Case Manager - Mental Health - FSP SPA 5

Background

Since 1976, St. Joseph Center has been meeting the needs of low-income and homeless individuals and families in Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, and surrounding communities.  The Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization that assists people without regard for religious affiliation or lack thereof through comprehensive case management and integrated social service programs.  The Center enjoys broad-based community support as well as a sponsored relationship with its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.  St. Joseph Center serves approximately 6,000 individuals annually.

Brief Description of Principal Activities

Multifaceted intervention, prevention, and education services are carried out at four sites on the Westside of Los Angeles.  St. Joseph Center’s integrated programs provide clients with concentrated and coordinated access to services according to the nature of their needs.

Job Summary

The Case Manager works as part of the interdisciplinary Integrated Mobile Health Team – Full Service Partnership (FSP) team that will conduct assertive outreach to chronically homeless individuals on the streets in the local community and surrounding areas, and provide them with intensive services intended to engage them in the service continuum and ensure their linkage services that enable them to become housing ready.  Once housing ready, the case manager will help clients apply for subsidized housing and link clients to available housing resources by locating suitable units and helping clients to obtain and move into permanent housing.  Once clients are housed, the case manager will be responsible for providing ongoing intensive services that will assist them to retain their housing and be good tenants and neighbors.  

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Case Manager’s key areas of responsibility include: 

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Develop close working relationships with outreach workers, case managers, police, paramedics, the Los Angeles Housing Authority, and all collaborating agencies.
• Locate and focus efforts on specific chronically homeless persons that are considered to be most vulnerable. 
• Present findings to other collaborative agencies in order to develop a service plan of action that will expedite housing opportunities and housing stability.
• Assist with developing and implement client treatment plans that emphasizes coordinated strategies for addressing mental health/substance abuse issues, relapse prevention, symptom/behavior reduction, medication management and any other risk factors that could impede permanent housing.    

Essential Duties:

• Provide ongoing assessments of client progress in obtaining their individual goals. 
• Utilize evidence based practice models including the Harm Reduction Model, and Motivational Interviewing when working with clients. 
• Provide ongoing therapeutic case management services that will ensure successful permanent housing, decrease social isolation, decrease and prevent relapse risks, advocacy to deter evictions, and linkage and brokerage to any needed services such as medical, dental, mental health, substance abuse, like skills training, self-help, money management, meaningful community activities, volunteer services, job placement, etc. 
• Ensure a smooth transition into permanent housing by assisting clients with benefits and housing application processes, life skills such as budgeting and cooking, accessing community resources, and other skills as needed. 
• Provide crisis management, case management, and other therapeutic services related substance abuse and mental health services to clients on the streets, in service venues, in housing placements, or other locations as appropriate.
• Respond to urgent requests for assistance from clients or landlords as needed.
• Participate in all meetings with collaborative agencies and other community meetings as directed.
• Complete and maintain all documentation necessary per DMH requirements, agency requirements, and program requirements.   

Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed are designed to provide typical examples of the work performed; not all duties and responsibilities assigned are included here, nor is it expected that all similar positions will be assigned every duty and responsibility.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Must be highly motivated and a self-starter.  The ability to communicate with and relate to a diverse group of people including clients, community, and other staff.  Must have excellent organizational skills and the capability to work in a fast paced environment.   
• Strong knowledge of homeless services and resources.  Demonstrated knowledge and experience with Harm Reduction, Motivational Interviewing, Critical Time Intervention, and Housing First.
• Requires an ability to work flexible hours including some early mornings, evenings.

Experience:

• Experience providing services to chronically homeless individuals or equivalent experience is desired.
• Experience working with individuals with severe and persistent mental illness and/or co-occurring disorders is highly desirable.   

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in social work, human services or a related field.

Direct Reports:

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities. 

 Computer Skills:

• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Ability to use widely supported internet browsers.

Certificates, Licenses and Registrations:

• Valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.
• Valid automobile liability insurance.

Travel Requirements:

• Travel to meet with clients as needed.
• Travel to meetings at multiple St. Joseph Center sites and at community partner locations as needed.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

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 is frequently required to stand, sit, walk, stoop, talk, hear, reach above and below shoulders; use hand and finger dexterity, keyboarding and making and receiving telephone calls. The employee may be required on occasion to lift and or carry up to 20 lbs.

Status: Full time/Non-Exempt

Salary: $22-22.50

Employment with St. Joseph Center is contingent on completion of satisfactory background check.

For consideration, please submit cover letter and resume. St. Joseph Center is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. All applicants for employment are invited to voluntarily self-identify their gender, race, ethnicity, and veteran status, by completing the EEO Information. Providing your EEO Information is voluntary and refusal to self-identify will not subject applicants to any adverse treatment. Similarly, applicants who do self-identify will not be subject to any adverse treatment based on the information they provide.

St. Joseph center invites you to review the current "EEO is The Law" poster as part of the application process. A link to the current poster is located here.

 https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf