Service Coordinator II Westside DMH

Step Up • Los Angeles, CA

21d

About The Position

The DMH Service Coordinator II works with Step Up on Second’s Westside Department of Mental Health programs, which provide intensive mental health services to adults and transition-age youth in community, field, and clinic-based settings. Members are generally experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness, or have recently been discharged from a hospital or jail mental health setting. The programs are funded through MHSA and use evidence-based approaches including mental health recovery, Housing First, trauma-informed care, and motivational interviewing. Teams are field-based and interdisciplinary, and provide outreach and services according to members’ needs.

The coordinator supports outreach, engagement, assessment, therapeutic intervention, case management, housing retention, and care planning. The role includes documenting services and client care in electronic record systems, meeting billing quotas, collaborating with other service coordinators, and sharing 24-hour on-call coverage. The position requires frequent driving and transporting, and work may take place on the streets, in shelters, and in other community settings. The role involves potential exposure to challenging environmental conditions and interactions with people experiencing mental health symptoms or trauma; direct-care staff receive de-escalation training and procedural safeguards are in place.

The position requires a master’s degree in counseling psychology or social work, license eligibility and registration with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, experience serving adults with mental illness in community settings, case management experience, a California driver’s license, personal transportation, and current insurance. Employees are expected to uphold Step Up’s core values of Hope, Wellness, Voice and Choice, Respect, and Collaborative Relationships, as well as its ethical policies and codes of conduct.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in counseling psychology or social work.
• MFT or MSW credential and eligibility for licensure; must be registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
• Experience working with adults with mental illness in a community setting.
• Case management experience and ability to chart patient progress to meet documentation requirements.
• Knowledge of mainstream benefits and services, mental health diagnoses, and levels of functioning.
• Knowledge of evidence-based practices such as Critical Time Intervention, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Informed Care, Housing First, and Harm Reduction.
• Ability to collaborate with others on a team and use initiative and solution-focused practices.
• Good time-management skills and ability to balance caseload direct services with paperwork.
• Ability to work within one’s skills and scope of practice and seek support and training as needed.
• Ability to work as a team member in street settings, homeless facilities, and with community providers such as police, churches, and hospital emergency rooms.
• Ability to engage people on the streets in a meaningful way and build enough trust for them to accept offered services.
• Understanding of and commitment to prioritizing safety for oneself and team members.
• Own transportation, current California driver’s license, and insurance; the position requires frequent driving and transporting.

Responsibilities

• Support targeted outreach by Adult FSP, TAY FSP, AOT, and OCS teams to initiate contact, develop rapport, and assess homeless adults for mental illness, co-occurring substance use, and other health care needs in coordination with multidisciplinary team members.
• Attend staff and community meetings as requested by the Program Manager.
• Conduct outreach and engage potential members in community settings, including jails, hospitals, board-and-care facilities, and street settings, to assess whether Step Up services are an appropriate fit.
• Provide clinical therapeutic and case management services to adults with psychiatric disabilities to improve their functioning in the community.
• Make home visits as needed to support independent living skills and subsidized housing certificates; assist members with skill building and self-care to support independence and housing retention.
• Monitor members for compliance and stability, and report warning signs of decompensation or crisis.
• Complete initial and ongoing assessments covering diagnosis, functioning, support networks, living arrangements, finances, physical health, and self-care.
• Help members identify needs, set goals, establish objectives, and develop a Coordinated Care Plan within the required timeframe after enrollment and annually thereafter.
• Conduct active outreach to caseload members who have not been in contact and support their engagement at home, in transitional housing, or on the streets.
• Provide individual, group, and crisis therapeutic interventions to address assessed symptoms, improve functioning, develop insight, and reduce distress or stressors.
• Complete program paperwork, including HMIS or DMH/Medi-Cal documentation, and maintain records in Welligent or HMIS within required timeframes and according to program standards and documentation policy.
• Maintain member charts in the electronic health record by ensuring relevant client-care documents are scanned into attachments.
• Meet weekly, monthly, and quarterly billing quotas established by the Program Manager.
• Work cooperatively with other Service Coordinators, including sharing responsibility for 24-hour on-call coverage.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Opportunities for growth and professional development.
• 13 paid holidays, 10 days of EPTO, and 12 sick days.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Health, dental, vision, Aflac, and life insurance.
• $25,000 life insurance coverage.
• 403(b) retirement plan available on the first day of work.
• After 1,000 hours worked, Step Up matches 3% of the 6% the employee contributes to the 403(b) plan.

What This Job Offers

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