Job Type

Description

Days Off: Sunday, Monday

Shift: Day (7:00am - 4:30pm)

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:

The Crisis Respite Program (CRP) provides short-term psychiatric respite for people discharging from inpatient mental health or substance use treatment settings, emergency rooms and jails. CRP serves as a vital buffer between psychiatric emergency care and life back in the community by offering a safe and supportive shelter environment, and facilitating connections with long-term, outpatient services. 

The CRP Case Manager is a member of a multi-disciplinary team responsible for providing ongoing assessment, crisis stabilization, engagement and short-term case management services to adults experiencing homelessness after a mental health or substance use related crisis. This position will work closely with other CRP clinicians, shelter staff, outpatient mental health providers and referral sources. Services will be provided at DESC facilities and in the community.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide short-term, intensive case management focused on facilitating referrals to community resources and outpatient providers.
• Evaluate the psychiatric, substance abuse, and housing needs of clients, and advocate for CRP clients to access the most effective disposition available in the community.
• Assist clients with appointment reminders and coordinate transportation to assure best possible connection is made with outpatient providers.
• Monitor clients' prescribed medications daily. Facilitate clients' medication refills as needed.
• Receive and screen referrals from approved referral sources and coordinate transfer to CRP.
• Develop collaborative working relationships with approved referral sources such as Harborview Medical Center, Cascade Behavioral Health Hospital, Fairfax Hospital, Western State Hospital, Evaluation and Treatment facilities, mental health diversion court, and others.
• Develop and maintain cooperative relationships with staff across DESC programs to ensure continuity of care between clinical and shelter programs for clients enrolled in the CRP.
• Participate in psychiatric consultation, reflective supervision, shift handoff and team meetings, in-service trainings, and care conferences for clients.
• Comply with the agency's clinical accountability policies and procedures; maintain current and complete clinical records; participate in quality assurance reviews when assigned.
• Maintain clean and healthy environment in CRP.
• Enforce shelter rules regarding health, safety, and respect, and consult with Clinical Supervisor and shelter staff regarding the equitable application of shelter rules.
• Respond to emergent situations using Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) de-escalation strategies.
• 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. 
• Interest in working with clients who are difficult to engage and maintain in traditional mental health/substance use disorder programs.
• Interest and experience in working with adults experiencing homelessness, severe and persistent mental illness, and/or substance use disorders.
• Knowledge of and ability to assess mental health and substance use disorders, and familiarity with psychiatric medications.
• Ability to remain open and receptive to constructive feedback.
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behavior.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds.
• Commitment to philosophy of harm reduction, housing first, and equity and social justice.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in social work, psychology or other relevant behavioral science or Bachelor of Nursing degree with specialty in mental health.
• Bi-cultural or bilingual background.

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, stand, walk and go up and down stairs. The employee will be required to bend, stoop, kneel, and reach as well as lifting and/or carrying items weighing up to 40 pounds. The ability to operate computer hardware systems is also required. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Considerable stress may occur.

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