Outreach Mental Health Clinician - HEART

Central City Concern • Portland, OR

19d • $66,503 - $124,226 • Onsite

About The Position

Are you ready to bring your clinical skills to the streets and meet people where they are? Central City Concern’s Homeless Enhanced Outreach and Retention Team (HEART) is looking for a passionate Outreach Mental Health Clinician to provide behavioral health support to Portland’s most vulnerable populations.

HEART is more than just outreach, it’s a bridge to stability. As part of a multidisciplinary team, you’ll engage individuals experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, and substance use disorders, helping them reconnect to essential services, including shelter, healthcare, and treatment.

What You’ll Do:

Provide short-term, evidence-based interventions and crisis support in the field.
Conduct mental health and substance use assessments to connect individuals with the right services.
Work alongside a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with medical, housing, and social service providers.
Serve Portland’s Old Town, focusing on individuals near Hooper Detox and Unity Center for Behavioral Health.
Help bridge people into long-term, sustainable care that aligns with their needs and goals.

If you’re a dedicated clinician who thrives in dynamic environments and wants to be part of an innovative team that’s redefining outreach care, we want you on our team!

Join HEART. Be the connection that changes lives

Requirements

• Must meet qualifications for: QMHP-R or QMHP CSWA or LCSW LPC-A or LPC
• Must possess a current driver’s license.
• Master’s degree in a human services field.
• Must have current CPR certification at time of hire.
• Must be willing to become a Directors Designee if available from Multnomah county, within 6 months of hire.
• Knowledge of system navigation, working with unhoused community and with SUD.
• Must have the physical ability to walk, bend, stoop, twist, kneel, reach, squat, pull and lift up to 25 lbs., climb stairs several times a day and stand for long periods of time.
• Must meet CCC privileging requirements as required by FTCA.
• Central City Concern is committed to a drug-free workplace that encourages a safe, healthy and productive work environment and strictly complies with the Drug-Free Work Place Act of 1988. An employee shall not, in the workplace, unlawfully manufacture, distribute, dispense, possess or use a controlled substance or alcohol.
• Must pass a pre-employment drug screen, TB Test, and background check. This includes clearance by the DHS Background Check Unit.
• Must possess a current driver’s license, qualify as an Acceptable Driver as designated in Central City Concern’s Fleet Safety policy. Must pass an initial driver training within 60 days of being an approved driver and continued recertification training. If driving a personal vehicle, you must maintain vehicle insurance coverage of a minimum of one-hundred thousand / three-hundred thousand dollars in personal auto liability coverage.
• Must adhere to agency’s non-discrimination policies.
• Ability to effectively interact with co-workers and clients with diverse ethnic backgrounds, religious views, political affiliation, cultural backgrounds, life-styles and sexual orientations, and treat individuals with respect and dignity.
• Ability to consider the impacts and outcomes for underserved communities during decision-making process.
• Ability to consider impacts of oppression, structural racism, and individual bias on client outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to establish rapport quickly with a wide range of people.
• Demonstrated ability to provide mental health services, especially team-based care for mentally distressed individuals.
• Demonstrated knowledge of evidenced based behavioral health interventions.
• Demonstrated knowledge of community and social service agencies.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills in mental health crisis management, counseling and assessment techniques.
• Knowledge of de-escalation skills and techniques.
• Interest in working with a patient population with trauma and chronic pain.
• Ability to work effectively with peers, individual clients and groups.
• Ability to work as a team member and to establish priorities.
• Sufficient manual dexterity and physical ability to perform assigned tasks.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
• Ability to work in an environment where patients may be hostile or abusive.
• Ability to manage time and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work courteously and effectively communicate with the general public, clients, medical personnel, social service agency personnel, corrections personnel, police, and co-workers.
• Ability to document concurrently in session with patients using an electronic medical record.

Nice To Haves

• CADC-I HIGHLY certification preferred.
• CSWA/LCSW preferred.
• One-year clinical experience in relevant setting preferred.
• Experience with depression and depression treatment, as well as prior exposure to brief, structured counseling techniques (eg. CBT or PST) preferred.
• Experience with SPMI, trauma and depression as well as prior exposure to brief, structured counseling techniques preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide outreach in camps, shelters, and other community-based locations in designated areas of town. Provide proactive outreach and enrolled service as part of a multidisciplinary team from CCC.
• Assist these clients in identifying and accessing requested and recommended behavioral health, medical, substance use, and social support services within CCC and in the community. The clinician may provide ongoing care coordination, advocacy, and clinical interventions to participants that are enrolled in HEART services.
• Conduct assessment and clinically indicated interventions including referral, care coordination and direct care as clinically indicated for mental health, substance use, physical and psychosocial needs. Assist in the creation of participant support plan for HEART enrolled individuals.
• Conduct assessment and recommendations for interventions for participants experiencing psychiatric/mental health emergencies and initiate arrangements for continuing care or referral to appropriate facility.
• Provide behavioral health triage and crisis intervention services to patients experiencing acute difficulty with mental health issues, including suicide assessment, defusing hostility, and disposition planning.
• Assist with daily operations, including that of a possible day drop-in center if needed.
• Assist with any requested data collection and coordination with outside organizations (PSU, TIO, SAMSHA) for any part of the research evaluation and analysis of this pilot.
• Engage delivery of patient centered, trauma informed services.
• Respond to consultation requests and warm handoffs from internal and external providers. Coordinate and facilitate communication between patients, primary care provider and PMHNP as well as other CCC and community providers to support patients’ treatment plans and goals.
• Coordinate with outside providers including other Central City Concern programs, community mental health agencies, shelter and Safe rest village providers, hospitals and other programs.
• Participate in outreach activities necessary to offer services and engage participation in a non-coercive manner. Escort clients to meetings and appointments as indicated and available.
• Participate and facilitate as needed in community care conferences and staff meetings in order to facilitate longer term connections to and engagement in care.
• Conduct evaluations, including completion of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression scale or other indicated interventions
• Provide evidence based short term / Brief solutions focused psychotherapy interventions for patients experiencing trauma and other mental health concerns.
• Complete all documentation and billing needs within a timely manner. Have an understanding of all requirements of billing and follow all requirements
• Use behavioral activation techniques with patients as an adjunct to other treatments.
• Documents all encounters according to organizational policies and procedures.
• Ensure clinical privilege requirements are met for all direct reports pursuant to CCC’s Privileging policy.
• Monitors follow up behavioral health care and safety plans as appropriate.
• Participate in regular supervision from the Clinical Supervisor, seeking additional supervision whenever necessary. Minimum requirement two hours of documented supervision per month.
• Adhere to all state and federal privacy regulations, including HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2, and to CCC policies and agreements regarding confidentiality, privacy, and security. Support compliance with all privacy and security requirements pursuant to community partners’ and outside providers’ patient confidentiality agreements, including privacy and security requirements for EMR access. This includes immediately reporting any breach of protected health information or personal identification information of any person receiving CCC services by CCC or an outside provider to the CCC Compliance Department, as well as to your supervisor or their designee.
• Attend all mandatory CCC trainings in a timely manner
• Participates in ongoing quality improvement meetings to monitor and improve the quality of the behavioral health programs at Central City Concern
• Perform other duties as assigned

Benefits

• Generous paid time off plan beginning at 4 weeks of PTO accrual per year! Accrual amount/rate increases with longevity.
• Up to 11 recognized Holidays and 2 Personal Holidays (dependent on work shift schedule)
• Amazing 403(b) Retirement Savings plan with an employer match of 4.25% in your 1st year, 6% in the 2nd year, and 8% in your 3rd year!
• Comprehensive Medical, Vision, and Dental insurance coverage.
• Employer-Paid Life, Short-Term Disability, & Long-Term Disability Insurance!
• Sabbatical Program offering extended time off at years 7, 14, and 21.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees