Community Care Responder

About the role

The Community Responder-Communications position responds to and prioritizes incoming 9-1-1 referrals and non-emergency calls, ensures accurate information is gathered, assesses the situation, determines the appropriate level of care, and dispatches the necessary resources or refers individuals to suitable services.

Responsibilities

• Respond to and prioritize incoming 9-1-1 referrals and non-emergency calls, ensuring accurate information is gathered, assessing the situation, determining the appropriate level of care, and dispatching the necessary resources or referring individuals to suitable services.
• Act as the main point of contact for daily collaborations with law enforcement, emergency services, and health agencies to coordinate response efforts, share critical information, and provide comprehensive support to community members in crisis.
• Manage access to private and sensitive data within the DHHS DCC, ensuring a strict adherence to confidentiality protocols.
• Deploy the Community Responder (CR) team using role-based data access while exercising discretion with sensitive case-level information in a HIPAA-compliant case management system.
• Help to mediate and problem solve with community members around topics including shared space, concern for others, and community agreements.
• Provide follow-up planning to ensure short-term or long-term agreements during difficult situations in a variety of settings that establish resolutions in the moment of an emergency or future needs.
• Initiate supportive follow-up to connect community members who have received emergency services in real time or ongoing with medical, non-clinical, and clinical services as requested.
• Build confidence and trust with community members in need, offering additional resources, community connections, and support services that are culturally relevant, focused on the social determinants of health.
• Respond to daily requests in a timely manner, demonstrating effective communication and time management.
• Consult with leadership as needed to assist in risk assessment, need for additional response, and coordination of care of complex cases.
• Maintain and aggregate data to ensure equitable service delivery to People of Color, LGBTQ+, and those often excluded from services.
• Utilize ethical principles of data collection, analysis, and reporting to ensure that data usage advances equity and does not further stigmatize marginalized social identity groups; use data in accordance with HIPAA compliance.
• Participate in various community conversations to address harm reduction, racial equity, structural racism, and other forms of bias and stigma related to mental illness, substance use disorders, homelessness, and poverty.
• Complete all required training by the Division of Community Care and keep current by attending continued education in subjects identified by the Director.
• Assist in services navigation or facilitate urgent/emergency elevated care when needed, coordination with Police, EMS/Fire Department directly or with dispatchers utilizing mutual aid protocols.
• Trained to respond to calls in-person, and on an as-needed basis, will respond in-person for assistance that do not require police, paramedic, medical response or transport utilizing trauma-informed, person-centered response to crisis response and harm reduction.
• Performs similar or related work as required.

Requirements

• A high school degree or GED is required, and one or more years of demonstrated experience in crisis or peer support practices, any equivalent combination of education and experience, is required.
• Preferred: Knowledge and direct experience of local resources for mental health, clinical and non-clinical resources, systems of care for complex and co-occurring conditions, substance use, peer support and harm reduction, houselessness and or other services.
• Bilingual English/Spanish is highly preferred.
• A Class D Driver’s License is preferred.

Qualifications

• Knowledge: Knowledge of and strong dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion across race, ethnicity, gender expression, sexual orientation, class, and disability, demonstrated through academic, employment, and life experience.
• Knowledge and direct experience of local resources for mental health, substance use, peer support and harm reduction, houselessness, and/or other services.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of public health, social determinants of health, risk factors impacting people's health, outreach, and emergency response programmatic administration.
• Ability to listen, learn, and work respectfully and collaboratively with people who have social identities different from your own.
• Proficient computer skills including proficiency with use of mouse, email, Microsoft Office applications, and databases, and the Google Office Suite.
• Exceptional partnering and team-work skills; ability to engage with integrity, transparency, and accountability.