Social Worker (Part Time)

Social Worker

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, widely recognized as one of New York's premier human services providers, is a settlement house founded in 1894 that provides an extensive array of effective and integrated services—social, educational, health, housing, mental health, nutritional and fitness—which significantly improves the lives of 16,000 people in need each year, ages 3 to 103, on the East Side of Manhattan. Our clients include older adults, unhoused and formerly unhoused adults, children and families, disabled persons, adult learners and more.

Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in the historic mixed-used Park Avenue Armory, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House's Women's Mental Health Shelter is a 24-hour program that addresses the critical issues facing 80 homeless women, age 45 and over, who have histories of mental illness. Through a comprehensive continuum of care and programming that includes social work services, medical, nursing and psychiatric care, specialized peer support, housing placement, benefits assistance, arts and recreation and food and nutrition programs, our talented, multi-disciplinary team which includes social workers, mental health clinicians, nurses, psychiatric providers, peer advocates and program assistants, to help clients to transition from homelessness to permanent housing.

The part-time Social Worker will be an integral member of our Women's Mental Health Shelter team and will assist in our efforts to help clients to obtain long-term mental health stability and secure housing. Candidates must have a focus on community-based human services with a social justice lens and be dedicated to supporting our clients as they optimize their wellness and achieve permanent housing placements. Reporting directly to the Clinical Director and collaborating closely with the Senior Program Director and Housing Specialist, the entire Clinical and Operational Team, the part-time Social Worker will be responsible for providing comprehensive social services and case management, housing counseling, crisis intervention, and person-centered, trauma-informed support at our Women's Mental Health Shelter.

The Social Worker will:

• Provide comprehensive social services and case management to an assigned caseload of clients, with caseload size determined based on the employee's part-time schedule and programmatic needs. Clients may present with diagnoses including Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Anxiety Disorders, and co-occurring substance use and medical complexities.
• Complete initial and ongoing client assessments and service planning, including Independent Living Plans (ILPs), psychosocial assessments, intake needs assessments, required mental health screenings, 2010E supportive housing applications, CAPS surveys, and other required documentation, ensuring timely identification of client needs, appropriate service planning, and regulatory compliance.
• Assist clients with applying for, securing, and maintaining government benefits, including Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, Access-A-Ride, Lifeline, EPIC, SSI/SSD, and other available benefits.
• Assist clients with obtaining or replacing vital documents necessary for benefits, housing, and other services, including birth certificates, Social Security cards, state identification, and other required documentation.
• Connect clients to on-site and community-based mental health, medical, substance use, benefits, and other supportive services based on their identified needs.
• Participate in treatment planning and implementation, case conferences, and clinical staff meetings, collaborating effectively with on-site psychiatric and medical providers.
• Support clients in developing substance use, harm reduction, cessation, and recovery goals through a person-centered and trauma-informed approach.
• Facilitate clinical, psychoeducational, and support groups and workshops that promote mental wellness, coping skills, independent living skills, and overall stability.
• Provide crisis intervention, de-escalation, and conflict resolution to support clients in navigating crises in a safe, respectful, and person-centered manner.
• Escort clients to housing tours, medical and mental health appointments, public benefits appointments, and other community-based services as needed
• Provide ongoing aftercare support to assigned clients transitioning to permanent housing, including follow-up to promote housing stability and connection to ongoing community-based services and supports.
• Maintain timely, accurate, and comprehensive documentation of all services provided in appropriate databases and systems, in accordance with agency and regulatory requirements.
• Interface regularly with clients during scheduled working hours, providing excellent customer service, responding to questions, and addressing client needs in a respectful and compassionate manner.
• Support the day-to-day operations of the Women's Mental Health Shelter during scheduled shifts and ensure services are delivered in accordance with agency standards, program expectations, and government regulations.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary staff across Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, as well as external community-based organizations and service providers, to maximize available resources and improve client outcomes.
• Complete all other responsibilities and duties as assigned by the Clinical Director.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate for the Part-Time Social Worker position will have excellent interpersonal, engagement, and relationship-building skills and be compassionate, energetic, organized, and self-motivated. The candidate must communicate effectively and collaborate with clients, colleagues, and interdisciplinary team members, while maintaining professionalism and appropriate boundaries in a fast-paced environment. Candidates should be skilled in engaging individuals with complex behavioral health needs using a person-centered, trauma-informed, and harm reduction approach. Experience working with unhoused populations, individuals with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI), substance use, trauma, and/or residential or shelter-based services is preferred. Experience supporting women experiencing homelessness and co-occurring mental health and medical complexities is strongly preferred. A Bachelor's degree in Social Work (BSW) is required. An MSW or LMSW is preferred. Spanish fluency is strongly ideal.

Given our 24/7 operating schedule and the diverse needs of our clients, the Part-Time Social Worker will work a flexible schedule based on programmatic needs and the candidate's availability. Opportunities may be available across daytime, evening, and weekend hours, and flexibility in scheduling is strongly preferred. The anticipated schedule is Saturday, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM, and Monday, 2:00 PM–9:00 PM, for a total of 14 hours per week. Some flexibility may be required based on programmatic needs.

Salary Range: $38.29 hourly rate.

What We Offer:

• Professional Development Opportunities – certifications and licenses, conferences, trainings, lectures and more
• Staff events and parties including Film and Dinner nights, bowling parties, baseball games, food trucks, holiday parties, parties on our Green Roof, chocolate event for Valentine's Day and ice cream socials, and much more.
• Staff use of State-of-the Art Fitness Center, Gym and Swimming Pool
• Staff group fitness classes, swimming lessons and lap swim for staff

All individuals, as a condition for employment by Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, are required to undergo a pre-employment background check. Certain positions require more extensive background checks to comply with applicable laws.

At Lenox Hill Neighborhood House we value respect, diversity and integrity. We are an equal opportunity employer. Lenox Hill Neighborhood House prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. Lenox Hill Neighborhood House conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations. The policy of equal employment opportunity (EEO) and anti-discrimination applies to all aspects of the relationship between Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and its colleagues.