Social Work Associate

About the role

The Social Work Associate (SWA) works with high-risk mentally ill and/or substance abusing clients living in scattered site housing to prevent homelessness and link them to appropriate outpatient services. Through community outreach, the SWA assists with providing individual intensive clinical case management, housing navigation services, housing stabilization services, advocacy, counseling, crisis intervention, 5150 assessment, linkage to substance abuse treatment, psycho education; intake, assessment, and individualized service planning to their caseload.

Responsibilities

• Service Provision: Under the guidance of a supervisor, provides ongoing mental health services, including supportive counseling, housing navigation services, clinical case management, and intensive outreach and engagement to a caseload of severely mentally ill adults who are high users of psychiatric mental health services, often with concurrent substance abuse and/or health problems; help client stabilize, maintain housing and link to longer-term ongoing mental health, substance abuse, medical services and other programs.
• Treatment Advocacy and Coordination: Performs assessments with supervisor review, facilitates linkage to ongoing care as needed. Treatment advocacy and coordination with other agencies, families and clients.
• Record Keeping and Administration: Maintains client’s records according to California, City and County requirements. Records data in client’s charts. Meets program productivity standards. Assists in processing quality improvement requests. Completes billing and other documentation of services in a timely fashion. Attends staff and clinical team meetings, and participates in training sessions (e.g., In services, grand rounds).
• Interdisciplinary Team Participation: Identifies program problems and makes recommendations to supervisory and administrative staff.

Qualifications

• Possession of a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from a program approved by the Council on Social Work Education, and one year of experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience if a bachelor’s degree is not possessed.
• One year working with severely mentally ill adults, the homeless and dual diagnosed populations.
• The ability to do outreach, including to SRO hotels, inpatient hospitals and scattered site housing locations.
• One year Case Management experience.
• The ability to work cooperatively and communicate effectively with others.
• The ability to work in a high stress, high volume area and work well under pressure and with deadlines.
• The ability to follow oral and written instructions accurately, and be detailed oriented.
• Able to efficiently prepare written summaries of activities, set priorities and complete reports within required timeframes.
• Knowledge of medical and/or psychiatric terminology.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Commitment to social justice & anti-racism.
• Able to work as a team member in a culturally diverse setting.
• Able to lift 50lbs and climb stairs.
• Demonstrated excellent attendance and reliability.
• Preliminary job offer and assignment may be extended pending successful background clearance.
• An understanding of mental health issues and sensitivity toward mental health clients.
• Preferred: Demonstrated ability to work within multidisciplinary team to support clients.
• Spanish language fluency adequate to provide therapy and clinical services to clients in this language.
• Experience with Epic electronic health records and billing system.
• Prior related experience in the homelessness response system of SFD.
• Demonstrated understanding of Harm Reduction, The Recovery Model and Housing First Model.