Community Social Worker, Co-Response

Community Social Worker, Co-Response

The City's Office of Community Health & Safety provides community-based support for, emergency response to, and sustained engagement with community members whose needs are not met by the traditional Public Safety paradigm. A critical part of our right responder model is the Co-Response program, which pairs social workers and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police personnel to respond together to the calls. The Co-Response program will be responsible for staffing units in each of the City's six Police Zones. Co-Response personnel have a positive impact on our community by engaging with citizens through trauma-informed program development and direct service delivery. The Community Social Worker, Co-Response (CSW) will work with a team of colleagues and their police partner to identify and support individuals through both immediate response and ongoing support. Engagements will focus on addressing barriers to consistent care, resources, and treatment that result in Public Safety engagements. The CSW will engage with individuals who experience high utilization of Public Safety services, are victims of crime, or are individuals with unmet behavioral health or social support needs. This position will perform on-scene crisis care and de-escalation, perform needs assessments and coordination of care, conduct follow-up with their clients, and engage in short-term intervention by determining and submitting the types of referrals and services needed. The ideal candidate will have a strong alignment with the principles of harm reduction; a strong understanding of assertive engagement, stages of change, empowering individual agency, and choice; and experience in case management, crisis intervention, victim support, and mental/behavioral health support. The successful candidate will possess a desire to work directly with Police to support interactions in a way that leverages the distinctive skills and roles of social workers and law enforcement. The Community Social Worker, Co-Response will receive referrals from Public Safety and city government staff and collaborate directly with other OCHS programs, street outreach, and DHS-contracted providers. Supervision and management will be conducted by the Co-Response Team Lead for daily task supervision, alignment with program and office, creative problem-solving, and to foster personal and professional growth. The successful candidate will assist in the growth and expansion of the OCHS's Co-Response program and will therefore work directly with the City of Pittsburgh's Bureaus of Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as well as the Office of Community Services & Violence Prevention and their partners. CSWs will respond to calls in which safety has been assessed. The safety of the CSWs, community members, and other responders is the top priority of OCHS. CSWs will work collaboratively to build on existing plans to ensure safe practices. They will be empowered to provide expert assessments, serving as equal partners in the public health and safety continuum. CSWs will provide de-escalation psychosocial support on scene and will conduct ongoing follow-up, collaborate with appropriate service providers and/or provide referrals for services, and ensure that best practices are adhered to.

Requirements

General Requirements: You must submit or show proof of all the following at the time of application (unless otherwise indicated below) or your application will be disqualified. Disqualifications based on any of these General Application Requirements are not subject to a Civil Service appeal.

• Applicants must submit a complete application, including education, work experience, a resume (if applicable), and completed supplemental questions.
• Applicants must become residents of the City of Pittsburgh prior to employment and must remain a resident throughout employment.
• A current, valid Pennsylvania Class C Driver's License is required prior to appointment and must be maintained throughout employment. The Department of Human Resources & Civil Service will consider individual written requests for accommodation based on the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

NOTE: The City of Pittsburgh, as a matter of policy, conducts pre-employment and promotional background investigations on all candidates being considered for positions. The background investigation includes, but is not limited to, criminal background, driver's license, and City of Pittsburgh real estate tax payments. Candidates may be disqualified from consideration based on the results of their background investigation, as it relates to the job for which the applicant is being considered. NOTE: Candidates being considered for employment must submit official transcripts verifying post-secondary education (college/university, trade school, etc.) prior to hire.

Qualifying Requirements: Your work experience and education/training will be evaluated to determine if you meet the qualifying eligibility requirements listed below for this position. You will receive notice of your eligibility status via email.

• WORK EXPERIENCE: The application must clearly show three (3) years of full-time experience working with those involved with: drug use and/or past lived experience with drug use, harm reduction, the criminal legal system, crisis intervention, victim support, mental/behavior health support, and homelessness or housing instability. Experience collaborating or coordinating with health and safety programs and working with the public is preferred. (Less than full-time experience will be calculated on a pro-rated basis.)
• EDUCATION /TRAINING: The application must clearly show a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from a fully accredited institution. A Master's degree in Social Work is preferred. (See NOTE under the General Application Requirements Section above regarding the verification of education/training.)
• EQUIVALENCY: Education/training may be substituted for work experience on a year-for-year basis if the application clearly shows the required number of years to meet the Total Qualifying Requirement for this position, based on the sum of work experience and education/training listed above. The Total Qualifying Requirement is seven (7) years. (See NOTE under the General Application Requirements Section above regarding the verification of education/training.)

Position Duties

• Adheres to and practices OCH&S values and principles, with a focus on harm reduction-based, person-first, crisis, and trauma-informed principles.
• Assesses the biopsychosocial status of all clients, including people who are survivors, witnesses, and victims of crime, to determine the types of referrals and services indicated.
• Performs Co-Response with PBP officer and provides expert care to people experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis.
• Provides behavioral health support, crisis stabilization, assertive engagement, and service referrals, promoting client autonomy and choice.
• Works directly with first responders to visit people who are high utilizers of 911-dispatched services to identify providers, partners, and programs that can provide a more robust continuum of support.
• Coordinates short-term care with service providers, senior staff, and first responders, when appropriate.
• Works with senior staff and Public Safety personnel to implement and execute a co-response model, including participation in side-by-side multidisciplinary training.
• Facilitates referrals to diversion programs citywide.
• Works closely with ROOTS and Street Medicine teams citywide to coordinate referrals and care.
• Records detailed documentation of client interactions and referrals in identified database system.
• Acts as a liaison between community members, first responders, and community-based agencies.
• Communicates with individuals and providers in person, and via phone, email, letters, and faxes to assess concerns and determine needs.
• Conducts ongoing communication with senior staff regarding workload, client support plans, and other activities.
• Performs other related tasks and duties as assigned or required.

Benefits

Full-time City employees receive a comprehensive benefit package including:

• Health, Dental and Vision Benefits
• Pension
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation Plan
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Vacation
• Personal Days

(Benefits may be modified based on collective bargaining unit terms.)