Mental Health Social Practitioner

Fountain House • New York, NY

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Social Practice is a specialized form of therapy that uses a community-based approach of assisting individuals in their mental health recovery to: Learn new skills, Hone their talents, Build dignity, Develop a sense of belonging, and Make progress towards their goals. This position requires interest in community, creativity, and flexibility. There will be no typical day as a Social Practitioner, but if you could see yourself fostering relationships and connections to community for adults with mental illness by working side by side, advocating at a social service provider, or helping one of your members to apply to a job in the community then this could be the position for you.

Requirements

• Undergraduate degree or an equivalent combination of training and experience required
• 1-3+ years’ experience working with individuals with serious mental illness and or/hands on experience working in a community setting preferred
• 1-2 years coaching and counseling experience preferred
• 1-2 years of vocational rehabilitation, training or employment specialist experience preferred
• Ability to effectively manage and handle member concerns and behaviors
• Proven experience with mental health crisis management by supporting and counseling members under emotional distress

Nice To Haves

• Graduate degree or equivalent preferred

Responsibilities

• Perform member engagement, social design, relationship development, continuous assessment and therapeutic intervention and management of transitional environments with the Fountain House membership
• Support and develop a therapeutic community based on Social Practice and the International Standards for Clubhouse Programs
• Utilize the community to design positive interventions to deal with common barriers such as social isolation, poor self-esteem, anxiety, symptom management, and poverty
• Create access to environments outside of Fountain House not traditionally therapeutically oriented, to build general skills, a sense of confidence, and to support members’ self-efficacy. This includes the provision of on-site support in employment, education, and housing environments outside of Fountain House
• Develop relationships with Fountain House members and the community that can be leveraged to provide support for positive change and risk-taking, combat social isolation and increase meaningful connections, and introduce members to new opportunities
• Engineer various environments and social interactions to create therapeutic results and develop an accessible positive community
• Observe and assess experiences with members in a variety of naturalistic environments in order to create specific interventions for individuals’ rehabilitation
• Provide daily advocacy and engagement with Clubhouse members to help gain self-worth, purpose of confidence, while offering guidance for appropriate problem-solving techniques
• Provide counsel for members, individually and in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, and making changes
• Provide training support (vocational training) for transitional employment opportunities and maintain strong relationships with employers for job opportunity developments
• Support and fill-in for members in their Transitional Employment (TE) opportunities, if/when needed
• Assist members with entitlements and benefits; food stamps, SSI/SSDI, Medicaid/Medicare and ticket to Work/ACE/Access VR, Supplemental Need Trusts, & ADA accommodations
• Facilitates supported housing applications (2010E), Single Point of Access applications and work to find appropriate housing; assist members with physical moves into housing units
• Advocates for members well-being, safety, and livelihood with supports around clinical, legal, housing, appointments, medications, and independent living opportunities
• Acquire proficiency in skills and tasks of the (unit) you are assigned. This may include safety protocols, health guidelines, inventory lists, how to guides, etc.
• Complete all documentation including but not limited to progress notes and reach out documentation on time
• Maintain compliance with all government agency requirements, company policies and procedures
• Periodic overnight travel to High Point Farm, work some holidays including Thanksgiving, some weekend and evening hours
• Flexibility with staying late or arriving early, if necessary, to fulfill unit or member needs, and interchangeability with other staff on the unit.
• Maintain confidentiality of records relating to members’ progress
• Perform related duties as assigned by supervisor

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree