Part Time Homeless Outreach Specialist

Expect Success at Bridgeway! We make a difference in people’s lives by supporting their life goals - our employees and the people we serve alike. We invest in our employees through competitive compensation and benefits, best practice training, and fostering a team-oriented culture that promotes career development. We nurture an environment that values diversity, where inclusivity, equity, and belonging thrive. At Bridgeway, Everyone Learns and Grows together. We give you our best, so you can unleash your full potential. Make a Future at Bridgeway! Who we are: Bridgeway values and promotes quality clinical and administrative practices to foster the best outcomes for persons who come to us for behavioral healthcare. We offer a work environment that supports teamwork, creativity, innovation, professional growth and dedication to the work. At Bridgeway, we never stop growing and innovating our vision of behavioral healthcare for the future. Why you should apply: As a Homeless Outreach Specialist, you will join an evidence-based program and a dynamic team for the opportunity to learn and refine your clinical and engagement skills and accomplish your dream of helping people to make progress on their unique recovery journeys. The work is sometimes challenging and always rewarding by engaging with persons we serve and co-workers as we all learn, grow, and thrive. Department: Union PATH Hourly: $21.00 Location: Elizabeth, NJ Work hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00am-5:00pm Position Overview: Under the direction of the Housing Director, provides supportive services such as assessment, service planning, service linkage, ongoing monitoring, ongoing clinical support and advocacy for individuals who are homeless and have a mental health and/or co-occurring diagnosis in Union County. Essential Job Functions Supportive Services: Conduct assessments (clinical and functional) on individual holistic needs and then tailoring services to meet the unique needs addressing the areas of strengths, needs, resources, motivation, level of functioning, skills (of community living, daily living, self-care, social, etc.), mental status and risk category. Comprehensive assessments also include assessing the areas of mental health, substance abuse, legal, housing, vocational, and community needs. Provide intensive community-based engagement and support services for a period of 3-6 months, for 12-20 individuals via outreach in the streets, shelters, and anywhere designated that homeless individuals may congregate to maximize each individuals access to services, ability to successfully perform community living functions and integrate into the community. Encourages reluctant individuals to accept services through interventions with him/her and/or family members/friends concerned with persons welfare. Supports individuals with securing immediate needs, including exploring and locating shelter/housing options, entitlements (including assistance in obtaining emergency assistance (general assistance, food stamps, Temporary Rental Assistance, etc.), clothing, medical care/medication, identification and food. Coordinates the development of the Individual Recovery Plan for each individual, and IRP reviews andrevisions based on the individual’s life events and goal attainment. The IRP may include a plan formedication management, in consultation with prescribers, for individuals in need of such a plan. Link individuals to all needed community-based services, and accompanies individuals to all initial appointments and provides transportation when necessary. Provides supportive counseling, legal advocacy, medication education, mental health education, community living skill assessment and monitoring, and early crisis intervention wherever the person is located Provide assessment of the need for crisis intervention, and assistance to providers of psychiatric emergency services in resolving crisis. Supports individuals with training in the areas of linkages, community resources, advocacy, housing search,mental health education, daily living skill assessment, and supportive counseling. Supports individuals with developing a supportive network in the community, including use of self-helpcenters, and through the development of a Wellness Recovery Action Plan Provides frequent face-to-face contact, monitoring and on-going support in order to engage and provide service monitoring for each individual to include medical, mental health, social services, and housing. Identify service gaps and advocate on behalf of the person to remove barriers to needed services. Provide supportive counseling, education and ongoing support services for the individual and may include support within the persons natural support system including family, friends and employers and typically occurs where the person resides or frequents. Frequency of support services is coordinated with the individuals risk status and assessed individualized needs. Utilizes a clinical skill-set by forging therapeutic relationships with diverse individuals through a trauma-informed and recovery-based lens. Provide direct clinical intervention using evidenced based practices, including Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Techniques,), Trauma Informed Care, Permanent Supportive Housing/tenant rights, and Career Development, when engaging individuals with their recovery. Provides technical assistance and education to team members in the area of recovery and wellness. Works with the team to develop materials and strategies for teaching wellness strategies including WRAP plans, instilling hope, promoting choice, advocacy and empowerment, and spirituality. Participates in 24 hour on-call rotating schedule for after hours and weekends for assigned programs. Coordination of Services: Coordinates and integrates services from multiple providers, via service delivery monitoring, case conference, other collateral contact and systems review. Coordinates referrals and linkages to housing, mental health, substance abuse, medical and various social service providers as needed for the individual. Provides monitoring of service providers including routine follow-up with service providers to assess provision of services per the individuals IRP. Attends all scheduled team meetings and participates in community meetings related to services for homeless individuals such as Continuum of Care to End Homelessness. Fosters relationships with homeless resource agencies and/or attends county(s) meetings and sub-committees as assigned. CST PATH - Coordinates with Team Leader the transition of persons from PATH necessary CST services. Program Evaluation/Reporting/Data Collection: Completes all statistical reports related to services provided to include: a daily report of face-to-face contacts and linkages provided, monthly hospitalization domain form completion, and tracking of program evaluation data related to annual program goals. Maintains individual’s records according to policy and procedures and completes documentation in a timely manner Skills and knowledge requirements: Knowledge of SOAR application process, Engagement and outreach with individuals in various stages ofchange, motivational interviewing, Cognitive behavioral techniques, Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment, Caremanagement, non-judgmental, and resourceful. Participates in clinical and non-clinical team meetings including individual and team supervision. Actively seeks out monthly supervision from supervisor. Requirements: Education/Certifications: Bachelor’s degree in counseling, psychology, social work or related area. CAC, CRC, BSW Experience: 2 years paid work experience in human services required with at least 1 year in mental health. 2 years additional paid work experience in mental health may substitutes for a bachelor’s degree Master's degree in human services may be substituted for the 2 years paid work experience requirement Driver’s License, Vehicle: Valid driver’s license required No more than one moving violation within the past 12 months Vehicle required #OG Bridgeway Behavioral Health Services was founded on a strong desire to fight disparity and injustice alongside people living with behavioral health conditions. We are dedicated to providing a multicultural workplace where everyone feels a sense of purpose and belonging. We provide equal opportunity for employees and applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, age, religion, or any other classification protected by law.