Community Engagement Specialist / Social Work Specialist I - Iowa CONNECT - Psychiatry

University of Iowa • Iowa City, IA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The University of Iowa Department of Psychiatry is seeking a Social Work Specialist I to serve as the Community Engagement Specialist for Iowa CONNECT, a new SAMHSA-funded program for adolescents and young adults ages 12–25 who may be at clinical high risk for psychosis. The specialist serves as the program’s primary point of contact and coordinates referral management, statewide community outreach, partnership development, and clinical services. The position is approximately 75% community engagement, outreach, referral management, and partnership development, and 25% clinical work.

Iowa CONNECT is a multidisciplinary specialty program serving young people who may be at clinical high risk for psychosis and their families. Its approach emphasizes early identification, youth- and family-centered care, shared decision-making, culturally responsive and trauma-informed practice, and supporting participation in relationships, education, work, and community life. Team members receive specialized training and collaborate through regular case consultation and program meetings.

This is a hybrid position combining in-person and remote work within Iowa. Work arrangements are reviewed annually and must comply with University remote-work and travel policies. Regular travel throughout Iowa for outreach, training, and partnership development is required; approved program travel expenses are reimbursed under University policy. The role includes clinical assessment and/or evidence-informed treatment, coordination with families and community providers, and timely clinical documentation. The University of Iowa offers comprehensive employee benefits, retirement options, paid leave, professional-development opportunities, and the resources and stability of a major academic medical center and public university.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work.
• Current license to practice social work in Iowa.
• Considerable (3–5 years) Social Work experience.
• At least one year of experience providing behavioral-health services to adolescents and their families.
• Experience providing clinical assessment, therapy, case management, or related behavioral-health services.
• Strong interpersonal, consultation, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong public-speaking and presentation skills.
• Ability to develop collaborative relationships with healthcare professionals, educators, families, and community organizations.
• Ability to independently manage multiple partnerships and referrals and follow them through to completion.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly within Iowa.
• Current valid driver’s license and ability to meet University Driving Policy Standards.

Nice To Haves

• Two or more years of experience providing behavioral-health services to adolescents and their families.
• Experience working with young adults.
• Experience with psychosis, early psychosis, clinical high risk for psychosis, serious mental illness, or coordinated specialty care.
• Experience conducting community outreach, professional education, provider consultation, or partnership development.
• Experience working with schools, colleges, primary care, community mental-health providers, or other youth-serving systems.
• Training in SIPS/Mini-SIPS, CBT for psychosis/CHR-P, or related approaches.
• Experience working with rural communities or developing regional or statewide referral networks.
• Experience supervising or mentoring students or trainees.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary point of contact for Iowa CONNECT referrals and inquiries from youth, families, clinicians, schools, and community partners.
• Review referrals, gather relevant information and records, and help determine next steps for screening and assessment.
• Track referrals from initial contact through screening, assessment, eligibility determination, and connection to services.
• Follow up with youth and families who have not completed next steps and help address barriers to engagement.
• Communicate referral status and next steps to referring providers and families.
• Facilitate warm connections to alternative services for individuals who are not eligible for Iowa CONNECT or need a different level of care.
• Consult with the Project Director/psychiatrist and clinical team about complex referrals and eligibility questions.
• Develop and lead Iowa CONNECT’s statewide community-engagement and referral-development strategy.
• Build and maintain partnerships with community mental-health providers, first-episode psychosis programs, primary-care practices, schools, Area Education Agencies, colleges, universities, and other youth-serving organizations.
• Develop clear and accessible referral pathways into Iowa CONNECT.
• Provide education and consultation on clinical high risk for psychosis, early identification, screening, assessment, and referral.
• Develop and deliver training and presentations for healthcare providers, educators, community organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Travel throughout Iowa to meet referral partners, provide training and education, and strengthen regional referral pathways.
• Identify access barriers in rural and underserved communities and help develop strategies involving telehealth, transportation supports, and community partnerships.
• Track referral sources, outreach activities, referral outcomes, and barriers to care, and use the data to guide future outreach.
• Work with an outreach-focused graduate trainee on contact tracking, materials, outreach logistics, and follow-up.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, program planning, and quality-improvement activities.
• Provide clinical assessment and/or evidence-informed treatment to adolescents and young adults enrolled in Iowa CONNECT.
• Collaborate with adolescents, young adults, and families experiencing emerging changes in mental health and functioning.
• Participate in specialized CHR-P assessment and treatment training, weekly multidisciplinary case consultation, and treatment planning.
• Provide consultation to community clinicians regarding youth with possible CHR-P presentations.
• Coordinate care with families, schools, clinicians, and other community providers.
• Support transitions to first-episode psychosis or other services when clinically indicated.
• Maintain timely and appropriate clinical documentation.

Benefits

• Comprehensive employee benefits
• Retirement options
• Paid leave
• Professional-development opportunities
• Approved program travel expenses reimbursed in accordance with University of Iowa policy

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level