BE Substance Abuse Specialist

PMHCC Inc.•Philadelphia, PA

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position is within the Community Treatment Team (CTT) which is mandated to provide service to individuals within the mental health system who present the greatest degree of severity of symptomatology, evidenced by multiple physical, psychiatric, and legal conditions, extensive use of services, and lack of follow-through with treatment. These individuals require the highest level of medical necessity. The Case Management Specialist (CM Specialist) provides case management supports based on the Community Support Program of Philadelphia, assisting individuals in developing skills to enhance their comfort and abilities to function as a productive member of the community. The CM Specialist takes the lead in one of five specialty areas: vocational, housing, D&A (Drug and Alcohol), forensic, or Benefits/Entitlements, and collaborates with the primary case manager to identify goals, develop, implement, and monitor the service plan. The CM Specialist ensures the mission, goals, and philosophy of the CTT are operationalized within the team. The incumbent works with individuals in their community environment, assisting them in understanding, acquiring, and maintaining independent living skills in areas such as daily living, interpersonal skills, social support, leisure and recreation, physical and mental health needs, obtaining and managing benefit entitlements, and vocational/educational needs.

Requirements

High school diploma with at least 5 years’ experience working at CTT
Active CADC certification
Completion of District 1199c Training and Upgrading Fund Program
Expertise in behavioral health with one or more of the following required: criminal justice system, substance abuse, vocational, geriatric, MR, housing or entitlement issues.
Must have a valid driver’s license, auto insurance and access to a vehicle
Able to share office space and work as a part of a team
Able to work evenings and weekends
Good knowledge of City transit system
Good verbal/written communication skills
Work well with others
Good, creative problem-solving skills
Ability to work independently and be flexible/adaptive in handling changing priorities in a fast-paced work environment

Nice To Haves

Computer skills preferred

Responsibilities

Assesses individual’s strengths, needs and wants utilizing instruments to operationalize data on the consumer’s behalf, including completion of Strengths Assessment and client-centered Unified Personal Plan for each assigned individual, involving all treatment team principles for comprehensiveness.
Works collaboratively with multidisciplinary team internally on daily basis and external, as needed, to ensure coordination between systems; provides linkage with primary care physician to ensure integration of medical and psychiatric service needs; maintains linkage with CBH to minimize person's reliance on acute services.
Periodically completes Environmental Matrix to determine level of care needed and delivers services according to individual’s needs; ensuring appropriate frequency of contact.
Monitors individual’s progress toward attainment of identified goals through monthly meetings to review same. Goals should be short term, measurable and obtainable. Plans should be updated according to regulatory standards and all related activities documented on appropriate agency forms.
Liaises, communicates with and represents individuals via telephone contact and face-to-face meetings. This includes regular contact with individual and community service providers in order to respond to individual’s changing needs, assist in problem resolution and provide advocacy mechanisms to ensure that needs are met.
Participates in in-patient treatment team and discharge planning meetings; monitors individual’s treatment and progress during hospitalizations.
Maintains and updates community resource file on housing, vocational, D&A, forensic and benefits resources; assists individual in accessing same and provides necessary training around use in order to facilitate individual’s ability to use resources independently; attends DBH or Community sponsored training within their specialty area; provides periodic training to and shares information with team; participates in internal specialist meetings, as scheduled.
Accompanies individuals to appointments (financial entitlements, housing, ed/voc sites, court, probation, etc.) to provide support and assistance.
Provides training to individual on use of public transportation, job seeking skills, identification and use of social and recreational resources, etc.
Participates in daily team meetings and Clinical Care Meetings to problem solve around persons needing extensive services for specific times; attends Open Forum and other required agency meetings.
Attends in-service and other trainings in order to meet mandated training hours.
Completes required documentation in timely manner.
Assists individuals to increase community tenure, enhance quality of life and attain highest level of independent functioning.
Provides after hours work including: a) participation in weekly on call rotation schedule to permit 24 hour/7 day a week access to service; b) participation in evening and weekend shift work schedules required for delivery of services to CTT’s assigned caseload.
Performs other duties as required.