MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST

V-Tech Solutions, Inc. is seeking Mental Health Specialists, Licensed Clinicians, Lead Advanced Peer Recovery Coaches, and Advanced Peer Recovery Coaches with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) experience to provide outreach support services, assessments, consultations, short term clinical interventions and linkage support services for individuals and communities identified for behavioral health related support. All services will be performed in the natural settings of the individuals in the community including but not limited to shelters, alleys, streets and under bridges.

The successful candidate(s) will:

• Enter notes into an electronic health record documenting all face-to-face interactions with the identified consumer, as well as documenting any collateral information and contacts that assist with moving the consumer from homelessness, and/or accessing mental health services
• Conduct assessments such as CAGE, SBIRT, VISPDAT, etc., for adult consumers as directed
• Conduct ongoing face-to-face community based outreach to assess consumer needs and encourage clinical service engagement by utilizing best practices in community mental health service delivery
• Engage with behavioral health consumers in natural settings such as shelters, on the streets, under bridges and in encampments to offer linkage to community based service providers
• Have knowledge and skill to teach and engage in basic problem solving strategies to support individual consumers in self-directed recovery
• Have knowledge and skill sufficient to use community resources necessary for independent living and ability to teach those skills to other individuals with severe mental illness
• Provide community based short term counseling, de-escalation, and resource referrals
• Provide crisis assessments for adult behavioral health consumers in the community and office based settings
• Participate in community based outreach during inclement weather to provide behavioral health support and evaluations to vulnerable individuals
• Provide transportation using government vehicles and/or facilitate appointments with community based behavioral health services providers when required by supervisory staff
• Support law enforcement partners when engaging with behavioral health consumers to provide support and crisis evaluations as directed by senior staff members
• Be available to participate in onsite and offsite training meetings within the District of Columbia

-Trainings will coincide with mental health specialists' assigned tour of duty

• Attend legal proceedings with criminal justice involved consumers and provide supportive counseling services
• Engage groups of individuals to explain available community services and offer referrals
• Participate in community screenings for SUD and SMI service needs
• Participate with a multidisciplinary team in the development, implementation, evaluation and modification of the consumer's recovery plan.
• Participate fully in team conferences concerning consumer care, presenting assigned cases for further advice and guidance, making suggestions to other team members for certain modifications or changes that might affect individual consumer plans, and providing personal knowledge and insights gained about the community that might be of value
• Provide short term case management activities as directed by CRT program managers (assistance with obtaining IDs, assistance with medical appointments, support during hospitalizations and support during behavioral health care intake appointments, etc.)
• Maintain confidentiality and privacy of all identifying information concerning clients in accordance with applicable confidentiality and privacy laws, rules and regulations

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• BA or BS degree from an accredited university in a human services related field (social work, counseling, psychology, sociology, etc.)
• Minimum of one (I) year of experience providing substance use disorder screenings and evaluations
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Must be licensed to operate a motor vehicle without restrictions
• Basic office equipment and computer literacy skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Access, Word, etc.) and working in an Electronic Health Record Management System
• May require weekend shift work

SCHEDULE: Full-time, 40 hours per week

WORK HOURS: Day Shift, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Evening Shift, 4:00 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

WORK LOCATION: Washington, DC

E/O/E