Harm Reduction Social Worker

About the role

The Harm Reduction Social Worker provides specialized mental health and harm reduction clinical services in a transitional housing setting. This role uses clinical interventions and support to foster a safe and productive environment for individuals living with substance use and mental health disorders. The Harm Reduction Social Worker reports to the Program Director for support and supervision.

Location

Versions of Victory, located in Jamaica Plain, is a low-threshold transitional living program utilizing a Housing First, harm reduction model. Visions of Victory serves individuals experiencing homelessness, substance use/opioid overdose risk and health/mental health conditions, who may also face multiple barriers to housing.

Essential Functions

• Act in accordance with Victory Programs’ Standards of Excellence at all times, including maintaining professional ethics, boundaries and client confidentiality.
• Provide daily support to clients experiencing mental health episodes, and who are actively using substances.
• Support staff in their engagement and interactions with clients.
• Provide crisis intervention and leadership in resolving client issues including one-to-one clinical support and appropriate follow-up.
• Ensure program integrity and safety, support clients and address any issues as they arise. Develop, implement, and facilitate and/or co-facilitate client groups each week and complete required documentation.
• Provide syringe services, naloxone, and harm reduction supplies for individuals at risk for overdose or infectious disease transmission.
• Engage clients in an ongoing assessment of needs, connection to services, and review cases and progress in individual and staff meetings.
• Conduct biopsychosocial need assessments with clients, when indicated, to determine service needs, referrals and potential service plan goals and objectives.
• Work collaboratively with case managers and other staff to implement client service plans, including helping to facilitate referrals to appropriate resources as needed.
• Partner with the Clinical Director of Housing in identifying specific clinical learning needs of staff and plan appropriate in-service training if requested.
• Create agendas for case conferences for staff as requested.
• Supervise first year social work interns as needed with the support of the Clinical Director of Housing.
• Engage in crisis intervention and conflict de-escalation as needed in the program.
• Collaborate on the development of policies and procedures.
• Maintain accurate documentation and record keeping systems, including but not limited to: assessment; referrals, consent forms; and data collection.
• Maintain current working knowledge of referral sources such as medical, outpatient counseling, dental, legal, housing, AIDS client services, self-help groups, substance use treatment, shelter and others to provide comprehensive services to the program clients.
• Attend clinical and administrative supervision, staff meetings, and periodic professional development trainings and workshops as requested by supervisor.

Non-Essential Functions

• Attend weekly staff and clinical team meetings, in-service trainings and agency workshops. Participate and support the agency in program events, State House rallies, fundraising and advocacy events, rallies, walks and any additional functions.
• Transport clients to appointments as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Social Work.
• Working knowledge of HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis, homelessness, substance use, STIs, and sex work as well as health-related social issues faced by persons who use drugs.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals of diverse race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex and drug cultures, age groups, religion, country of origin, disability and economic status.
• Excellent verbal communication skills including an ability to have open and affirming conversations about sex and substance use risk.
• Knowledge of group facilitation skills.
• Strong computer skills, including experience with Microsoft Outlook, Excel and other data bases. CPR certified (may be obtained upon hire)
• Complete TB screening (may be obtained upon hire)

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience in nonviolent crisis intervention, de-escalation, and milieu management

Position Type

Full-time (40 hours) Mon-Fri 10am-6pm (flexible)

Rate

$29.33/hr

Benefits

• 75% health and 25% dental employer premium contribution
• 100% employer paid disability and life insurance
• Generous paid time off package to employees working 20+ hours a week including vacation, sick, and personal time as well as holidays