Qualified Mental Health Associate

Central City Concern • Portland, OR

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Join our HEART team and provide street-based outreach, behavioral health support, and care coordination to connect individuals experiencing homelessness with services. Central City Concern’s Homeless Enhanced Outreach And Retention Team (HEART) meets people where they are at by providing proactive street outreach and care coordination services. This multidisciplinary team engages folks on the streets, providing basic resources and information, explores interest and barriers to engaging in more formalized supports and can enroll someone in short term (1-3 months) transitional care services to facilitate access and engagement in longer term supports. This team can assist people in connecting to shelter/housing resources, primary care, mental health, substance use services, harm reduction services, employment and other more traditional service models.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED required.
• QMHA-1 required.
• Must possess a current driver’s license.
• Pass a DMV background check and be designated 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.
• Must maintain vehicle insurance coverage of a minimum of $100,000/$300,000 personal auto liability coverage.
• Must be registered with MHACBO to meet QMHA-R, at minimum, required.
• Must meet CCC privileging requirements as required by FTCA.
• Must have current CPR certification at time of hire.
• 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 with reasonable or no accommodation.
• Ability to adhere to Central City Concern’s drug-free workplace which encourages a safe, healthy and productive work environment and strictly complies with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988.
• Must pass a pre-employment drug screen, TB Test, and background check.
• 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, lifestyles and sexual orientations, and treat individuals with respect and dignity.

Nice To Haves

• lived experience with houselessness.
• Knowledge of system navigation, working with unhoused community and with SUD.
• 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 people with mental health conditions.
• Demonstrated knowledge of evidence-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 participants, and groups.
• Ability to work as a team member and to establish priorities.
• Sufficient manual dexterity and physical ability to perform assigned tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly, professionally, and concisely both orally and in writing with a wide variety of audiences.
• 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 public, participants, medical personnel, social service agency personnel, corrections personnel, police, and co-workers.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct support in encampments, shelters, and other community-based locations in designated service areas.
• Provide proactive outreach and trauma-informed, person-centered services.
• 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.
• Assist participants in exploring interest, barrier to and engagement in services, and facilitate access to services of interest.
• Support transition planning for major events (housing, discharge from hospital or jail, etc).
• Provide referrals to shelter, SRV, housing, primary care, BH, employment or other services.
• Respond to consultation requests and warm handoffs from internal and external providers.
• Coordinate and facilitate communication between the participant, their primary care provider, and their care team as well as other CCC and community providers to support patients’ treatment plans and goals.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the team to receive referrals, triage care coordination needs, and facilitate hand-offs.
• Assist with crisis stabilization or response with other team members.
• Assist with registration completion, scheduling or other operational needs, assist in the development of any care plan or patient identified goals.
• Provide some pre-treatment intervention and support, including motivational interviewing, harm reduction education and service connection, and discussion of participant-identified goals and barriers to working on those goals.
• Assist with daily HEART operations, including supporting any on-site participant drop-in visits that occur.
• 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.
• Coordinate with outside providers including other CCC programs, community mental health agencies, shelter and Safe rest village providers, hospitals and other programs.
• Participate in and/or facilitate as needed community care conferences in support of participants to facilitate longer term connections to and engagement in care.
• Complete all documentation and billing needs within a timely manner.
• Maintain an understanding of all requirements of billing and follow all requirements.
• Document all encounters according to organizational policies and procedures.
• Participate in regular supervision from the Clinical Supervisor, seeking additional supervision whenever necessary.
• 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.
• Attend all mandatory CCC trainings in a timely manner.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• extensive total rewards package
• competitive compensation
• medical, dental, vision
• Student loan repayment options
• retirement savings matching plans
• Generous paid time off plan beginning at 4 weeks of PTO accrual per year
• Up to 11 recognized Holidays and 2 personal holidays
• 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: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED