Community Wellness Specialist - Community

Sycamores; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Sycamores in Pasadena, CA seeks a Community Wellness Specialist to deliver interventions that build coping, resilience, and skills for youth and families. The role focuses on Intensive Case Management Services (ICMS) for young adults experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including housing navigation, coordination with partners, and linkage to community resources.

Travel is required locally; candidates must have a valid CA driver's license and reliable vehicle.

Qualifications

• Requires high school diploma or AA with 1 year direct care experience;1 year preferred; or a bachelor’s degree with 1 year direct care experience.
• Must have private vehicle, California driver’s license, and valid auto insurance.
• Travel between client locations is frequent; you will be in the community and home environments.
• Experience with intensive case management and housing services is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide interventions to develop coping and problem-solving skills for safety and attachment.
• Support ICMS program delivery for youth and young adults at risk of homelessness.
• Conduct field visits, home visits, and community meetings.
• Coordinate with housing authorities, landlords, and service providers.
• Assist with benefits, education navigation, and independent living goals.
• Document data in required electronic health records.

Skills

Travel willingness

Driving

Documentation

Teamwork

Communication skills

Behavioral interventions knowledge

Education

High school diploma / AA with 1 year direct care

Bachelor’s degree + 1 year direct care

Tools

CHAMP / HIMIS

Job description

JOB SUMMARY

Sycamores provides a spectrum of equitable mental health services through various programs to multicultural populations of all acuities. Although it serves a variety of consumers, the agency focuses primarily on providing care to low-income, high at- risk youth.

The role of the Community Wellness Specialist is to provide interventions that develop coping and problem solving skills to promote safety and attachment and teach transference of those skills into the home, school, and community. These interventions are provided to maintain youth at home or to transition youth to home and are developed within the child and family team process. Additionally, this is a position that is focused on wellness and building resilience through interventions, linkages, and referrals to appropriate community resources.

This position will primarily support the Intensive Case Management Services (ICMS) program serving young adults experiencing or at risk of homelessness. While assigned as a floater Community Wellness Specialist and cross-trained to support other Housing and Homeless Services programs as needed, the primary assignment is expected to focus on ICMS service delivery.

Additional duties may include: Housing navigation and housing search assistance. Landlord engagement and coordination with property management companies. Assistance with housing applications, voucher programs, and lease-up activities. Housing stabilization and retention services for participants in permanent housing. Coordination with county agencies, housing authorities, service providers, and community partners. Support with benefits acquisition, employment resources, education navigation, and independent living goals. Field-based services, including home visits and community-based meetings. Documentation and data entry in required systems electronic health records like CHAMP or HIMIS. Preferred experience includes Intensive Case Management Services (ICMS), housing navigation, homeless services, Housing First programs, transitional age youth (TAY), foster youth services, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, voucher programs, landlord engagement, housing stabilization, and field-based case management.

Starting Pay Range

$21 - $25 per hour (starting pay will be based on previous work experience and educational background.)

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma or AA degree with one year of direct care experience required; two years of direct care experience preferred, OR Bachelor’s degree plus one year of direct care experience preferred.
• Maintains all required licenses and certifications.
• As this position requires regular and flexible travel between various client locations, driving is an essential function of this position. Candidate qualifications therefore include:
• • Personal, reliable vehicle for travel to various locations.
  • Valid California driver’s license.
  • Acceptable driving record as determined Agency policy.
  • Proof of auto insurance meeting minimum coverage requirements.

• Travel occurs primarily locally during the hours when services need to be provided; some out-of-area and overnight travel may be required in order to meet the needs of the families being served.
• Be part of a team who is passionate about providing excellent and quality services, which consistently results in positive outcomes for the families and children we serve.
• An excellent candidate for this position would be an individual who has knowledge of behavioral interventions and has successfully implemented these interventions with youth who have had severe behaviors (e.g., physical aggression, verbal aggression, and defiance).
• Ability to work a non-traditional work schedule to meet family needs. May include weekends, holidays, early morning, and/or late evening hours.
• Ability to travel and work in the community and in the home environment.
• Have strong computer and typing skills to complete necessary documentation.
• Experience in a Residential Facility, Group Home or Probation is highly desired.
• Knowledge of resources in Service Area a plus.

All candidates who are presented with a conditional offer of employment must satisfy a pre-employment background check, drug, and health screen.

Sycamores is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

Further, Sycamores is a Fair Chance employer and complies with California Government Code Section 12952, Employment Discrimination: Conviction History.