SCHEDULE: 40 hours, Tuesday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Flexible hours to meet the needs of the guests. Participates in a 24/7 on-call rotation.

Pay: $71,676.80 per year DOE

LOCATIONS: Men’s Inn, Holy Family Inn, and Auxiliary Shelters

JOB DESCRIPTION:

SUMMARY OF POSITION:

The Mental Health Clinician (Clinician) will work in partnership within a shelter-based/community-based team (MATCH – Managed Assertive Treatment Coordination for the Homeless) comprised of Clinicians, Case Managers and Psychiatrists to collaborate with homeless individuals who have serious mental illness and/or co-occurring disorders.

The clinician is responsible for providing direct outreach and engagement services to the guests at Pine Street Inn (PSI) within a framework of trauma-informed care, harm reduction and housing first. The clinicians and their teams will work to help our shelter guests acclimate to the challenging shelter environment and to engage in community-based services that will support recovery and resiliency and a pathway to housing.

Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP), which is co-located at each PSI shelter and participates in our street Outreach Program, is a full collaborator embedded in our service community and will be a partner in supporting the guest's medical needs. The clinician will work with the guests’ medical providers as indicated in the Individual Action Plan (IAP). Often times, the provider is the on-site BHCHP clinic. When the guest is engaged, the clinician will facilitate a Comprehensive Assessment which aligns with the IAP developed in partnership with the guest. The IAP will also align with the Individual Service Plan (ISP) completed by Case Management and Crisis Management Plans also developed in partnership with the guest.

The clinicians will facilitate individual and group interventions based on evidenced-based practices to include Motivational Interviewing, Trans-theoretical Change Theory, Seeking Safety and CBT which are aligned with the principles of Trauma-Informed Services.

The clinician will work in collaboration with the guests’ psychiatrist and community-based resources to support the guests IAP. Outreach and engagement is a significant function of the role as accessibility, consistency and collaboration are basic principles of care in order to engage guests in services. It is incumbent upon the program, the team and the clinician to help to create safety for the guest and to develop rapport with the clinician and the team. For guests who are transient in that they move from shelter to shelter or from shelter to street and back, the clinician will work with the PSI Outreach Program to ensure guest safety and continuity of care.

The clinician will work in collaboration with other MATCH Teams across the shelter system to ensure coordination of care and avoid duplication of services as well. The clinician will work collaboratively and directly with DMH, HOT and BEST to bring together the needed resources in the most effective way, building on guests’ strengths while utilizing the least restrictive environments and methods.

The clinician will complete required documentation, meeting the standards set forth in the organization’s goals for quality data and compliance with DMH and PSI regulations. The clinician will share a 24 / 7 on-call rotation with the other PSI clinicians and the Clinical Supervisor.

Clinicians will work from the following principles:

• Recognize the impact of violence and victimization on development and coping strategies
• Identify recovery from trauma as goal
• Employ an empowerment model
• Maximize guest choices and control over her/his recovery based in a relational collaboration
• Create an atmosphere that is respectful of the guests’ need for safety, respect, and acceptance
• Emphasize the guests’ strengths, highlighting adaptations over symptoms and resilience over pathology
• Minimize the possibilities of re-traumatization
• Strive to be culturally competent and to understand each person in the context of her or his life experiences and cultural background
• Solicit guest input and involve guests in designing and evaluating services

REQUIREMENTS:

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

• Master’s degree in social work or counseling and licensed in a related field at the independent level
• Evidence of formal training in Trauma-informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, Trans-theoretical Change and Harm Reduction
• Evidence of formal training in behavioral health to include mental health, addictions and co-occurring disorders
• Training and successful application of crisis prevention, intervention and management

PREFERRED:

• LICSW and LMHC
• Experience with ETO

KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience and proficiency working with individuals with mental illness to include comprehensive assessment, action planning and discharge planning
• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience and proficiency in working with individuals with co-occurring disorders
• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience and proficiency working with individuals who are homeless, residing in shelters and/or on the streets

• Experience in community-based Outreach and engagement
• Knowledge of mental illness, trauma, addictions, co-occurring disorders, and homelessness
• Experience with homeless services and housing resources in Boston
• Experience with team work
• Experience in developing individual care plans/treatment plans
• Experience in crisis prevention, intervention and management

• Knowledge of individual and group treatment

PREFERRED:

• Knowledge of evidenced-based interventions such as CBT and Seeking Safety
• Experience with change management

PHYSICAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

• Ability to sit for long periods of time
• Ability to access different building locations
• Requires stooping, bending, and stretching
• Ability to safely lift guests as needed
• Use of a computer for email, word processing and spreadsheets; and other office equipment (fax, copier etc.) as needed.

MENTAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

• Ability to multi-task and resolve conflicts diplomatically
• Good professional judgment

• Superior organizational, written and verbal communications skills and demonstrated project management experience
• Superior interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated commitment to Pine Street Inn’s mission, vision and values
• Demonstrate positive, solution-focused approach to change
• Excellent computer skills including Word, Excel, Outlook and ETO
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, takes initiative, and is both self-directed and capable of taking direction well
• Willingness to work evenings, early mornings and weekends as needed

• Works proactively to keep up with program innovations and new administrative technology
• Demonstrated ability to successfully work in a guest–centered, goal-oriented, team environment
• Ability to respond quickly, confidently and calmly in emergency situations
• Enthusiasm, positive attitude, sense of humor and can-do attitude

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Provide outreach and engagement services with shelter guests who have serious mental illness and/or co-occurring disorders

• Provide crisis prevention, intervention and management
• Provide brief goal-oriented therapy with quests
• Perform assessments in collaboration with guests
• Follow up on all interventions advocating for appropriate and timely community-based services
• Refer guests to appropriate Department of Mental Health (DMH) services
• Work within a MATCH team to help to create a pathway to housing
• Meet weekly with HOT and the DMH psychiatrist on site
• Lead and attend appropriate meetings such as interdisciplinary case conferences, MATCH rounds, BEST, DMH/PSI case conferencing, DMH Clinicians, Change of Shift, etc.
• Provide ongoing consultation to staff around Outreach and Engagement issues via ETO, shift change meetings, logs, e-mails, informal meetings, etc.
• Document inappropriate referrals and other incidents
• Provide periodic in-service training
• Facilitate evidenced-based groups
• Meet for weekly supervision with Clinical Supervisor
• Serve on committees
• Maintain appropriate and timely records
• Serve as a source of support and consultation to peers
• Refer guests to other community-based agencies for services outlined on the IAP
• Performs any task deemed necessary by the supervisor in the fulfillment of the overall responsibility of the program consistently delivering services that emphasize dignity, respect and fairness in all interactions
• Participate in an on-call rotation nights weekends and early mornings as assigned
• Facilitate cooperative relationships with all departments and external collaborators contributing to the services provided to homeless individuals including: program administration; outreach, other shelters; mental health services; health care clinics; security; permanent housing programs; finance; human resources; development, external affairs and volunteer departments; workforce development; facilities, clothing and food services; housing organizations; women’s organizations; and city, state, and federal health, homeless, and law enforcement agencies.
• Support leadership in program development initiatives
• Participate in training, work groups and meetings as assigned
• Communicate and support management decisions and shelter initiatives, policies and procedures.
• Performs other related duties as assigned
• Other duties as assigned in order to meet the needs of the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic or other public health or weather emergency.