Background

Since 1976, St. Joseph Center has been meeting the needs of low-income and homeless individuals and families in Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, and surrounding communities.  The Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization that assists people without regard for religious affiliation or lack thereof through comprehensive case management and integrated social service programs.  The Center enjoys broad-based community support as well as a sponsored relationship with its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.  St. Joseph Center serves approximately 6,000 individuals annually.

Brief Description of Principal Activities

Multifaceted intervention, prevention, and education services are carried out at four sites on the Westside of Los Angeles.  St. Joseph Center’s integrated programs provide clients with concentrated and coordinated access to services according to the nature of their needs.

Job Summary

The Mental Health Specialist ensures the delivery of quality care in accordance to the rules and regulations established by the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health for contracted agencies as well as adhering to the mission of St. Joseph Center. The position provides therapy and case management services to adults diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness and substance use disorders.

St. Joseph Center provides clinical individual and group supervision with the intention of getting licensed for free

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Utilize a harm reduction and housing first model when working with clients to have a “No wrong door” approach to services.  
• Develop and maintain strong ties to the community, law enforcement, and other service providers.
• Provide mental health assessment, interventions, and services to individuals with severe and persistently mentally ill.
• Provide therapeutic services around increasing stabilization, independence and engagement in the community.

Essential Duties:

• Identify clients at risk of losing housing and take appropriate measures to minimize risk by providing stabilizing services.
• Build trust and rapport with individuals. Assess individuals and complete assessments, re-assessments, and client treatment plan that are required by the agency and funders.
• Implement client treatment plans, emphasizing coordinated strategies for addressing mental health/substance abuse issues, relapse prevention, medication management, and any other risk factors that could impede permanent housing and provide ongoing assessment of client progress in attaining goals.      
• Provide complete documentation, meeting medical necessity, of all services and plans provided to clients.
• Keep highly organized files for each client and enter appropriate data within agency and funder compliance.
• Coordinate services and collaborate with other service providers involved in the clients’ care.
• Link clients to psychiatry services and other supportive services internally or externally.
• Provide skill building, rehabilitation and therapy services to individuals and groups.
• Utilize a harm reduction model when working with clients with chemical dependency or abuse issues.
• Utilize evidence based practices and best practice models to meet each client’s individual needs
• Participate in case conferencing meetings and other community meetings.
• Coordinate and collaborate with community, law enforcement, and other service providers and programs.
• Participate in individual clinical supervision, group clinical supervision, and administrative supervision  

Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed are designed to provide typical examples of the work performed; not all duties and responsibilities assigned are included here, nor is it expected that all similar positions will be assigned every duty and responsibility.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Must be highly motivated and a self-starter. The ability to communicate with and relate to a diverse group of people including clients, community, and other staff.  Must have excellent organizational skills and the capability to work in a fast paced environment.  
• Strong knowledge of homeless services and resources. Demonstrated knowledge and experience with evidence based practices and best practices including: Harm Reduction, Motivational Interviewing, and Housing First.
• The ability to conduct home and field visits. 
•  A bilingual background is a plus.
• The position requires an ability to work flexible hours including some early mornings and evenings.

Experience:

• Experience providing services to highly vulnerable populations preferred.
• Demonstrate experience with completing mental health assessments and client treatment plans using diagnostic criteria from the DSM-5

Education:

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in social work, psychology, or a related field

Direct Reports:

• This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Computer Skills:

• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Ability to use widely supported internet browsers.

Certificates, Licenses and Registrations:

• CA BBS registration or CA AMFT or ACSW licensure
• Valid California Class C Driver License.
• Valid automobile liability insurance.

Travel Requirements:

• Travel to meet with clients.
• Travel to meetings at multiple St. Joseph Center sites and at community partner locations.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

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 is frequently required to stand, sit, walk, stoop, talk, hear, reach above and below shoulders; use hand and finger dexterity, keyboarding and making and receiving telephone calls. The employee may be required on occasion to lift and or carry up to 20 lbs.

Status: Full time/Exempt

Salary: $66,560/yr

At St. Joseph Center, pay ranges are set using the best available market data for the job at the required location. To determine salary for a candidate, we consider the candidate's skills and capabilities for the job compared with expectations for the position.

Employment with St. Joseph Center is contingent on completion of satisfactory background check.

For consideration, please submit cover letter and resume. St. Joseph Center is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. All applicants for employment are invited to voluntarily self-identify their gender, race, ethnicity, and veteran status, by completing the EEO Information. Providing your EEO Information is voluntary and refusal to self-identify will not subject applicants to any adverse treatment. Similarly, applicants who do self-identify will not be subject to any adverse treatment based on the information they provide.

St. Joseph center invites you to review the current "EEO is The Law" poster as part of the application process. A link to the current poster is located here.

 https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf