CST Team Leader (CST DIAMOND)

This role requires a car. Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. Location: 8541 S. State Street.

About the role

The Team Leader serves as the senior clinician on the Community Support Team (CST), with overall responsibility for direct supervision of team employees and oversight of service coordination and quality for clients on their team. They develop a cohesive team by hiring and training clinicians, providing coaching and mentoring, and fostering collaboration across programs, departments, and community partners. The Team Leader ensures the team delivers client-centered, strengths-based, and trauma-informed services to clients with severe mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse/addiction, utilizing a harm reduction approach.

Responsibilities

• Complete weekly supervision with employees to provide feedback and follow-up on duties and responsibilities.
• Assess team morale and maintain a positive employee and team culture.
• Model a client-centered, recovery-oriented approach using evidence-based practices (e.g., trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, harm reduction).
• Coordinate care with interdisciplinary staff and family members to ensure continuity of care.
• Recognize and act on opportunities to transition clients to appropriate levels of care; provide referrals as needed.
• Track team capacity to maintain appropriate staff-to-client ratios.
• Assess clients’ personal, medical, emotional, social, and environmental situations through home, community, and office visits.
• Assist clients in identifying signs of de-compensation and need for hospitalization.
• Collaborate with clients to develop coping skills for managing symptoms and stressors.
• Support team members with crisis interventions, including petitioning and wellness checks.
• Assist clients in improving independent living skills, applying for entitlements, and attending community appointments.
• Provide support with housing, substance use, budgeting, medical issues, social support, and medication.
• Model effective communication within a multidisciplinary team approach.
• Assist with daily scheduling to ensure all clients are seen and step in to provide direct services as needed.
• Run regular team meetings and communicate management updates to the team.
• Assist with hiring, onboarding, and ongoing training of staff to ensure quality services.
• Monitor employees’ direct service hours to ensure the team meets service targets.
• Monitor client charts and staff time management to ensure timely and complete documentation (e.g., IM-CANs, progress notes).
• Track Relias Trainings to ensure staff compliance with annual training requirements.
• Provide direct services to clients in the community when needed.
• Familiarize self with authorization processes for level of care and address insurance issues promptly.
• Work with the Financial Services Department to finalize client rental payments, submit budgets and BMFs, and adjust as needed.
• Monitor team expenditures of client assistance and loan funds.
• Perform other related duties and projects as assigned.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, or a closely related field.
• Minimum two years of experience working with individuals with mental health and/or substance abuse diagnoses.
• Valid Illinois driver’s license with daily access to a well-maintained vehicle and $100,000/$300,000 liability insurance.
• Supervisory or leadership experience highly preferred.

Benefits

• Free virtual primary care, urgent care, and mental health counseling for all employees.
• Paid maternity/paternity leave.
• Medical insurance (BCBS of IL).
• Dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Long-term and short-term disability.
• Pet insurance.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for health, dependent care, and transit.
• Telemedicine.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match.

Pay

$68,000–$72,000 per year.

Schedule

Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM.