Care Specialist II

Care Specialist II:

Are you looking to join a dynamic team focused on providing high quality health care to communities across Brooklyn & Queens? If so, you've come to the right place. For over 125 years, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has been providing quality social services to the neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens, and currently offers 160-plus programs and services for children, youth, adults, seniors, and those struggling with mental illness. Catholic Charities provides individuals with serious mental illness, complex medical needs and substance abuse issues with comprehensive care coordination and case management services. Our Care Coordination Program works with Health Homes to deliver comprehensive, community-based services for adults with Medicaid, living with serious mental illness, and ensures clients have access to uninterrupted and coordinated behavioral and physical health services while addressing the social determinants of health that impact daily living. Care Specialists address a host of issues that impact clients directly such as housing, access to nutritious food, economic security/benefits, medication adherence, linkage with outpatient treatment providers or other community resources and social supports. This position works with our highest need population, Health Home Plus (HH+).

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Care Specialist has overall day-to-day responsibility and accountability for coordinating all aspects of care for clients with complex medical and/or psychiatric co-morbid conditions and for facilitating their access to the full range of medical, behavioral health, substance use, social and psychosocial services in the community, in an efficient and effective manner. This includes providing direct services to the specialty population of clients designated as Health Home Plus (HH+), which is an intensive health home care management service for individuals requiring more intensive and frequent visits in the community. This Includes working with clients who are court ordered to Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). The Care Specialist II may have a caseload of strictly HH+ clients or may have a mixed caseload of HH+ and non HH+ clients.

Duties of the Care Specialist focus on the integration of the care team to serve the client in any appropriate need-based area, including mental health, medical health, social determinants of health, substance use issues, psychosocial needs, food insecurity, housing instability and access to needed resources. In collaboration with the clients, their family and/or caregivers, and other service providers, the Care Specialist is responsible for assessing client need on a regular basis and developing a comprehensive, individualized person-centered care plan that is recovery-oriented and integrates the continuum of medical, behavioral health, rehabilitative, and social service needs. The Care Specialist is responsible for high quality care coordination services that will assist individuals in their recovery journey, keep clients well in their home and community and increase positive health outcomes. The Care Specialist is responsible for providing monthly Face to face visit(s) with client as well as monthly follow up (telephonic or face to face) with various providers/collaterals. HH+ clients must have 4 encounters monthly, 2 of which are face to face. All AOT clients must receive 4 or more face to face visits monthly and documentation of such must be submitted weekly into the AOT portal.

Care Specialists are required to utilize technology and various web-based platforms for documenting progress notes and daily work activities. Ability to use equipment such as iPhones, tablets, Surface Pros and easily navigate various technology platforms and reporting systems is a requirement.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Master's degree in one of the qualifying fields (noted below) and one (1) year of Experience; OR
  • A Bachelor's degree in one of the qualifying fields and two (2) years of Experience; OR
• A Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) and two (2) years of Experience; OR
• A Bachelor's degree or higher in ANY field with either: three (3) years of Experience, or two (2) years of experience as a Health Home care manager serving the SMI or SED population.
• Qualifying fields include education degrees featuring a major or concentration in: social work, psychology, nursing, rehabilitation, education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, recreation or recreation therapy, counseling, community mental health, child and family studies, sociology, speech and hearing or other human services field.

The position requires a combination of skills in the areas of crisis intervention, time management, psychosocial rehabilitation skills.

Ability in linking clients to a broad range of services essential to successfully living in a community setting (e.g., medical, psychiatric, social, educational, legal, housing and financial services). Must have excellent communication skills.

Cross-cultural competency, outreach, interviewing, listening, advocating, linking, negotiating, engagement, monitoring and clinical assessment skills are essential.

Excellent computer skills are necessary.

Knowledge of the community medical resources and their financial requirements. Good oral and written communication skills.

Fluency in second language preferred

We offer competitive Salary and excellent benefits including: generous time off, Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement Savings with Agency Match, Transit, life insurance and other additional voluntary benefits. EOE/AA.