Harm Reduction Specialist, IMT

Job Description

Job Description

Community Access was founded in 1974 to provide housing and support for people being discharged from psychiatric institutions. Today, we are one of the leading providers of supportive and affordable housing in New York City, and the originators of an integrated housing model which has become a best practice nationally: affordable housing where families live alongside people living with mental health concerns. Our staff work daily to support thousands of New Yorkers through supportive and affordable housing, peer-driven residential crisis support programs, training, advocacy, supported education, mobile treatment and other healing-focused services.

Program/Department Description

Intensive Mobile Treatment (IMT) is an innovative, creative, trauma-informed mobile practice model designed to provide treatment, rehabilitation and support services to individuals whose needs have not been met by traditional services. IMT participants interact with homeless services, criminal justice, and behavioral health service systems. IMT teams are hired, trained and funded to maximize flexibility and continuity of care for persons who historically have been poorly served.

Community Access’ IMT Teams serve individuals who are street homeless or living between institutional settings and housing. Team members work collaboratively with settings in which the participant is living and use assertive engagement strategies to proactively engage individuals in services. IMT team members share responsibility for the people they serve, helping individuals attain housing and other personal and safety goals that may be of a health, social, work or education nature.

IMT teams are multi-disciplinary and include psychiatry, nursing, social work, peer specialists and other staff members offering rehabilitation, treatment and recovery support services. The team provides expertise in the areas of housing, substance use and harm reduction, criminal justice, peer support and behavioral health recovery. Based on their area of expertise, team members collaborate to deliver comprehensive, integrated and flexible services that are responsive to a participant’s choices, needs and goals. With a small staff to participant ratio, services are brought to the participant and offered in natural settings, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

Overview

The IMT Harm Reduction Specialist is an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team of mental health clinicians. The Specialist is a team member responsible for engaging participants through harm reduction strategies including motivational interviewing and stage-wise interventions that target an individual’s readiness for change. The Harm Reduction Specialist is the team member responsible for helping the team stay grounded in harm reduction philosophy and strategies such as the use of radical acceptance, person-centered engagement, uplifting self-determination, offering low-threshold services, maximizing options, using both Peer-informed and trauma-informed approaches, and uplifting human rights. The Harm Reduction Specialist brings a specific social justice lens to this work. The Harm Reduction Specialist is also a resource to other team members in issues related to mental health and co-occurring substance use. The Harm Reduction Specialist should be able to use and share a harm reduction lens and approach when working with participants who may be engaging in potentially risky behaviors related to drug use, sex work, psychiatric medications, Diabetes, homelessness, carceral systems, etc.

Key Performance Indicators

All key performance indicators below are expected to be met fully. 

• Complete required assessments and evaluations as needed on a rotating schedule; assigned assessments are completed on time.
• Complete progress notes for all contacts, collaterals, and engagement attempts within 2 business days.
• Maintain harm reduction toolbox inventory, submit OOPP reports on time, and regularly attend agency Harm Reduction Committee meetings.

Job Qualifications

• Have an understanding, appreciation, and commitment to the philosophy and mission of Community Access.
• Commitment to person-centered treatment strategies, upholding participants’ rights, and self-determination in service provision.
• Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, Criminal Justice or other Health and Human Services related field; LMSW preferred
• Minimum of two (2) years’ experience working with individuals with a mental health condition with co-occurring substance use disorder.
• Available to work a flexible schedule, mornings, evenings and weekends in response to participant needs.
• Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Be creative and flexible.
• Able to show initiative and be responsible for follow-through.
• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Be skilled in conflict mediation/negotiation and have an assertive approach to problem solving.
• Must be able to work in the community, including use of public transportation across the boroughs.
• Computer proficiency in Windows operating systems and programs, such as MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, as well as comfort with learning new electronic systems.
• Bilingual Spanish-speaking, preferred.
• Must be fingerprinted and cleared by the New York State Justice Center.

Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should apply on

Community Access is an Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/D/V.

Women, People of Color and Members of the LGBT community are strongly

encouraged to apply.