DESC works to end the homelessness of vulnerable people, particularly those living with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorders. Through partnerships and an integrated array of comprehensive services, treatment and housing, we give people the opportunity to reach their highest potential.
DESC is the largest multi-service agency serving homeless adults in the Pacific Northwest, reaching over 9,000 people annually with an array of state-licensed mental health and substance abuse treatment programs—including street outreach and engagement, crisis diversion and respite, case management, short-term and ongoing care, psychiatric assessment and treatment, supported employment, individual and group substance abuse counseling, 468 emergency shelter beds, and over 1,100 units of permanent supportive housing. DESC adheres to the Housing First philosophy, the belief that housing is a basic human right, not a reward for clinical success and once the chaos of homelessness is eliminated from a person's life, clinical and social stabilization occur faster and are more enduring.
DESC's innovative programs have earned recognition regionally and nationally. Every day at DESC we see what innovative clinical care and supportive housing can do: people who have been homeless for years regain their health, their dignity and their humanity. They reconnect with parents, children, brothers, sisters. They make friends, rediscover interests, and find work or other meaningful activity.
And when they recover their lives, the quality of life is improved for all of us. Our community becomes a better place in which to live and work.
Provide case management focused on housing retention, including helping clients prepare for inspections and recertifications, coordinating with housing providers, and addressing risks to housing stability.
Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team and housing staff, support clients in maintaining healthy living conditions, and participate in clinical meetings, documentation, and on-call crisis coverage.
What you need
Requires a relevant bachelor’s degree or a combination of one year of relevant paid experience and demonstrated ability to perform the duties, along with eligibility for Washington Registered Agency Affiliated Counselor registration or a superseding credential.
Candidates must have a valid Washington driver’s license and insurable driving record, be able to meet on-call scheduling requirements, and demonstrate effective communication, collaboration, and supportive relationship-building skills; a relevant master’s degree and Spanish-English bilingual ability are preferred.
Education: a bachelor's degree or a postgraduate degree
Key skills
Case ManagementHousing RetentionCare CoordinationBehavioral Health SupportCrisis ResponseRisk AssessmentClient AdvocacyClinical DocumentationInterdisciplinary CollaborationCommunicationProfessional JudgmentTime ManagementConfidentialityComputer SkillsDriving
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Description
Shift: Office Day (8am - 4pm) with one Late Shift (12pm-8pm)
Days Off: Sunday, Monday
Insurance Benefits: Dental, Life, Long-term Disability, Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage)
Other Benefits: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan
Union Representation: This position is a part of a union and is represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.
About DESC:
Recognized nationally as an innovator and leader in developing solutions to homelessness, DESC is a social services organization, supportive housing operator, and licensed behavioral health treatment provider focused on meeting the needs of people experiencing long-term homelessness and living with complex behavioral health and other medical conditions. Approximately 3,000 people are actively receiving services from DESC at any given point in time. Our vision is a community where all people are shown compassion, treated with dignity, and everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.
DESC operates five shelter/emergency housing programs,19 permanent supportive housing facilities with over 1,750 units, several hundred additional scattered site apartments, and a range of behavioral health services including outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment, residential crisis stabilization, street outreach, mobile crisis response, and treatment for opioid use disorder.
About WellConnect:
DESC’s WellConnect program is a modified assertive community treatment (ACT) team serving Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) residents with complex needs underserved by traditional office-based care models. This interdisciplinary team of behavioral health providers offers a range of services to help participants meet their personal goals including community integration activities, systems navigation, care coordination, psychiatric medication management, peer support services, housing stability services, co-occurring substance use treatment, and individual and group psychotherapy.
Team scheduling requirements reflect this commitment to provide participants with intensive wrap-around, 24/7 services onsite at their homes and in DESC PSH Sites. Team members provide rotating coverage for 12 hours per day Monday to Friday and 8 hours per day on weekends & holidays. In addition, all team members participate in on-call rotations to provide 24-hour crisis coverage.
MAJOR JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Provide Case Management services with a primary focus on housing retention resources and supports (i.e. DSHS referrals for caregivers, chore workers, etc.)
Provide assistance in preparation for housing inspections from funding sources; conduct housing inspections as scheduled.
Coordinate with the team’s OT (Occupational Therapist) and DESC’s internal Unit Conditions Response Team re: units that need significant support. Develop and implement plans to address major concerns; evaluate plans on a regular cadence to gauge efficacy
Complete Rehousing Risk Assessments and Mobility Transfer requests for clients at risk of losing their housing
Coordinate preparations for inspections with housing providers
Assist clients with completing requirements for annual housing recertifications
Regularly attend consultation meetings (i.e. weekly CCS briefs, ECL reviews, etc.) with housing staff to proactively address clinical concerns impacting client housing stability
OTHER JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Participate in daily team meetings, psychiatric consultations, clinical supervision, program meetings and in-service trainings; participate in clinical reviews and case conferences.
Comply with the agency's clinical accountability policies and procedures; maintain current, timely and complete clinical records; participate in quality assurance reviews when assigned.
Comply with applicable program research and evaluation procedures.
Other duties as assigned.
Living Conditions:
Support your clients with achieving and maintaining healthy living conditions. This can include but is not limited to attending care conferences related to living conditions, outreaching and supporting clients in their residential units with tools and skills to maintain their units, coordinating with housing staff, participating in cleaning out clients’ units, and documenting barriers to maintaining healthy living conditions.
Requirements
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Ability to meet Washington Department of Health requirements for registration as a Registered Agency Affiliated Counselor (AAC) or any other superseding credential.
Relevant bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, or related behavioral science; OR a combination of 1 year of relevant paid work experience and demonstration of the ability to perform required job duties.
Ability to drive an agency or personal vehicle to conduct agency-related business. A current Washington State driver's license and insurable driving record are required.
Interest in working with clients who are difficult to engage and maintain in traditional mental health/substance use disorder programs.
The ability to meet WellConnect's scheduling requirements:
Participation in regular on-call rotation (paid) to provide 24-hour crisis coverage (both on the phone & in person) for mental health issues for WellConnect clients.
Ability to communicate and work effectively with participants and staff from various backgrounds.
Must have a strong commitment to the right and ability of each person with a severe and persistent mental illness to live in normal community residences; work in market jobs; and have access to helpful, adequate, competent, and continuous supports and services.
Able to prioritize multiple responsibilities, work independently, and exercise professional judgment.
Basic computer skills: email, data entry, file creation, correspondence.
Skills and competence to establish supportive trusting relationships with persons with severe and persistent mental illnesses. Respect for participant rights and personal preferences in treatment are essential. Clear understanding and respect for the importance of maintaining participant confidentiality.
Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across DESC and other outside agency programs and of consideration and respect for participants. DESC expects a high degree of cooperation and collaboration among its staff, programs, and community agencies. The specific duties and responsibilities of each position necessarily requires flexibility cooperation to achieve the organization's and programs goals.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Master's degree in social work, psychology, or other relevant behavioral science.
Bi-lingual in Spanish & English
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to sit for long periods of time, communicate with other persons by talking and hearing, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:
DESC is committed to diversity in the workplace and promotes equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The Agency will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, caste, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any employment practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification. Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.