As a Child Community Support Specialist for Swope Health, you'll work with a dedicated team that connects the members of our community with services that improve their quality of life. The Community Support Specialist provides a variety of direct services to individuals with emotional disturbance or mental illness. Our goal is to support individuals to be able to not only maintain their ability to stay in the community, but to support them in improving their situation in the community.
Primary Functions
- Assessing and monitoring an individual's adjustment to community living.
- Monitoring the individual's participation and progress in organized treatment programs to assure the planned provision of service according to the individual's treatment plan.
- Participating in the development or revision of a Person Centered Individualized Treatment Plan.
- Providing individual assistance to persons in accessing needed mental health services including accompanying individuals to appointments to address medical or other health needs.
- Providing individual assistance to individuals/families in accessing a variety of public services including financial and medical assistance and housing, including assistance on an emergency basis and directly helping to meet needs for food, shelter and clothing.
- Assisting the person/family to access and utilize a variety of community agencies and resources to provide ongoing social, educational, vocational and recreational supports and activities.
- Interceding on behalf of individuals within the community-at-large to assist the person in achieving and maintaining their community adjustment.
- Maintaining contact with individuals who are hospitalized and participating in facilitating discharge planning.
- Training, coaching and supporting in daily living skills, including housekeeping or daily chores, cooking, personal grooming, accessing transportation, keeping a budget, paying bills, functioning at work and in the classroom and initiating and maintaining an independent residence or maintaining residence in a family setting.
- Assisting in creating personal support systems that include work with family members, legal guardians or significant others regarding the needs and abilities of an identified person.
- Encouraging and promoting recovery efforts, consumer independence/self-care and responsibility.
- Providing support to families in areas such as treatment planning, dissemination of information, linking to services and parent guidance.
- Travels extensively throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area to visit clients and to transport clients to various appointments or community resources.
- Initiates other reports and records as required.
- Completes all documentation required for successful reimbursement of services and maintains clinical documentation that meets Health Center and payer requirements.
- Successfully meets productivity requirements established for the position.
Education/Qualification Requirements- Bachelor's Degree in a human services field (psychology, education, nursing, criminal justice, recreational therapy, social work, psychology, human development and family studies, counseling, child development, gerontology, rehabilitation counseling)
- OR at least two years of higher education with two years of experience in psychiatric, substance abuse treatment, or developmental disabilities, or any four year degree with two years of experience in psychiatric, substance abuse treatment, or developmental disabilities;
- OR four years of equivalent experience with consumers and their families receiving psychiatric, substance abuse, developmental disabilities services to move towards their personal, social and vocational competency in order to live successfully in the community;
- One to three years experience in working with SMPI/SED clients with severe, persistent illness or in a mental health or social service agency preferred.
- Patience and ability to establish rapport with this population.
- Flexible schedule and transportation.
- Ability to write clearly and distinctly.
- Knowledgeable about community resources.
- Must have current, valid driver's license, transportation and appropriate automobile insurance and be able to drive extensively and provide transportation to clients.
About Swope Health Services:Each year, Swope Health serves over 55,000 patients, encompassing more than 200,000 visits in four counties on both sides of the state line. Our team members are proud of the work we do and the promise we've made - delivering coordinated care that values the needs of the whole person and championing better health in our community.
Swope Health is a special place that cares for the people who need it most, wherever they are in the community. As part of our promise to battle health inequities and provide high-quality, comprehensive care, we make care visible. That means we proudly deliver our promise through every action, every day.
Swope Health is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.
Swope Health Services supports its team members with:- Medical benefits (including a Health Savings Account option), dental and vision
- 401(k) retirement plan with company match
- Company-paid benefits such as life insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
- Flexible Spending Account
- Paid Days Off beginning at 15 days annually
- Nine annual company-paid holidays; One annual paid personal day.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.