Crisis Intervention Specialist

Community School Liaison Program

The Children's Home of Jefferson County's (CHJC) Community School Liaison Program collaborates with CHJC's affiliate programs including: Care Coordination, Therapeutic Crisis Respite Program, and the Community Clinic of Jefferson County (CCJC). The Program provides both Crisis Intervention and Case Management services to youth and their families in the school, home, and community setting.

The Crisis Intervention Specialist will respond to referrals, utilize crisis intervention skills to regulate the situation, triage and assess youth and their families for the most appropriate immediate service provision, provide short-term care management, and link the youth and family to long-term services.

Major responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to the following:

• Inform community partners, specifically school personnel, of available services and referral criteria.
• Set up face-to-face meetings with potential stakeholders to inform them about available services.
• Field all phone calls, emails, and other inquiries from potential referral sources.
• Distribute program brochures throughout Jefferson County.

Service provision includes:

1. In a timely manner, respond to each referral to stabilize crisis, determine most appropriate service provision, and safety plan with youth and family.
2. Conduct all admission paperwork and ensure all necessary consents/releases are signed.
3. Meet with youth and family to complete assessment of need, develop individual treatment plan, and provide supportive counseling to youth and family.
4. Maintain a caseload of up to 20 youth.
5. Collaborate with school of origin to ensure continuity of academic program.
6. Work with community agencies, organizations, and systems for long-term planning and support of the families and children served.
7. Participate in regularly scheduled Team Meetings.
8. Represent CHJC as a liaison with various private and public service providers and resource agencies.
9. Complete all CHJC and NY State mandated reports and forms in a timely fashion.
10. Provide thorough documentation in regard to all case related activities to include but not limited to: face to face contacts, phone calls, case conferences, court appearances, visitation, noted incidents, etc.
11. Makes referrals to mental health services and community based programs as needed.

Work environment: Works in an office/school setting. Will require occasional travel to local schools, conferences and/or meetings and moderate travel within the community to include off-site visits. May have contact with service recipients that are agitated and/or confused, and/or are in crisis. Some risk involved working with service recipients with serious mental illness. Works in an office setting with a controlled temperature environment. Occasional exposure to inclement weather conditions may occur depending upon assignments.

Equipment: This position is required to maintain a working knowledge of related office equipment including personal computers and printers, audio-visual equipment, telephone systems, copiers, fax machines, etc.

Physical demands: Must be able to sit, stand, walk, lift, carry, push/pull, climb, bend, and stoop. Must be able to perform fine motor skills, read, and type. Must be able to sit for long periods of time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Position type/expected hours of work: Full-Time. Traditional hours required along with some non-traditional hours.

Travel: Local travel will be required.

Required education and experience: Bachelor's Degree in a Human Services field, with at least one year experience in a similar field. Applicants possessing a Master's Degree in a clinical field (i.e., Mental Health Counseling or Social Work) preferred.

Skills/abilities/knowledge: Strong organizational abilities and office skills are essential for this position. This person must also have excellent people skills and be a team player. Must be able to work with privileged information in an unbiased and ethical manner. Ability to work with diverse populations. Must demonstrate effective and excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to work cooperatively with others. Must be detail-oriented and possess excellent time-management skills. Requires self-direction, tact, diplomacy, and the ability to be clear, courteous, and professional. Able to react to change productively and handle other duties as assigned.

Additional eligibility qualifications: Must maintain privacy of confidential information. Successful completion of routine pre-employment requirements as mandated by the New York State Department of Health, Office of Mental Health and Office of Children and Family Services along with ongoing clearances and exclusion checks. These requirements are to include employment health requirements, reference checks, criminal background checks/fingerprinting, State Central Registry clearance and your eligibility to work in the United States. A valid NYS driver's license required. Corporate Compliance, HIPAA Privacy Security, and Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Training and Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, First Aid and CPR will be required following date of hire.