Job Type

Description

Days Off: Thursday, Friday & Saturday

Shift: Swing

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

About DESC:

DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is a nonprofit organization working to help people with the complex needs of homelessness, substance use disorders, and serious mental illness achieve their highest potential for health and well-being through comprehensive services, treatment, and housing. Our vision is a community where no person is abandoned, ignored, or experiencing homelessness.

As the region's leading provider of services to multiply disabled adults who have experienced chronic homelessness, DESC serves almost 2,000 people each day. Our integrated service model is designed to help people secure and maintain appropriate, safe and affordable housing. DESC is recognized nationally and regionally as an innovator in developing solutions to homelessness.

Job Definition:

As a member of a multi-disciplinary team, provide multi-axial assessments, chemical dependency screenings, crisis intervention, stabilization, and meaningful engagement to adults referred to the CDIS.

The Mental Health Professional is responsible for providing comprehensive psychosocial assessments; coordinating and problem solving with first responders and other referents; creating and developing detailed recovery oriented disposition plans; linking clients with appropriate community resources; facilitating crisis resolution in the least restrictive environment; and assisting with arranging transportation for clients to appropriate facilities as needed.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• As a member of a multi-disciplinary team, provide multi-axial assessments, chemical dependency screenings, crisis intervention, stabilization, and meaningful engagement to adults referred to the CDIS.
• Establish and implement a plan to successfully engage clients in relevant services and other resources.
• As needed, provide follow-up services aimed at establishing linkage to services for program participants.
• Complete all data collection and documentation required of the CDIS Project and DESC.
• Develop and maintain cooperative relationships with programs providing services for the population served.
• Comply with applicable program research and evaluation procedures.
• Comply with the all agency policies and procedures, relevant Washington Administrative Code and Revised Code of Washington.
• Advocate for clients' access to community resources and services, ensuring that clients' needs are met and rights maintained; consult and collaborate with community providers to ensure continuity of care.
• Participate in psychiatric consultation, supervision, program meetings and in-service trainings; participate in clinical reviews and case conferences for clients on caseload.
• Participate in verbal de-escalation and physical interventions in emergent situations and be able and willing to assist other staff as needed to maintain a safe, secure environment.
• Demonstrate the ability to work effectively under supervision, as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and independently, when necessary.
• Promote and maintain positive relationships with the surrounding neighborhood.
• Participate in verbal de-escalation and physical interventions in emergent situations and be willing and able to assist other staff as needed to maintain a safe and secure environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Living Conditions

• Coordination of unit mitigation support for clients residing in DESC housing. Unit mitigations are coordinated efforts to support clients with maintaining healthy living conditions. This can include but is not limited to attending care conferences related to unit mitigation, outreaching and supporting clients in their residential units with tools and skills to maintain their units, coordinating with Housing staff to ensure proper work orders are filed in a timely manner, participating in cleaning out clients' units, and documenting barriers to unit mitigation. *More specific details will be found in your program manual* 

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Eligible for a Licensed AAC credential or any other superseding credential that meets RCW 71.05.020 requirements to act as a Mental Health Professional whose scope of practice includes independently conducting mental health assessments and making mental health diagnoses.
• Master's degree in a social work, psychology or other relevant behavioral science or Bachelor of Nursing degree with specialty in mental health.
• 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.
• Be able to pass a Washington State Criminal background check
• Experience and skills in working with mentally ill individuals who are difficult to engage and may resist services.
• Familiar with Recovery Principles, Crisis Intervention and Stabilization, Integrated Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders, Intensive Case Management, Illness Management, Trauma-Informed Treatment, and relevant Evidenced based/Emerging best practices.
• Knowledge of Harm Reduction strategies.
• Strong working knowledge of DSM IV (and its successor).
• Be able to assess situations quickly and respond appropriately to any type of mental health and/or chemical dependency crisis to ensure the physical and psychological safety of clients.
• Be willing to seek to understand each client's unique circumstances and personal preferences and goals and incorporate them into the crisis response to help the client regain a sense of control.
• Assist clients in accessing internal resources to reinforce the client's ability to resolve crisis on their own.
• Assist clients in identifying unmet needs that may be causing them to have recurrent crisis.
• Have a strong understanding of recovery and resilience, the value of client partnerships and client choice, and the balance between protection from harm and personal dignity.
• Possess strong communication and writing skills.
• Ability to work flexible hours as required by program and staffing needs.
• Familiar with King county crisis response system and methods of access.
• Knowledge of recovery focused, strengths based work in mental health.
• Strong knowledge of relevant community resources and methods for accessing them.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds.
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behavior.
• Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for program participants.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Licensed Social Worker (LICSW), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, or Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in State of Washington.
• Bilingual in Spanish/English.
• Bi-cultural background/experience and/or qualify as an Ethnic Minority, Developmentally Delayed, or Geriatric Mental Health Specialist (per WAC 388-865-0150 definition).
• Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP) or currently working toward becoming an SUDP.

Strong applicants are able to demonstrate the ability to be positive in their empathetic responses to all persons; understand the value of meaningful and deep client engagement; have the potential to acquire the necessary knowledge, attitudes and skills of an effective crisis worker; and value a non-judgmental response to sensitive issues. Candidates should be able to accept feedback and work in a highly collaborative and potentially stressful environment.

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 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.

Salary Description