Mental Health Waiver Program Residential Specialist (Wednesday - Sunday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm)

Mental Health Connecticut Inc • Bridgeport, CT

18d

About The Position

Mental Health Connecticut (MHC), a statewide nonprofit provider agency, is hiring a full-time Residential Specialist for its Mental Health Waiver program. The position is based out of the Bridgeport office and serves individuals living between Bridgeport and New Haven, as well as between Bridgeport and Norwalk. The schedule is Wednesday through Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Residential Specialist documents and delivers Recovery Assistant (RA) and Community Support Program (CSP) services to people in recovery, following activities outlined in their recovery plans. The Mental Health Waiver program provides mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation services and supports to help individuals achieve and maintain the highest degree of independent functioning. Using a team approach, services include intensive rehabilitative community support, crisis intervention, individual psycho-education, and activities-of-daily-living skill building. Most services are provided outside the office and are individualized to participants’ needs and preferences, with the goal of maximizing independence in their living environments.

The position requires a productivity rate of at least 90% billable hours, a willingness and ability to drive a personally owned vehicle locally and within Connecticut, and the possibility of transporting individuals in that vehicle.

Requirements

• A related college degree or at least two years of experience in the human services or mental health field.
• Valid driver's license, vehicle registration, and auto insurance.
• Willingness and ability to drive a personally owned vehicle locally and within Connecticut.

Nice To Haves

• Recovery Assistant certification is strongly preferred.
• Prior case-management work experience in community mental health or human services is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Implement treatment plans, using skills lists, skill-builder toolkits, and curricula to guide skill-building interventions.
• Document services in Electronic Health Record software and DMHAS databases using the language and details required for billing by the program and MHC.
• Teach, coach, and assist with daily living and self-care skills, including transportation, nutrition, meal planning and preparation, housekeeping, dressing, grooming and hygiene, financial-resource management, shopping, leisure, interpersonal communication, personal safety, basic first aid, and problem solving.
• Facilitate skill-development activities that reduce disability, restore functioning, and support independent participation in social, interpersonal, family, and community activities, as well as community reintegration, in accordance with the Waiver Recovery Plan.
• Teach participants to use natural community supports and routine medical and dental services appropriately.
• Teach recovery skills to help prevent relapse, including symptom recognition, coping strategies, emotional management, relaxation, appropriate medication use, and preparation of illness-related advance directives.
• Assist with appropriate dress and basic hygiene, provide supportive assistance and supervision, and provide short-term in-home relief when a primary caregiver is absent or needs relief.
• Develop participants’ self-advocacy skills for accessing natural supports, self-help, and other advocacy resources.
• Communicate about healthy habits, including a healthy diet, exercise, and stress-alleviating behaviors, and the importance of personal commitments and keeping scheduled clinical, vocational, educational, and judicial or court appointments.
• Provide health and wellness education.
• Deliver group treatment for no more than four people receiving care, focused on teaching and assisting with activities-of-daily-living skills.
• Maintain a productivity rate of at least 90% of billable hours.
• Drive a personally owned vehicle locally and within the state and, as required, transport individuals.

Benefits

• Medical and dental insurance, with premiums shared 90/10 for employee-only coverage and 80/20 for employee-plus-dependent coverage.
• Voluntary vision coverage.
• Company-paid life insurance and long-term disability insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• 403(b) retirement plan with a dollar-for-dollar company match on contributions up to 6%.
• Generous paid time off policy.

What This Job Offers

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