Social Worker, Senior - Brooklyn Park Police Department

Hennepin County's Behavioral Health area is seeking a Senior Social Worker to assist in early identification and intervention for individuals with mental health, medical, and substance use needs who reside in congregate living facilities or live independently in the community and have contact with emergency response systems such as law enforcement, fire, or EMS.

About the role

This position will provide community outreach, resources, consultation, and care coordination to those referred. It will also serve as a backup social worker for the Alternative Response Team (ART), which consists of a social worker and a community paramedic responding to urgent behavioral health-related 911 calls.

Current Hennepin County employees who refer a candidate hired into an open competitive position may be eligible for a $500 referral bonus.

Location and hours

This position is located onsite at the Brooklyn Park Police Department, 5400 85th Avenue North, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443, and will require travel throughout Hennepin County. Work hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., with some evening and weekend hours for community engagement events. New Employee Orientation (NEO) for all new benefit-earning employees is in-person in downtown Minneapolis and details will be provided upon hire.

Responsibilities

• Build collaborative relationships with law enforcement professionals and department leadership through case consultation, active engagement in meetings, presenting at roll calls, and ride-alongs.
• Provide outreach to individuals living in congregate settings, case managers, legal guardians, and residential providers either by phone, email, or in-person.
• Develop culturally informed interventions in collaboration with individuals and their support teams.
• Collaborate and consult with mental health professionals, case managers, and support networks with appropriate authorization.
• Conduct initial mental health screenings for adults, children, and adolescents in crisis.
• Provide crisis assessments in homes, community settings, or through telehealth.
• Complete mental status exams, determine provisional diagnoses, and develop short-term treatment goals and intervention plans.
• Deliver short-term stabilization services in person, by phone, or virtually.
• Document all services in the electronic medical record system in compliance with state statutes and program policies.
• Participate in community engagement events hosted by police departments and local municipalities.
• Serve as back-up Social Worker for the ART by:
  • Responding with a community-based paramedic or social worker to behavioral health crisis calls.
  • Providing outreach to individuals who frequently utilize emergency response systems.
  • Conducting on-scene needs and risk assessments.
  • Utilizing solution-focused interventions and creating personalized, culturally informed, person-centered crisis/safety plans.
  • Facilitating immediate service coordination with community providers and connecting individuals to new and existing supports.
  • Providing face-to-face therapeutic interventions, adjusting based on environmental and safety factors.
  • Utilizing state and county systems to document all assessments and case communications.
  • Transporting individuals in a county vehicle to community providers to further stabilize as needed.

Requirements

• One of the following:
  • Master's degree or higher in social work or a closely related field with coursework emphasis in areas such as social work methods, human growth and behavior, and principles of social welfare.
  • Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or human services, and at least 18 semester (27 quarter) credits of graduate work in the above areas, and three years or more of full-time supervised experience as a social worker.
• Licensed as a Graduate Social Worker by the Minnesota Board of Social Work.
• A valid driver's license and daily access to reliable transportation to travel primarily within the metro area to meet with persons in their residential settings and/or perform authorized off-site work duties. Ability to obtain a Hennepin County Driver's Permit to provide transportation as needed to essential services, including the possibility of driving a Hennepin County fleet vehicle.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to obtain and maintain Minnesota Criminal Justice Data Network Certification and pass the CJIS Competency Exam within 6 months of employment (annual certifications required).
• Licensed or working towards licensure in any of the following: Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC).
• Experience:
  • Serving individuals living with a mental health condition and/or substance use disorder.
  • Conducting initial mental health screenings for adults, children, and adolescents in crisis.
  • Completing mental status exams, determining provisional diagnoses, and developing short-term treatment goals and intervention plans.
• Knowledge of:
  • County and community resources for mental health, substance use disorder, social services, and basic needs.
  • Harm reduction and trauma-informed care principles, person-centered thinking, and social determinants of health.
  • Race-based disparities and their impact on community development, social justice, corrective justice, socio-economic statuses, and overall health and wellness of populations.
• Ability to:
  • Effectively interact with people from diverse backgrounds, including efforts toward disparity reduction.
  • Function well in unpredictable and challenging situations, demonstrating sensitivity, flexibility, resourcefulness, and independent judgment.
  • Work well independently and as a team.
  • Demonstrate strong interpersonal, organizational, and computer skills.
• Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply. Bilingual candidates who pass a language assessment may qualify for additional bilingual pay and duties.

Benefits

Hennepin County offers a combination of competitive benefits and positive workplace culture, including meaningful work that impacts the community, competitive pay, work-life balance, a variety of benefits, and opportunities to grow. Learn more at The Bridge (login as Guest).

About Hennepin County

Hennepin is the largest county government organization in Minnesota. Our employees work to improve the health, safety, and quality of life for residents and communities. All jobs align with our mission to serve residents through transformative services that eliminate disparities, eliminate inequities, and create opportunity for all. Our vision is a community where all people are healthy, all people are valued, and all people thrive.