Caseworker 2 (MH) - Mental Health Transitional Outreach

Northampton County, PA•Bethlehem, PA

33d

About The Position

The Caseworker 2 - Mental Health Transitional Outreach fulltime case management position offers intensive assistance to individuals with serious mental illness who need more intensive monitoring, support, and outreach than is available via the standard administrative case management position, yet, who do not require, desire, and/or qualify or have yet to transfer to higher levels of targeted case management. This position utilizes extensive outreach approaches to assist individuals in transition needing this level of care.

Requirements

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE - Six months of experience as a County Caseworker 1; OR
Successful completion of the County Social Casework Intern program; OR
A bachelor's degree with a social welfare major; OR
A bachelor's degree which includes or is supplemented by 12 college credits in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology, criminal justice, or other related social sciences and one year of - professional social casework experience in a public or private social services agency; OR
Any equivalent combination of experience and training which includes 12 college credits in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology, criminal justice, or other related social sciences
Employee assigned to this title will be required to possess and maintain a valid and current motor vehicle operator's license. Must have an acceptable driving record. Personal vehicle required for County business, employee is eligible for mileage reimbursement.
Knowledge of current social case management principles, techniques and methods.
Knowledge of the basic principles and methods of program interpretation and community organization.
Knowledge of current social, economic, and health problems and their impact on the growth and development of people.
Knowledge of individual and group development and behavior and ways of working effectively with adults and children who have social, economic, emotional, or health problems.
Knowledge of social welfare policy and law as they relate to agency function and purpose and societal structures.
Ability to work effectively with people and aid them to grow in the constructive use of their potential in adjusting to their specific problems.
Ability to learn, interpret, and apply relevant laws, regulations, and policies governing agency services.
Ability to learn how to conduct individual and family interviews and to use them to identify individual and family problems.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, their families, other staff, outside agencies, and institutions, and the general public.
Ability to plan and organize work, prepare adequate records and reports, set priorities, and learn to maintain a caseload in an effective and timely manner.
Ability to plan, organize, and direct the work of others.
Ability to clearly express ideas verbally and in writing.
Ability to read, write, speak, understand and communicate in English to perform the duties of this position.

Responsibilities

Completes mental health (MH) intake interviews, paperwork and referrals to MH programs per the MH service plan. Also, reviews referral material and available medical or psychiatric records concerning a consumer's physical or mental condition, social and/or economic status, attitudes, and personality traits.
Maintains ongoing electronic records of each consumer's progress including ongoing documentation through case notes, reviewing/linking medical records, financial information, and other pertinent documents, and completing/updating other necessary documentation including social assessments, liabilities, authorizations and discharges as needed
Participates in regular service/treatment planning and review activities that may include attendance at meetings, in person or virtually, for the purpose of developing, monitoring and updating individual service/treatment plans; completing documentation for that individual following the meeting.
Completes and updates sliding-fee-scale liabilities annually or more frequently as dictated by changes in client income, insurance, marital status and/or number of family dependents.
Assist individuals in obtaining and utilizing healthcare services (medical, psychiatric, therapy, and any needed substance abuse services), which may also require assistance with managed care individuals with navigating their systems of care and with processing any necessary grievances, and scheduling and transportation.
Assist individuals with obtaining and maintaining access to medications, including performing routine medication monitoring, which may also include working with pharmaceutical companies' patient assistant programs and the DPA spend-down program.
Assist individuals in obtaining and maintaining involvement with socialization, vocational/employment opportunities, volunteer opportunities, etc., as this will include encouraging participation with senior centers, faith-based organizations, mental health programs, support groups, etc., and may require frequent site/home visits and problem-solving sessions.
Assist individuals needing emergency food, clothing, utilities/energy assistance, shelter, medical benefits, and/or financial assistance, which may include working with food banks, utility companies, homeless shelters, and the NC County Assistance Office.
Assist individuals with SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) applications to increase access to SSI/SSDI.
Assist individuals needing help finding and/or maintaining permanent housing, which may include working with homeless shelters, Valley Housing Development Corp., and local housing authority offices; this may also include making regular home visits to monitor living conditions and, as problems arise, to coach individuals on needed lifestyle changes, so as to avoid loss of housing.
Assists and arranges transportation for individuals without means, including authorization for bus tickets to help individuals get to mental health appointments, etc. . May transport individuals to appointments as needed.
Provide referral(s) to a higher level of targeted case management, alternate living arrangements, SUD programs, partial hospitalization programs and/or other community support programs.
Assist individuals in decision making related to their spending patterns and budgeting their financial resources, which may require arranging for credit counseling and/or designation of a representative payee.
Serves as an advocate for individuals navigating through agencies to promote understanding of mental illness, promote and educate staff regarding the identification of symptoms of mental illness, insure understanding of the referral process for services, and promote and develop mental health screening programs as appropriate; this may include outreach to primary health care settings/ professionals, senior centers personal care boarding homes, assisted living facilities, retirement centers, and other programs/agencies that serve groups of adults and older adults.
Serve as the liaison to local shelters and Drop-in Centers to assist individuals with necessary services and make referrals as needed. Additionally, serve as liaison to non-mental health agencies who provide services to individuals that may include facilities listed above or transportation providers.
May attend Northampton County Suicide Taskforce and may assist with warm-handoff cases referred by local hospitals.
Duties and responsibilities of this position involve work of a confidential nature in dealing with client interviews, records, information and contracts. Confidentiality is to be maintained at all times in accordance with current regulations and policies.
An employee assigned to this title shall perform a majority, but may not perform all, of the duties listed in this job description. Conversely, minor level duties performed on the job may not be listed. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.