Community Mental Health Associate

Cascadia Health•Portland, OR

1d•$26 - $28•Onsite

About The Position

The Community Mental Health Associate is part of the Housing Outreach Team, based at the Garlington Health Center in NE Portland, Oregon. The role provides engagement, housing placement, and time-limited home-based housing-retention supports to individuals and household members affected by homelessness and mental illness. The associate works independently and as part of a team, building trusting relationships and helping participants access program partner services and mainstream resources and health programs. The team provides community-based behavioral health services and long-term rental subsidies using a holistic, whole-person, culturally responsive approach that includes motivational interviewing, assertive engagement, and harm reduction. The associate is expected to respect differences, remain sensitive to the perspectives of clients and colleagues, and support a trauma-informed care environment, including understanding how trauma can affect health and coping. The position is based at the Garlington Health Center and follows a Monday-through-Friday schedule, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is represented by a labor union. Starting pay is $26.45–$27.65 per hour.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a behavioral science field from an accredited college or university, or three years of full-time professional experience working with adults with severe and persistent mental illness.
Demonstrate competencies to become credentialed as a Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA), as outlined in OAR 309-016-0005.
Ability to effectively engage and support the client community served and provide culturally specific services.
Demonstrated ability to provide culturally relevant services to African-American, Latino/Latina, and/or Native American individuals and families experiencing homelessness, financial poverty, and mental illness.
Understanding of motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, and principles of Illness Management Recovery, and ability to use strength-based practices.
Ability to operate computer hardware and software effectively for job functions and to enter and retrieve data.
Valid driver’s license, three-year driving history, clean driving record, ability to pass a DMV check, and completion of Cascadia’s online Defensive Driving course.
Access to and ability to use a reliable vehicle to travel to partner sites and community appointments.
Ability to perform CPR and First Aid and properly use AED equipment; CPR/First Aid certifications must remain current.
Ability to adapt to hectic and changing routines, interruptions, and varied site functions.
Ability to respond appropriately to potential exposure to violent behavior, disease, and biohazards.
Ability to manage diverse and unpredictable tasks and support team safety in potentially volatile situations.

Nice To Haves

Experience providing culturally specific services.
Bilingual proficiency in Spanish.

Responsibilities

Provide client engagement using strength-based case management, motivational interviewing, and harm-reduction concepts.
Communicate promptly with the supervisor, manager, and office coordinator about households receiving outreach or other services, caseloads, service planning, and potential client or rental assistance needs.
Collaborate with a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) on behavioral health assessments, treatment plans (ISSPs), and enrollment tasks for clinical and insurance billing purposes.
Gather and enter accurate, timely client data for HMIS/Service Point and funder reporting, including entries, exits, and monthly services.
Complete housing-placement and service-access applications and documentation with participants, including supportive housing, apartment, rental subsidy, vulnerability assessment, entitlement, food assistance, AMHI, crisis/respite, and other relevant applications and referrals.
Provide limited therapeutic interventions, skills training, practical support, and advocacy to strengthen participants’ informal and formal support systems and promote long-term housing stability and engagement with outpatient health and mental health services.
Accompany clients to appointments and provide transportation in a company vehicle when necessary.
Provide in-reach and liaison support to community partners serving people experiencing homelessness, in collaboration with management, team staff, and partners.
Identify available housing and community resources, address barriers to access, and share housing-resource information and strategies with the supervisor and team.
Coordinate referrals and connections to housing, mental health, substance abuse, medical, and other social-service providers.
Develop relationships with community and partner organizations to help meet client needs effectively and promptly.
Advocate for clients in securing benefits, mental health care, housing programs, medical services, and emergency services.
Complete documentation required for client care and service provision, including treatment-fund, agency-transfer, Wellness Center referral, and other appropriate mental health or addiction-service paperwork.
Help ensure each participant has a primary health care provider; coordinate with professionals and medical providers when a client is hospitalized, including discharge planning and timely follow-up.
Manage time, equipment, and other financial and organizational resources responsibly.
Maintain electronic health records and ancillary records in compliance with agency policies, program procedures, and local, state, and federal regulations; keep billing, assessment, treatment, progress, and other required documentation accurate and current.
Respect client rights and responsibilities and maintain professional boundaries and ethical conduct.
Assist with crisis situations as appropriate, follow emergency protocols, and coordinate trauma-informed interventions that maximize safety for clients and staff.
Follow mandatory abuse-reporting laws and HIPAA requirements.
Complete client-assistance RFPs and follow applicable protocols and timelines.
Complete annual employee training and participate punctually in staff meetings, supervision, clinical supervision, partner meetings, and other agency or departmental meetings.
Collect timely, accurate data for Street Team funder reports, including Service Point/HMIS data.
Support team members, including partner-team members with NARA, Urban League, and JOIN.
Obtain and maintain required licenses, certifications, registrations, and other credentials.

Benefits

Generous paid time off; full-time employees earn six weeks of PTO in their first year.
Medical and dental coverage beginning the first of the month after hire.
VSP Vision Discount Plan.
403(b) retirement plan with immediate 100% vesting and a 1-to-1 company match up to 3% per pay period, plus a potential discretionary contribution of up to 5% at fiscal year-end.
Flexible Spending Account options for medical, dependent care, and transportation.
Short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance.
Paid bereavement and jury duty leave.
Length of Service Award.
Voluntary life insurance.
Supplemental insurance.
Student loan forgiveness options.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Bike to Work Reimbursement.