Vital Case Manager - REACH - Evergreen Treatment Services (Job)
Description:
REACH Mission and Values
The REACH Program of Evergreen Treatment Services works with individuals experiencing homelessness and behavioral health conditions to help them achieve stability and improved quality of life. The REACH mission is to foster community health and safety through outreach, relationship, healing interventions and systems advocacy for people who use drugs. REACH provides outreach-based-care coordination, multidisciplinary clinical services, and supports to access and maintain housing. All services are based in principles of harm reduction that offer respect and dignity to individuals moving through stages of change in their lives.
Overview of Vital Program
The Vital ("Familiar Faces") Program is an interdisciplinary care management team providing integrated services to adults experiencing behavioral health challenges (mental health and/or co-occurring substance use), have experienced chronic homelessness, and have frequent contact with the criminal justice system. Vital is comprised of providers from Harborview and REACH/ Evergreen Treatment Services who deliver low-barrier medical, mental health, and case management support services in the community. We strive to offer trauma informed care and a harm reduction approach in addition to evidence based practice.
Job Summary:
- The Vital team serves people in King County who are frequently arrested and aims to transform the criminal legal system through community partnerships, advocacy and the empowerment of those most directly impacted.
- The Vital Case Manager will maintain a caseload of 15 clients and work in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary clinical care team including a primary care ARNP, a psychiatric ARNP, a registered nurse, an occupational therapist and a behavioral health counselor. With the permission of the program participants, case managers provide legal advocacy in the courtroom and coordination with attorneys to mitigate the harm of the criminal legal system.
- This role makes a critical difference at ETS by working on a unique team that integrates criminal legal advocacy with harm reduction healthcare to improve the quality of life of program participants.
- The position is full-time onsite, the location is at ETS’ REACH Belltown office, and the days and hours are M-F, 8:30am to 4:30pm.
- The annual salary range for this position is $72,500 to $74,500. ETS strives to achieve pay equity and transparency as part of our goal to create an equitable workplace.
Responsibilities:
- Help ETS succeed in carrying out our mission through working together with other staff to transform systems of harm and inequity to create different approaches to improving community health and safety through addressing substance use and homelessness.
- Assist with the organization-wide initiative to reimagine our interconnectedness within our community to overcome the aspects of our society and organizational culture shaped by white supremacy and settler colonialism.
- Provide outreach, engagement, intensive case management and care coordination services for assigned clients.
- Meet clients where they are, either on the streets or at other service facilities (including jails and hospitals), to explain offered services and establish a working relationship.
- Develop rapport and a trusting relationship with clients through respectful outreach and client-centered engagement practices.
- Develop and implement, in collaboration with the client, an Individualized Service Plan which addresses the client’s stated needs and priorities. Review and update this plan regularly to reflect progress or attainment of articulated goals and the emergence of new client needs and to help the client move toward the achievement of autonomy.
- Assist clients in obtaining housing and maintaining housing stability.
- Assist clients with establishing and maintaining primary medical care and addressing chronic health conditions.
- Assess nature and severity of clients’ substance use issues and match clinical interventions to each individual’s stage of change, focusing on reducing the harmful consequences of substance use through self-change methods.
- Address clients’ needs for mental health and substance use disorder treatment services and facilitate engagement in appropriate supportive services.
- Local travel on behalf of the Agency is a job requirement.
- Additional duties as assigned.
Skills/Eligibility:
Qualifications:
- Education and/or Relevant Experience:
- High school diploma or equivalent required, undergraduate degree preferred. Academic training in the social service field and in chemical dependency and mental health treatment are desired. SUDP/SUDPT and MSW’s highly desirable
- Knowledge and Skills:
- Understand racial justice and social equity and a commitment to helping create an equitable environment for all ETS clients and patients as well as fellow staff.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, patients, and staff from a wide variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds.
- Computer literate, with basic knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, as well as a high level of initiative in keeping current with technological change
- Ability to prioritize workload and daily activities and complete tasks in a timely and efficient manner
- Ability to set boundaries, resolve conflict and de-escalate issues
- Dependable, able to work under pressure; receptive to change, willingness to learn, cooperative approach to problem-solving
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, participants, and outside contacts from a wide variety of ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, good diplomatic skills.
- Must be able to pass a Washington State Patrol criminal background check
- Flexible team player
- Excellent attention to detail
- Ability to read and interpret general business correspondence, policies and procedures, referral information, financial documentation and applicable government regulations.
- Ability to write case file notes, uncomplicated reports, instructions and procedures.
- Ability to present information effectively and respond to questions from participants, staff, collaborative partners and the general public.
- Thorough knowledge of and ability to apply business arithmetic skills accurately and rapidly.
- Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where standardization may be limited. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, schedule or diagram format.
- Basic math skills
- Strong interpersonal skills and verbal/ written communication skills.
- Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize workload, work independently, and complete tasks timely and efficiently.
- Dependable, able to work under pressure, receptive to change, willingness to learn, cooperative approach to problem solving.
- Flexible team player, with excellent attention to detail.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion when handling highly sensitive information.
- Ability to set boundaries, resolve conflict and de-escalate issues.
- Computer literate, with basic knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (or equivalent suites such as Google Workspace), as well as a high level of initiative in keeping current with technological changes. Skills needed include basic functions such as utilizing MS Outlook email and calendaring programs (or equivalent) and sending attachments, using MS Teams or equivalent chat, call, and videoconference features, and navigating search engines such as Edge or Google and carrying out browser searches and website benchmarking steps.