Community Support Liaison
About the role
The Community Support Liaison (CSL) is a trained professional focusing on services associated with homelessness, substance-use disorder, mental health, and persons with chronic service needs. The CSL will be an integral part of a team that uses timely and accurate information to implement effective tactics and strategies to reduce the need for a police officer’s response to calls for service without immediate public safety or criminal components.
The CSL will coordinate all aspects of social work, including intensive coordination across agencies, stakeholders, and platforms. At times, CSLs will be paired with Police Officers to respond to calls for service. The role is guided by trauma-centered, person-centered practices and aims to address gaps in Burlington’s social-service systems, helping individuals and families live healthier lives.
This position is directed and supervised by the Community Support Supervisor in collaboration with the Deputy Chief of Operations and works closely with all services embedded within the Police Department.
Schedule
The position requires a flexible 2nd shift schedule, consisting of a monthly rotating four days on, three days off, working 10 hours each shift. Shift start and end times are flexible (e.g., shifts can start as early as 10 am or as late as 12 pm, at staff discretion).
Pay
Pay Grade 18: $36.14 - $40.30 hourly.
Responsibilities
- Engage and help individuals with substance use disorder, including screening arrestees for opioid use disorder and following up post-arrest to facilitate access to medically-assisted treatment.
- Respond to requests from police, other City departments, and community members for intervention in non-criminal matters, such as:
- Interactions with individuals in the midst of a mental-health crisis.
- De-escalating individuals struggling with co-occurring issues.
- Mediating disputes between quarreling neighbors.
- Working with homeless populations on housing solutions and relocations.
- Following up with people suffering from substance-use disorder, particularly after instances of overdose.
- Collaborate, consult, and coordinate services with Burlington social-service providers, with a focus on mental-health and substance-use disorder providers.
- Develop and maintain relationships with partners for a team-based approach to problem-solving, addressing quality-of-life issues and neighborhood conflicts.
- Prepare for and attend strategy and planning meetings with stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of tactics and strategies.
- Provide effective assessments and develop strategies to assist individuals in finding appropriate community resources, using person-centered, low-barrier best practices.
- Partner with the Community Affairs Liaison in outreach efforts to homeless encampments and other community-related activities.
- Work on a team alongside other social workers and law-enforcement officers with a high degree of autonomy, responsibility, and accountability.
- Maintain a high operational tempo in a critical-incident-management setting.
- Develop and implement trainings with community partners on topics such as conflict resolution and restorative strategies for quality-of-life issues (e.g., noise, neighbor/roommate disputes).
- Create and maintain up-to-date electronic records for all case interventions.
- Act as a liaison between the community and the Police Department to encourage open dialogue, improve transparency, and address community needs.
- Assist the public and other constituency groups with navigating the Police Department’s services, including those of the greater criminal-justice system (e.g., family court, criminal court, alternative justice programs).
- Collaborate on large, interagency teams to help solve complex societal and interpersonal issues.
- Provide intermittent case-management services to fill gaps in care until the proper provider is identified.
- Engage in regular briefings with Police Department leadership and constituency groups to address community needs and make relevant policy recommendations.
- Work and creatively collaborate with a wide range of entities, including the Police Department, government officials, courts, corrections, non-profits, academia, and private enterprise.
Requirements
- Ability to actively support City diversity, equity, and cultural competency efforts and work effectively across diverse cultures and constituencies.
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through ongoing training and professional development.
- Education and experience:
- A Master's Degree in Social Work or related field plus two years of experience, or
- A Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or related field and three years of relevant experience.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills.
- Knowledge of Vermont criminal- and juvenile-justice systems preferred.
- Comprehensive knowledge of social services within Burlington and the Greater Burlington area.
- Ability to work outside of typical business hours and weekends.
- Must successfully complete a Police Department oral board interview and background investigation.
- Ability to clearly and effectively communicate during complex, rapidly evolving incidents and maintain a calm disposition in high-stress environments.
- Ability to maintain objectivity in a stressful work environment.
- Regular attendance is necessary and essential to meeting job expectations.
- Ability to speak in a public environment while maintaining professionalism.
- Ability to engage with all levels of the general public, the Police Department, and other City officials.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Vermont class D driver’s license.
- Ability to understand and engage with a wide variety of cultural and ethnic groups.
- Ability to understand and comply with City standards, safety rules, and personnel policies.
- Willingness to participate in court depositions if needed.
Union Affiliation
American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).