Mental Health Clinician, Safe Options Support (SOS)

ACMH Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 72,009 - 88,011; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous benefits

Equal opportunity employer

Job summary

ACMH Inc. seeks a Mental Health Clinician for Safe Options Support (SOS) to lead community outreach and provide counseling and connection to housing resources.

You will work Sundays through Thursdays, 9:00am–5:00pm, coordinating with hospitals, police, and social services, and supporting participants pre- and post-housing. The role requires a licensed master’s degree in social work, counseling, nursing or psychology and willingness to travel across New York City.

Qualifications

• Licensed master’s degree or higher in social work, mental health counseling, nursing or psychology.
• Experience with homeless populations preferred.
• Ability to travel New York City wide.

Responsibilities

• Conduct outreach and engagement with participants at various locations.
• Coordinate with hospitals, shelters, MTA, and other agencies to identify needs.
• Assess health and social needs using standard tools and risk assessments.
• Assist with housing processes, interviews, and move-in support.
• Provide short-term counseling and crisis interventions as needed.
• Supervise case managers and peers.
• Document progress and report data to the team.

Skills

Outreach & engagement

Crisis intervention

Counseling principles

Risk assessment

Data collection & reporting

Collaboration & coordination

Appointment navigation

Supervision

Education

Licensed Master’s degree or higher (social work, mental health counseling, nursing, or psychology)

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Health IT systems

Job description

Description

Position: Mental Health Clinician, Safe Options Support (SOS)

Function: Community outreach on the streets and subways, coordinating participants needs before and after their move from street to home, enhancing their daily living skills, providing supportive counselling, and advocating on their behalf when faced with discrimination or healthcare inequities.

Reports to: Team Leader, SOS

Schedule: Sundays through Thursdays (9:00am-5:00pm)

Tasks:

• Persistent and assertive outreach and engagement using strength-based approaches beginning either at known “hang-outs” or “Hot spots” within the transit system or during an inpatient hospital admission or emergency department visit.
• Partnering and collaborating with current street outreach teams, local police precincts, local hospitals, the MTA, the Department of Homeless Services and family members/caregivers to identify those in most need of outreach and care.
• Continuously assess the health and social needs of participants through SOS’s conversational and observational assessments and formalized risk assessments tools for those identified as being at high risk.
• Work in collaborations with the centralized SOR Hub to identify available housing and to support participants through the process. Tasks may include completing HRA 2010e, applying for housing, prepping for interviews, follow up with housing providers, and assistance with moving in (day of move) with obtaining housing supplies and learning the neighborhood.
• Participate in hospital discharge planning meetings to identify the best community resources for returning patients.
• Provide short term therapeutic counseling and support to participants pre and post housing.
• Supervise case managers and peers on the SOS team.
• Collects and reports data, as required and work with team leader, data analyst and other SOS teams to use data to inform future care delivery.
• Once housed work with participants and their housing providers to resolve clinical issues that are impacting on the participant’s ability manage, and retain supportive housing.
• Foster relationship with community provides to ensure that recipients are connected with appropriate services as they transition back into the community.
• Appointment navigation including accompaniment to appointments, travel training, reengagement in community care, and addressing barriers to care.
• Facilitating crisis interventions, referrals and hospitalizations as appropriate.
• Review documentation and conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments to determine the medical, psychiatric, housing and other social needs in the community.
• Obtain historical and collateral information from multiple sources to support participants behavioral and physical health needs.
• Monitor, evaluate and record participant progress with respect to care plan goals.
• Attend and participate in team meetings and supervisory sessions.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Experience working with homeless and/or precariously housed populations preferred but not required.
• Knowledge of homeless resources, NYC shelter systems, and MTA transit systems a plus.
• Knowledge of counseling principles and methods for mental illness and substance use disorders.
• Knowledge of treatment, rehabilitation, and community support programs as they relate to recipient/residents, families, and staff.
• Knowledge of techniques for identifying, assessing, and preventing potentially violent behavior, including crisis management and de-escalation techniques.
• Ability to develop, evaluate, implement, and modify treatment intervention to meet the needs of individual recipients.
• Ability to prepare accurate and timely reports.
• Computer proficiency in Health Information Technology and Microsoft applications such as MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

Requirements

Licensed master’s degree or higher in social work, mental health counseling, nursing or psychology. Ability to travel throughout the 5 boroughs of New York City.

Salary: $80,010 plus generous benefits

ACMH is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment decisions based on race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, mental or physical disability, marital status, veteran status or citizenship status.