Wellness Specialist

Expect Success at Bridgeway! We make a difference in people’s lives by supporting their life goals—our employees and the people we serve alike. We invest in our employees through competitive compensation and benefits, best practice training, and fostering a team-oriented culture that promotes career development. We nurture an environment that values diversity, where inclusivity, equity, and belonging thrive. At Bridgeway, Everyone Learns and Grows together. We give you our best, so you can unleash your full potential.

About the Role

As a Wellness Specialist, you will join an evidence-based program and a dynamic team for the opportunity to learn and refine your clinical and engagement skills and accomplish your dream of helping people to make progress on their unique recovery journeys. The work is sometimes challenging and always rewarding by engaging with persons we serve and co-workers as we all learn, grow, and thrive.

Bridgeway values and promotes quality clinical and administrative practices to foster the best outcomes for persons who come to us for behavioral healthcare. We offer a work environment that supports teamwork, creativity, innovation, professional growth, and dedication to the work. Bridgeway operates 13 PACT teams, along with more than 20 additional short-term and longer-term integrated care and recovery service teams across 10 New Jersey counties.

Responsibilities

• Engage individuals into BCIS services using motivational and strengths-based approaches.
• Perform in the role as gatekeeper for individuals who do not meet the criteria for admission into the CIS program. Assist referral source callers and individuals who call or walk-in to link with needed community services in order to divert these referred individuals from defaulting to emergency services.
• Coordinate and maintain referral and community service and resource lists.
• Assist with linkage for enrollees whenever needed due to volume.
• In coordination with the clinicians and other team members, provide case management activities as identified in the Treatment Plan including referral and linkage to necessary community service providers for aftercare services.
• Assertively locate needed resources and access entitlements, including financial entitlements.
• Provide frequent monitoring of the mental health status of persons receiving services as well as related variables, including significant others, the home, and the community in which the person served lives, and share this information with multi-disciplinary team members.
• Conduct collaborative and concurrent documentation.
• Assist enrollees to develop a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) or a Psychiatric Advanced Directive (PAD).
• Provide mental health education, illness management, and medication education on-site to persons served and significant others.
• Provide crisis intervention services and crisis de-escalation in the “living room” (from the Living Room Model utilized in EISS programs) for individuals in crisis.
• Deliver wellness services including group and individual education on illness management, problem-solving, stress reduction, coping, wellness strategies, and other wellness tools.
• With permission of the person served, provide psychoeducation and support to family members and significant others.
• Provide technical assistance and education to members of the team in the area of recovery and wellness and community resources.
• Work with the team to develop strategies for teaching wellness strategies including: IM/R, Wellness Recovery Action Plans, instilling hope, promoting choice and empowerment, spirituality, and other natural supports in conjunction with the team.
• Consult with other service providers and community resource providers regarding the assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation needs of the people receiving services.
• Maintain relationships with mental health and medical referral sources and ensure that a current list of these resources is readily available to the team.
• Assertively locate and engage community medical and mental health providers.
• Work with the APN’s and Licensed Clinicians on fulfilling the case management needs identified in the Treatment Plan of individuals relative to medical and mental health interventions and referrals.
• Create and maintain a wellness and recovery-oriented environment by using person-first language, respectful documentation, and person-centered planning. All services provided will promote wellness and recovery outcomes, helping to stabilize individuals so they may remain in the community and divert from having to go to the Emergency Room.
• Foster a culture of compliance with internal and external policies, regulations, laws, and high ethical standards, inclusive of Psychiatric Rehabilitation principles and evidence-based best practices.

Requirements

• BA/BS/BSW in a social service discipline.
• At least one year post-degree work experience providing case management services for people with mental health and co-occurring disorders within the community setting.
• CPRP preferred; discharged veterans given preference; new graduates will be considered.
• Valid driver’s license required.
• No more than one moving violation within the past 12 months.
• Vehicle required.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision.
• 403b retirement plan.
• Basic life and AD&D insurance.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Eligible for medical benefits after 30 days of employment.
• Flexible work schedules, clinical training series, leadership development program.
• 10 paid holidays (an 11th after 2 years of employment).
• Generous vacation and sick time.

Pay

$40,000–$42,500

Schedule

Monday–Friday 9:00am–5:00pm (one evening shift required 12pm–8pm)

Location: 615 North Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ (Serving Union County)