Job Type

Description

Days Off: Thursday, Friday & Saturday

Shift: Day (6:30am-5pm)

Insurance Benefits: Dental, Life, Long-term Disability, Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage)

Other Benefits: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan

About DESC:

DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is a nonprofit organization working to help people with the complex needs of homelessness, substance use disorders, and serious mental illness achieve their highest potential for health and well-being through comprehensive services, treatment, and housing. Our vision is a community where no person is abandoned, ignored, or experiencing homelessness.

As the region's leading provider of services to multiply disabled adults who have experienced chronic homelessness, DESC serves almost 2,000 people each day. Our integrated service model is designed to help people secure and maintain appropriate, safe and affordable housing. DESC is recognized nationally and regionally as an innovator in developing solutions to homelessness.

Job Definition:

The Crisis Solutions Center (CSC) provides a resource for police, medics, crisis mental health professionals, and other first responders to use for individuals who are in crisis and might otherwise receive no help, or be taken to jail or a hospital emergency department. The goal of the CSC is to reduce chronic homelessness and unnecessary involvement in the criminal justice and emergency medical systems.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• As a member of a multi-disciplinary team, provide multi-axial assessments, chemical dependency screenings, crisis intervention, stabilization, and meaningful engagement to adults.
• Establish and implement a plan to successfully engage clients in relevant services and other resources.
• As needed, provide follow-up services aimed at establishing linkage to services for program participants.
• Complete all data collection and documentation requirements.
• Develop and maintain cooperative relationships with programs providing services for the population served.
• Comply with applicable program research and evaluation procedures.
• Comply with the all agency policies and procedures, relevant Washington Administrative Code and Revised Code of Washington.
• Advocate for clients' access to community resources and services, ensuring that clients' needs are met and rights maintained; consult and collaborate with community providers to ensure continuity of care.
• Participate in psychiatric consultation, supervision, program meetings and in-service trainings; participate in clinical reviews and case conferences for clients on caseload.
• Participate in verbal de-escalation and physical interventions in emergent situations and be able and willing to assist other staff as needed to maintain a safe, secure environment.
• Demonstrate the ability to work effectively under supervision, as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and independently, when necessary.
• Promote and maintain positive relationships with the surrounding neighborhood.
• Participate in verbal de-escalation and physical interventions in emergent situations and be willing and able to assist other staff as needed to maintain a safe and secure environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in a social work, psychology or other relevant behavioral science or Bachelor of Nursing degree with specialty in mental health.
• Meet criteria as a Mental Health Professional as defined in RCW 71.05, WAC 388-865-0400.
• Be able to pass a Washington State Criminal background check
• Experience and skills in working with mentally ill individuals who are difficult to engage and may resist services.
• Familiar with Recovery Principles, Crisis Intervention and Stabilization, Integrated Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders, Intensive Case Management, Illness Management, Trauma-Informed Treatment, and relevant Evidenced based/Emerging best practices.
• Knowledge of Harm Reduction strategies.
• Strong working knowledge of DSM IV (and its successor).
• Be able to assess situations quickly and respond appropriately to any type of mental health and/or chemical dependency crisis to ensure the physical and psychological safety of clients.
• Be willing to seek to understand each client's unique circumstances and personal preferences and goals and incorporate them into the crisis response to help the client regain a sense of control.
• Assist clients in accessing internal resources to reinforce the client's ability to resolve crisis on their own.
• Assist clients in identifying unmet needs that may be causing them to have recurrent crisis.
• Have a strong understanding of recovery and resilience, the value of client partnerships and client choice, and the balance between protection from harm and personal dignity.
• Possess strong communication and writing skills.
• Ability to work flexible hours as required by program and staffing needs.
• Valid Washington state driver's license and insurable driving record.
• Familiar with King county crisis response system and methods of access.
• Knowledge of recovery focused, strengths based work in mental health.
• Strong knowledge of relevant community resources and methods for accessing them.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds.
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behavior.
• Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for program participants.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Licensed Social Worker (LICSW), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, or Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in State of Washington.
• Current Washington Department of Health minimum credential as an Agency Affiliated Counselor in good standing.
• Bilingual in Spanish/English.
• Bi-cultural background/experience and/or qualify as an Ethnic Minority, Developmentally Delayed, or Geriatric Mental Health Specialist (per WAC 388-865-0150 definition).
• Two years of experience of crisis intervention services within the mental health and/or chemical dependency field.
• Chemical Dependency Professional (CDP) or currently working toward becoming a CDP.
• Strong applicants are able to demonstrate the ability to be positive in their empathic responses to all persons; understand the value of meaningful and deep client engagement; have the potential to acquire the necessary knowledge, attitudes and skills of an effective crisis worker; and value a non-judgmental response to sensitive issues. Candidates should be able to accept feedback and work in a highly collaborative and potentially stressful environment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to sit for long periods of time, walk when completing rounds several times a day, move quickly during de-escalations, communicate with other persons by talking and hearing, and lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

DESC is committed to diversity in the workplace, and promotes equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The Agency will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, caste, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any employment practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification. Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.

Salary Description