ACT Employment Specialist

Job Description

The mission of Metrocare Services is to serve our neighbors with developmental or mental health challenges by helping them find lives that are meaningful and satisfying. We are an agency committed to quality gender-responsive, trauma-informed care to individuals experiencing serious mental illness, development disabilities, and co-occurring disorders. Metrocare programs focus on the issues that matter most in the lives of the children, families and adults we serve.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Affords employment assistance and development.
• Assists with finding and maintaining employment or volunteer opportunities to facilitate reaching recovery goals and finding meaningful activity.
• Provides guidance in accessing federal and state entitlement programs and resources where needed.
• Provides guidance/identifies options in self-sufficiency planning process.
• Collaborates to identify short and long-term goals.
• Together with clients, help to identify needs and develop individualized, strength-based treatment plans that reflect client’s goals and objectives.
• Reviews and updates Treatment Plans as required.
• Works with the consulting psychiatrist to ensure that clients’ behavioral health needs are being addressed and helps to facilitate and integrate the psychiatrist’s recommendations.
• As a member of the treatment team, using a strength-based and trauma-informed approach, works collaboratively with the clients and other treatment team members (internal and external) to help support clients in their treatment and recovery.
• Models and supports clients in health and wellness activities and with using healthy coping skills.
• Facilitates psycho-education groups and life skills development classes as needed.
• Conducts Case Management, Psychosocial Rehabilitation and/or skills training services.
• Attends and participates in all scheduled team meetings.
• Completes clinical assessments and establishes ACT recovery plans.
• Completes hospital discharge safety plan.
• Maintains confidentiality of all reports concerning staffing and consumers.
• Contributes to team knowledge and understanding of each consumer.
• Assists clients in linking with resources.
• Maintains ongoing assessment of clients; including provision of additional services as needed.
• Assists individuals in adjusting to new environments.
• Assists the medical and nursing staff in monitoring by reporting potential problems.
• Completes paperwork requirements and maintains quality, up-to-date clinical records. Documents any clinical or support services within 24 hours of providing the service.
• Works with family members/support system to gain support in each individual’s success.
• Crisis intervention as needed.
• Is knowledgeable about and remains in compliance with internal and external policies, procedures, regulations, and standards, including, for example, all Metrocare policies and procedures and Quality Assurance Plan, all applicable regulatory standards.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Training

• Within 90 days of employment, completes Texas Centralized Training course - Individual Placement and Support – Supported Employment.
• Within 6 months/180 days of employment, achieves SOAR certification (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery.)
• Within 9 months/270 days of employment, achieves HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) certification.

Qualifications

• Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in social work, Psychology, or related field, and prefer a minimum of two (2) years clinical experience in a mental health, substance use treatment, or social services setting.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
• Experience with trauma-informed services; Seeking Safety, cognitive behavioral therapies, including DBT; and motivational therapies preferred.
• Knowledge of recovery support systems and 12-Step programs preferred.
• Ability to clear background check and a safe driving record with a valid Texas Driver’s license.

Driving Required

Yes

Mathematical Skills

Basic math skills required.