ACT Program Assistant

Metrocare Services•Dallas, TX

55d

About The Position

Are you looking for a purpose-driven career? At Metrocare, we serve our neighbors with developmental or mental health challenges by helping them find lives that are meaningful and satisfying. Metrocare is the largest provider of mental health services in North Texas, serving over 55,000 adults and children annually. For over 50 years, Metrocare has provided a broad array of services to people with mental health challenges and developmental disabilities. In addition to behavioral health care, Metrocare provides primary care centers for adults and children, services for veterans and their families, accessible pharmacies, housing, and supportive social services. Alongside clinical care, researchers and teachers from Metrocare’s Altshuler Center for Education & Research are advancing mental health beyond Dallas County while providing critical workforce to the state. Job Description: General Description The mission of Metrocare Services is to serve our neighbors with developmental or mental health challenges by helping them find lives that are meaningful and satisfying. We are an agency committed to quality gender-responsive, trauma-informed care to individuals experiencing serious mental illness, development disabilities, and co-occurring disorders. Metrocare programs focus on the issues that matter most in the lives of the children, families and adults we serve. The ACT Program Assistant will provide full-time assistance to the Assertive Community Treatment Team. The ACT Program Assistant will help to facilitate the ACT team’s daily operations by supporting both program staff and individuals in service. The Assistant Program Manager assists the Clinical Manager of Assertive Community Treatment with management and clinical oversight of team. The Program Assistant Manager is responsible for helping to ensure the team engages with adults and their families in a manner that is trauma-informed and responsive to needs, culture, gender, and military status. The Program Assistant Manager is also responsible for ensuring collaborative development of a person/family-centered recovery plan aimed at helping every individual achieve their goals and objectives. The position assists in motivating and training ACT staff to adopt a holistic approach in assessing needs, developing safety plans, and providing all other beneficial clinical services, including psychosocial rehabilitation services, and meeting physical needs through connection to community resources. This position assists in maintaining responsibility for the ACT team reaching quality of care expectations, 100% productivity/census, as well as satisfying all contractual and Texas Administrative Code (TAC) requirements. This position is responsible and accountable for assisting in all aspects of clinical service delivery, including provision of direct care as needed. The position also helps to ensure that their team routinely obtains minimum productivity benchmarks and complies with all agency protocols. The Program Assistant Manager also helps to ensure positive payer and stakeholder relationships and responsiveness to the needs of stakeholders.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work or other human service field.
Mental Health Experience: 2 years
Management/Supervisory Experience: 1 year minimum
Mathematical Skills Ability to work with reports and numbers. Ability to calculate moderately complex figures and amounts to accurately report activities and budgets. Basic math skills required.
Reasoning Ability Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out simple one or two-step instructions. Ability to deal with standardized situations with only occasional or no variables.
Computer Skills Use computer, printer, and software programs necessary to the position (i.e., Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint). Ability to utilize Internet for resources.
Certifications, Licenses, Registrations Current State of Texas Driver License or if you live in another state, must be currently licensed in that state. If licensed in another state, must obtain Texas Driver License within three (3) months of employment. Liability insurance required if employee will operate personal vehicle on Center property or for Center business. Must be insurable by Center’s liability carrier if employee operates a Center vehicle or drives personal car on Center business. Must have an acceptable driving record.
Conducts job responsibilities in accordance with the ethical standards of conduct, state contract, appropriate professional standards and applicable state/federal laws.
Analytical skills, professional acumen, business ethics, thorough understanding of continuous improvement processes, problem solving, respect for confidentiality, and excellent communication skills.
Ability to organize workflow and develop efficient clinic procedures
Ability to effectively manage a large caseload of consumers with varying needs.
Ability to problem solve, exercise good judgment, and make sound decisions.
Skilled in using tact and diplomacy in interacting with staff and consumers.
Ability to work as a team member.
Effective written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to organize and prioritize tasks.
Able to work independently with minimal supervision.
Able to work flexible hours.
Ability to successfully use an automated clinical record keeping system.

Responsibilities

Provide direct support to staff by monitoring & coordinating daily team schedules and supporting staff both in the office and field.
Serve as a liaison between clients and staff by attending to the needs of office walk-ins and calls from individuals/natural supports; actively participating in the daily team meeting; and ensures that the intake process for new individuals is complete in a thorough and timely manner.
Ensure new referrals are accurately assessed, and behavioral treatment objectives/goals are identified with intervention strategies and time frames.
Ensure the recovery plans are complete and submitted to the appropriate funding source for authorization for ACT services.
Ensure new referrals are assigned and engaged by the appropriate treatment team and clinician.
Facilitates initial visits with new referrals and provides a linkage between referral and engagement.
Assist ACT individuals in graduating to a lower level of care and facilitates transfer into outpatient services.
Provide psychosocial/rehabilitative service including, but are not limited to, assessment, development and measurable treatment goals and objectives, referral, linkage, advocacy, monitoring, crisis intervention and continuity of care.
Processes documentation as necessary to obtain authorizations from insurance providers for payment.
Follow-up with individuals who miss a scheduled clinic appointment. Document attempts to contact individual. Report repeated unsuccessful efforts of contact to the treatment team.
Follow-up within 24 hours on individuals who access emergency services. Report status-disposition to treatment team.
Provide crisis intervention during the work week and by rotation.
Facilitate inpatient admission upon request of the treatment team. Provide continuity of services throughout inpatient stay. Participate actively in discharge planning.
Provide overall service coordination, referral, linkage, and advocacy.
Performs other duties as assigned.