Specialized Housing Programs.

This position will have some on-call duties, to be shared with and rotated amongst the Housing Stabilization team.

This position, along with the other Housing Stabilization Team roles, is funded by a two-year grant. If the grant is not renewed, the incumbent is eligible to apply for other roles within Pine Street Inn.

REQUIREMENTS:

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

REQUIRED:

* Masters degree or higher in a related field (i.e. social work, clinical psychology, counseling, etc.)
* LICSW, LMHC or other qualified licensure (e.g.: LCSW) or the ability to obtain licensure within 6 months of hire
* Currently certified in, or have ability to achieve CPR and First Aid certification within 3 months of hire
* Advanced training in hoarding or Current Hoarding Certification, or ability to obtain advanced training in

KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

REQUIRED:

* Access to a personal vehicle, and valid drivers license and the willingness and ability to drive as part of the performance of job duties, including responding to on-call needs
* At least 3 years experience providing services to adults who experience mental illness, substance use disorders and may have symptoms related to traumatic brain injury and experiences of trauma
* At least 1 year experience working with homeless populations
* Strong commitment to the right of each person with mental health/substance use and medical complex challenges to live in community residences, to work in market jobs, and to have access to helpful, adequate, competent, and continuous supports and services of their own choosing
* Experience and knowledge of recovery models and practice, including strengths-based work and harm reduction
* Demonstrated expertise in developing and writing risk assessments
* Ability to utilize effective crisis intervention techniques
* Ability to effectively identify risk and translate that into crisis plans
* Proficiency in word processing and other computer functions
* Demonstrated professional communication and organizational skills.
* Ability to work independently and as part of a team

PREFERRED:

* Experience working with individuals in varied community-based residential settings
* Experience in working and collaborating with medical and behavioral health staff in inpatient and respite settings.
* Experience working in an inpatient/outpatient crisis response setting

PHYSICAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

REQUIRED:

* Ability to sit for long periods of time; climb stairs; use a phone, computer, and other office equipment; do occasional lifting
* Ability to travel among program sites
* Ability to respond to on-call requests and travel as needed

MENTAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

REQUIRED:

* Ability to work collaboratively as a member of multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams
* Ability to work with diverse staff and demonstrate cultural competency
* Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills that facilitate interaction among all the members of the Housing Department.
* Ability to function under pressure in a fast-paced human service environment
* Ability to be flexible, open, and responsive to ongoing administrative changes, including being able to work independently with a minimum of supervision
* Solid understanding of basic clinical and program model concepts
* Ability to develop, implement, and evaluate training curriculum for clinical and non-clinical staff
* Ability to manage multiple priorities at the same time, make decisions, and meet deadlines

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

* Provide in-person behavioral health crisis assessments to tenants across the housing portfolio, which includes: conducting mental status exam-assessing risk to self or others and an ability to assess a persons strengths, capacity, resources, past successes and natural supports
* Provide onsite tenant stabilization and intervention services which is focused on alleviating the crisis state, reducing harm and reducing symptoms
* Provide debriefing support services to tenants who may have been directly or indirectly impacted by an onsite traumatic event, i.e., tenant death, non-fatal overdose, violent episode, displacement by flood, fire or other event
* Provide onsite support to staff related to immediate safety concerns, then attending directly to tenants clinical needs and clinical interventions, thereby allowing housing staff to attend to immediate legal, operational or environmental issues
* Provide upstream interventions: when possible, work with housing clinicians to develop and support crisis plans for high-risk tenants, and intervene at staffs request when warning signs are first appearing by assisting with wellness checks and/or participating in case management sessions
* Cultivate and coordinate support services related to accessing after-hours resources such as detox, respite beds, medical and psychiatric medication evaluation, and medication management
* Provide additional staffing support services to housing locations identified as hot spots, i.e., locations that experience multiple incidents in a brief period of time, where those incidents appear to be related to a tenants deteriorating mental health, increased substance use, escalating domestic violence, and/or escalating behavioral incidents.
* Participate, as requested by Housing/Program Directors and Clinicians, in case conference meetings. Provide leadership, guidance and training to other team members around client rehabilitation services, including symptom management, skill development, and psycho-educational services focused on activities of daily living, social functioning, and community living skills.
* Willingness to work with tenants who live in hoarding conditions and/or squalor, and supporting housing staff in their work with these tenants
* Ability to use evidence-based best practices/interventions with those who struggle with hoarding behaviors
* Ability to take theories and effectively integrate them into real-life situations
* Ability to integrate new information into daily practice
* Ability to provide guidance and training to staff who assist participants who hoard so as to further develop their skill and understanding of hoarding
* Ability to think creatively in implementing clinical interventions and supports
* Provide guidance, feedback, and training to supervisees to ensure 1) the effective use of evidence-based practices and philosophies into engagement strategies, and 2) the selection of interventions based on each tenants assessed readiness and expressed interest in order to support long-term recovery. These practices include but are not limited to: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral for Treatment (SBIRT), Stages of Change, Motivational Interviewing, and Harm Reduction
* Develop safety plans for tenants, and clinical risk response plans as indicated for the Case Management staff. Plans will be built on the person's strengths and preferences, and will identify strategies the person and the team will utilize to address and mitigate risks. Responsible for reviewing and revising the safety plans and the clinical risk response plans as needed.
* 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
* Provide advocacy and liaison services with the appropriate agencies and resources regarding appointments, consistency of treatment, etc.
* Work with integrity and respects the dignity and value of all individuals
* Promote diversity and inclusion of all individual
* Maintain confidentiality, including regulations and policies specific to HIPAA, 42 CRF Part 2 and Protected Health Information (PHI), as well as all other applicable confidentiality and privacy rules
* Utilize timely, effective, informative documentation practices in remaining current with all forms of electronic and paper documentation as required for tenant records, data collection and billing. Prepare, when requested, documentation needed for guardianships, nursing home placements, representative payees, etc.
* Participate in 24/7 on-call rotation coverage. Respond to emergency calls within 15 minutes of the call. Keep Program Supervisors and Directors informed of incidents that are related to staff and tenants, and follow Pine Street Inn protocols for escalating emergency incidents.
* Attend all mandatory trainings and other trainings that will enhance ability to assist tenants in maintaining and enhancing their quality of life
* Uphold the rights of all tenants. Be continually aware of these rights and act in accordance with these rights. Interact with tenants in ways, which establish a climate of respect for human dignity.
* Work cooperatively with representatives of all PSI departments, including, but not limited to, development and external affairs, finance, and human resources.
* Represent PSI in a professional manner in all contacts with neighbors and representatives of other agencies
* Due to emergency or unforeseen program needs, staff may be temporarily or permanently reassigned to another PSI housing program at any given time
* Ability to adapt and manage programmatic changes over time. Ability to supervise direct reports as the program grow, funding permitting
* Perform additional duties as required

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

Pine Street Inn is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.