Social Worker/Medical Liaison (MOC DG)

Goddard Riverside Community Center•New York, NY

About The Position

Goddard Riverside Community Center is a partner in the Manhattan Outreach Consortium (MOC), a borough-wide initiative serving people who are unsheltered. The Downtown team serves lower Manhattan and collaborates with community partners and healthcare agencies throughout Manhattan. The Downtown catchment area includes 23rd Street and below; the Uptown catchment area serves Manhattan’s Upper East and West Sides. The Medical Liaison engages people living on the street through community outreach using a harm reduction approach and coordinates and supports the team’s medical and psychiatric providers in delivering integrated client care. The role also provides additional support with clinical assessments and potential emergency removals under 9.58 for clients at risk. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with flexibility to work evening, overnight, and weekend shifts as required, including quarterly overnight counts. The salary range is $56,000–$61,000. The offer depends on experience in the exact or a comparable position and may take preferred qualifications into account.

Requirements

Master of Social Work (MSW) required at hire.
Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) required within six months of hire.
Valid driver’s license and a driving record meeting the agency’s auto insurance guidelines, including at least one year as a licensed driver and no suspensions within the last three years.
Flexibility in work hours and availability for evening, overnight, and weekend shifts as required, including quarterly overnight counts.
Understanding of Housing First and other harm reduction models.
Ability to multitask.
Strong interpersonal skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work as part of a team.
Good judgment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook.
Experience with, or ability to learn, computer databases such as Streetsmart, MOCapp, and CARES.
Ability to walk and stand frequently.
Ability to lift up to 30 pounds, including client belongings.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with homeless and/or mentally ill populations.
Proficiency in Spanish.

Responsibilities

Complete incident reporting and follow-up as needed.
Manage the psychiatric and Street Medicine Team (SMT) schedule, including adding clients when referral documents are provided and coordinating sign-in and sign-out with treatment team members on scheduled office days.
Ensure Housing Outreach Specialists submit referrals to SMT and psychiatric providers, and facilitate follow-up on treatment team recommendations.
Develop linkages with healthcare providers and resolve insurance issues, including gathering medical information from appointments and hospital visits, helping obtain hospital records, identifying appropriate providers, assisting with insurance authorizations, checking coverage through E-PACES when necessary, and tracking Medicaid and Medicare certification and recertification.
Communicate with hospitals and emergency rooms during acute client treatment or hospitalization and with Janian providers regarding emergencies, advocacy needs, and other urgent matters.
Meet monthly with team leadership and SMT providers to review and update the medically vulnerable client list.
Carry a smaller caseload of medically vulnerable clients and assist SMT with special projects and public health initiatives, such as vaccinations.
Manage a client caseload and develop individualized housing and service plans to address barriers to stability.
Guide clients through the housing process from street homelessness to transitional or permanent housing.
Conduct comprehensive intakes and psychosocial assessments to identify client needs, goals, and services.
Advocate with housing, benefits, healthcare, and other service providers, and coordinate appropriate referrals.
Maintain accurate case records and database documentation.
Support clients during crises and coordinate emergency or supervisory assistance as needed.
Participate in staff meetings, case conferences, training, supervision, and program evaluation and improvement.
Canvass for clients in the field for medical and psychiatric appointments, with providers or independently.
Escort clients to medical appointments, laboratories, and diagnostic imaging centers as needed.
Obtain 9.58 designation and assist with assessing and completing field removals for clients when needed.
Perform other duties as required.