Community Support Liaison

Vermont League of Cities and Towns; Burlington (VT); On-site; USD 50,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

AFSCME Union

Pay Grade 18

Job summary

The City of Burlington seeks a Community Support Liaison to coordinate social-work services addressing homelessness, mental health, and substance-use challenges. This role works across agencies and with police to reduce crisis responses while promoting trauma-centered, person-centered care.

The CSL joins a dedicated team, operates under supervision by the Community Support Supervisor, and participates in planning, trainings, and outreach to partners.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Social Work or related field with two years of experience; Bachelor's degree with three years considered.
• Experience with youth mental health, houseless individuals, or co-occurring mental-health and substance-use disorders.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills are necessary.
• Ability to work outside of typical business hours and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and integrate social-work services across agencies and platforms.
• Respond to non-criminal intervention requests from police, city departments, and community members.
• Develop and maintain relationships with Burlington social-service providers for coordinated interventions.
• Prepare for and attend strategy and planning meetings with stakeholders to assess tactics and effectiveness.
• Create and maintain up-to-date electronic records for all case interventions.

Skills

Diversity & Inclusion

Excellent communication

Public speaking

Education

Master's Degree in Social Work or related field

Bachelor's Degree in Social Work or related field

Job description

The Community Support Liaison (CSL) will be a trained professional focusing on services associated with homelessness, substance-use disorder, mental health, and persons with chronic service needs. The CLS will be an integral part of a team that uses timely and accurate information to implement effective tactics and strategies to reduce the need for a police officer’s response to calls for service without immediate public safety or criminal component. The person hired will be responsible for the coordination of all aspects of social work, to include intensive coordination across agencies, stakeholders, and platforms. At times, CSLs will be paired with Police Officers to respond to calls for service.

The CSL’s insights and strategies, informed by trauma-centered, person-centered practices, will guide a fast-paced work environment with a single-minded focus on addressing gaps in Burlington’s various social-service systems. The CSL will help individuals and families in Burlington live healthier lives by working with those who seek service through the Police Department, moderating disputes that result from quality-of-life issues, and acting as an advocate for those in need. The CSL will be directed and supervised by the Community Support Supervisor, in close collaboration with the Deputy Chief of Operations, and will work closely with all of the services that are embedded within the Police Department.

This position offers two shifts: a flexible 1st shift schedule that starts between 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM and a flexible 2nd-shift schedule that starts between 10 AM and 12 PM. Each shift is 10 hours, and the schedule is four days on, three days off, and includes weekend shifts every third month.

Union Affiliation: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
Pay Grade 18: $36.14 - $40.30 Hourly
Remote Tier 1: Zero(0) days remote/month

Essential Job Functions

Engage and help individuals with substance use disorder. This includes screening arrestees for opioid use disorder and following up with those individuals, post-arrest, to help them access and be induced into medically-assisted treatment.

Respond to requests from police, other City departments, and community members for intervention in non-criminal matters. Interventions could include, but are not limited to, interactions with individuals in the midst of a mental-health crisis, deescalating individuals struggling with co-occurring issues, mediating disputes between quarreling neighbors, working with homeless populations on housing solutions and relocations, following up with people suffering from substance-use disorder (particularly after instances of overdose), etc.

Work as a partner to collaborate, consult, and coordinate services with all of the Burlington social-service providers to include intensive collaboration with mental-health and substance-use disorder providers.

Develop and maintain relationships with partners for a team approach to problem solving that allows for coordinated interventions to challenging quality-of-life issues and/or neighborhood conflicts.

Prepare for and attend strategy and planning meetings with the full range of stakeholders in order to assess the effectiveness of tactics and strategies.

Provide effective assessments and develop strategies to assist individuals in finding appropriate community resources to address their underlying need. Must engage in person-centered, low-barrier best practices.

Partner with the Community Affairs Liaison in outreach efforts to homeless encampments as well as other community-related activities.

Work on a team alongside other social workers and law-enforcement officers, with a high degree of autonomy, responsibility, and accountability.

Maintain a high operational tempo, working in a critical-incident-management setting, rather than an academic or clinical setting.

Develop and implement trainings with community partners on topics such as conflict resolution and restorative strategies around solving quality-of-life issues like noise and neighbor/roommate disputes. Present trainings to community groups as needed.

Create and maintain up-to-date electronic records for all case interventions.

Act as a liaison between the community and the Police Department to encourage open dialogue with the Police Department, which allows for better results in addressing the needs of the community, and greater transparency on behalf of the Police Department.

Assist the public and other constituency groups with navigating the Police Department’s services, to include those of the greater criminal-justice system (e.g., family court, criminal court, alternative justice programs, etc.).

Collaborate on large, interagency teams that require flexibility and creativity to help solve complex societal and interpersonal issues.

Have an understanding of best practices in providing intermittent case-management services, with the purpose of filling a gap in care until the proper provider is identified.

Engage in regular briefings with Police Department leadership around the community’s needs and challenges, and with constituency groups around making relevant policy recommendations to address said needs/challenges.

Possess willingness to work and creatively collaborate with a wide range of entities and individuals, particularly the Police Department, but also government officials and persons from courts and corrections, non-profits, academia, and private enterprise.

Non-Essential Job Functions:

Performs other duties as required.

Qualifications/Basic Job Requirements

Ability to actively support City diversity, equity, and cultural competency efforts within stated job responsibilities and work effectively across diverse cultures and constituencies.

Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as evidenced by ongoing training and professional development.

A Master's Degree in Social Work or related field plus two years of experience or a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or related field and three years of relevant experience will be considered. Extra consideration will be given to candidates that have experience working with the following populations: youth mental health, houseless individuals, individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.

Excellent communication skills, with a high degree of organizational skills is necessary.

Knowledge of Vermont criminal- and juvenile-justice systems preferred.

Comprehensive knowledge of social services within Burlington and the Greater Burlington area.

Must be able to work outside of typical business hours and weekends.

Must successfully complete Police Department oral board interview and background investigation.

Ability to clearly and effectively communicate during complex, rapidly evolving incidents.

Ability to maintain a calm disposition during high stress environments.

Ability to maintain objectivity in a stressful work environment.

Regular attendance is necessary and is essential to meeting the expectations of the job functions.

Ability to speak in a public environment while maintaining a high degree of professionalism

Ability to engage with all levels of the general public, the Police Department, and other City officials.

Ability to obtain and maintain a Vermont class D license

Ability to understand and engage with a wide variety of cultural and ethnic groups.

Ability to understand and comply with City standards, safety rules, and personnel policies.

Participate in court depositions if needed.

Additional Information

Promoting a culture that reveres diversity and equity

The City of Burlington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we are strongly committed to creating a dynamic and equitable work-force that mirrors the population and world that we serve. We do not discriminate on the basis of political or religious affiliation, race, color, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, crime victim status, veteran status, disability, HIV positive status, or genetic information in employment or the provision of services.

In addition to being an equal opportunity employer we actively encourage applicants who can contribute to our growing diversity to apply.

Applications for our employment opportunities are only accepted online through our Government Jobs website.

For accessibility information or alternative formats, please contact Human Resources Department at 802-540-2505 or [e-mail] .