Mental Health Team Lead, C3 Skid Row

SUMMARY

Under the supervision of the Program Manager, the Mental Health Team Lead provides leadership and clinical support to a small team of case managers, as well as provides therapeutic engagement and intensive case management to a caseload of street homeless clients with severe persistent mental illness. The Team Lead assists their team in outreaching and assessing the highest need chronically homeless individuals, and is responsible for identifying, engaging, and connecting to street medicine/psychiatry, and long-term providers. The Team Lead will focus specifically on the Skid Row area of Downtown Los Angeles, and will provide emergency and ongoing risk assessment, linkages to emergency care, medical and mental health services, and housing. The Mental Health Team Lead provides clinical training and support for team members, as well as fosters a supportive team setting for growth. Clinical Team Lead will model competence in clinical and safety assessment, trauma-informed interventions, and implement a harm reduction approach to meet the needs of those living with severe mental illness, severe medical disorders, and high-risk substance use disorders. The Team Lead is also responsible for maintaining the highest quality services and efficiency of team operations including accurate, and timely referrals and documentation to meet outcome measures.

The C3 outreach program is part of a large-scale street-based engagement effort in the Metro Los Angeles Area (Service Area 4). The goal of C3 is to create a countywide network of multidisciplinary, integrated street-based teams to identify, engage, and connect, or re-connect homeless individuals to interim and/or permanent housing and supportive services.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Work as part of an interdisciplinary team (medical, psychiatry, case management) to engage and provide services to the most vulnerable homeless individuals.
2. Interface with partners, including community health providers, the business community, hospitals, and social service/housing providers to professionally advocate for the complex needs of C3 clients.
3. Work in collaboration with other team members to remove barriers to permanent housing; e.g., acquisition of identification, legal aid, benefits assistance, life skills acquisition.
4. Serve as the team’s mental health consultant and mental health care provider. Assess for, and respond to medical, psychiatric, and safety emergencies in the skid row community.
5. Facilitate daily team huddles with multidisciplinary staff. Attend weekly staff meetings, trainings, and case consultations.
6. Work collaboratively as a team to remove barriers to client safety, identify appropriate services taking into account each individual’s physical, and cognitive needs.
7. Provide excellent documentation and referrals in a timely manner to adhere to required outcome measures

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Ph.D., Psy.D., Master of Social Work (MSW) , or Master of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT); hours are available for this position for unlicensed candidates.
2. A clinician who is registered and in good standing with Board of Behavioral Sciences.
3. Strong clinical assessment skills and experience working in fast-paced, unpredictable clinical settings.
4. Highly detail oriented with excellent time management, organizational, written, verbal, interpersonal, and computer skills
5. Proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and database applications
6. Able to learn quickly and work effectively with a wide range of constituencies
7. Passion for meeting clients where they are, and working independently in the skid row community.
8. Desire to lead, and work as part of an interdisciplinary team
9. Able to obtain and maintain CPR/1st Aid certification
10. Current, valid Driver’s License with an acceptable driving record
11. Those living with co-occurring disorders (serious mental illness and chaotic substance use) and experiencing homelessness
12. A program that provides low-barrier clinical services with a goal to do “whatever it takes”.
13. A social service agency that provides outreach and engagement services
14. Preferred applicants will have experience working with:

Work Environment

• Combination of field and office environment
• Regularly required to sit, stand, bend; occasionally lift or carry up to 35 lbs.
• On occasion walk or drive to different local sites
• Will necessitate working in busy and loud environments
• Will be exposed to elements like cold, heat, dust, noise and odor
• May need to bend, stoop, twist and sit throughout the day