Clinical Support Specialist

Clinical Support Specialist

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.

The Clinical Support Specialist works under the direction of the CSS Supervisor or Project Manager, and collaboratively as part of an integrated care team including other CSSs, Housing Stabilization Specialists, Residential Counselors, clinical case managers, and other outside provider agencies to provide and coordinate clinical services for tenants. This position offers case management and mental health services to tenants as well as coordinating care with other providers as appropriate.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Facilitate engagement of tenants through creative, equitable, culturally relevant, and resourceful strategies that build trust and confidence; publicize service availability.
• Develop and routinely update an Integrated Service Plan (ISP) in collaboration with tenants, case managers, and other staff, outlining goals and strategies to ensure housing success.
• Identify and coordinate those case management elements that will be provided by DESC case managers or case managers from outside provider organizations.
• Support tenants in maintaining safe and healthy unit conditions and passing apartment inspections. This may include hands-on assistance cleaning apartments, arranging and monitoring caregiver/chore-worker services, and/or teaching and modeling independent living skills.
• Directly provide case management services not covered by other providers.
• Maintain regular contact with tenants and case managers from DESC and outside provider organizations to monitor progress toward goals identified in the ISP, and to ensure adequate provision of identified services.
• Document interactions with tenants through logs, service notes, EORs, emails, and other methods as appropriate in accordance with agency guidelines.
• Understand and meet the various contractual service and documentation obligations relevant to your project.
• Use trauma-informed strategies to intervene in crises and assist with building rule enforcement and lease compliance, as necessary.
• Provide education and support for tenants to ensure success as leaseholders.
• Assist tenants in the formation of interest groups or therapeutic support groups; facilitate when appropriate.
• Organize outings and activities to improve tenant skills in activities of daily living and to increase the level of meaningful activity in their lives.
• Work with tenants and other staff to identify needs for additional services, groups, and activities. Work with staff, outside service providers, and community resources to initiate and facilitate these services and activities.
• Provide individual culturally relevant counseling and information and referral services to tenants as needed.
• Facilitate community meetings.
• Participate in staff meetings and trainings.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Ability to perform all major and assigned duties and responsibilities with or without accommodations.
• Current Agency Affiliated Counselor (AAC) license in Washington State, or equivalent, or ability to obtain an AAC license soon after hire.
• Clinical experience working with homeless adults disabled by chronic alcoholism, mental illness, and drug use.
• Knowledge of local homeless, mental health, and chemical dependency service systems.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behavior.
• Commitment to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across agency programs and of consideration and respect for clients.

Education / Experience Requirements:

1. Relevant Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, or related behavioral science, OR
2. A combination of 1 year* of relevant paid work experience and demonstration of the ability to perform required job duties

*Internal applicants in direct, client facing positions can substitute 6 months of experience in lieu of 1 year

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two years' experience working with homeless adults disabled by chronic alcoholism, mental illness, and/or drug use.
• Valid Washington State driver's license and insurable driving record.

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, communicate with other employees, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 40 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.