SCHEDULE: 40 hours, Monday-Friday, 12PM-830PM, Essential position during weather and other emergencies

Pays $71,000/yr + DOE

This position carries a retention bonus of $5000.00, payable in equal instalments of $1500 at 3 months, $1500 at 6 months, and $2000 at 1 year.

This bonus is only available to new, external hires to Pine Street Inn, including temporary staff who are thereafter converted to permanent employment status. This bonus is not available to Pine Street Inn staff or paid interns or paid co-op students who are seeking a transfer to this role. This bonus is only payable for work actually performed in this role. Employees who leave their position before they have worked all the time required for each bonus installment will not be eligible to collect further payment for their prior position, even if they stay at Pine Street Inn in another position.

LOCATION: 444 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA; This position works 100% on site, there is no remote work available

JOB DESCRIPTION:

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION:

The Shelter Stabilization and Crisis Clinician primary focus is on assisting staff in the promotion of a safe and healthy environment, creating and maintaining relationships with and guests in the Men’s Inn. The Shelter Crisis and Stabilization Specialist works from the Pine Street Inn policy and procedures developed to ensure a safe shelter environment for guests and staff.

The Shelter Stabilization and Crisis Clinician has a primary focus to actively support and train Shelter staff on techniques and methods to minimize secondary trauma while supporting staff needs to the best of PSI’s options and resources. In addition, the clinician may need to respond to guests in crisis in an effort to support shelter staff and PSI clinical teams. The clinician will need to navigate emergency safety procedures in a timely and professional manner based on the prioritization of guests’ and staff needs.

The Shelter Stabilization and Crisis Clinician will work with direct care staff to advocate for appropriate level of care services and work in collaboration with other PSI departments that provide clinical support to our guests.

The Shelter Stabilization and Crisis Clinician will work closely with the Men’s Inn staff and leadership team as well maintain a robust and collaborative relationship with PSI’s DMH MATCH Team and Behavioral Health Team, including the specialized Housing Stabilization Team.

REQUIREMENTS:

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

REQUIRED:

• Licensure as an LMHC or LICSW or Master’s degree in Social Work or related degree

KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

REQUIRED:

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in the Human Services field
• Knowledge in the areas of trauma, addiction, recovery and mental illness
• Knowledge of issues pertaining to the homeless
• Demonstrated skills in motivational interviewing, crisis intervention and de-escalation

PREFERRED:

• Administering Narcan and CPR in a work setting

• Knowledge of area resources
• Bilingual English/Spanish/Haitian Creole

PHYSICAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

REQUIRED:

• Ability to stand for long periods of time
• Ability to stretch, bend and lift up to (twenty-five) 25 lbs.
• Ability to assist guests up and down stairs, and in-and-out of wheelchairs

• Ability to respond quickly to emergencies
• Ability to work in a busy shelter environment
• Ability to comply with PSI policies around illness prevention, mandatory vaccinations, and other occupational health standards

MENTAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

REQUIRED:

• Ability to respond safely, quickly, and calmly in emergencies and to emergency situations
• Ability to use good judgement in stressful or emotionally charged situations
• The sensitivity and patience to work with guests suffering from mental illness (many untreated), alcohol and other drug addiction and abuse
• Ability to be resilient in difficult and ambiguous situations

• Ability to handle multiple assignments
• Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing
• Ability to comprehend and apply Motivational Interviewing and Trauma-Informed Care skills
• Ability to communicate/speak (as well as to listen) in a non-judgmental manner
• Ability to research and problem-solve creatively
• Ability to work with partners across departments and agencies to meet guest and agency goals
• Ability to follow projects and interventions through to completion, including hand-off, stabilization, or other favorable guest and/or project outcome

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE CORE COMPETENCIES FOR THE POSITION INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:

Guest Focus

• Treat all guests and staff with dignity and respect
• Proactively conduct wellness checks of guests in different sections of the building
• De-escalate stressful situations utilizing Critical Incident Debriefing and Trauma-informed Care
• Administer Naloxone as needed
• Perform CPR as needed

• Connect guests to emergency medical services, detox and other community programs as needed to include, but not limited to, Triage, Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) services and the MATCH Team.
• Works collaboratively with shelter MATCH Team to support guests’ the level of care they need and communicate to symptoms of mental illness and co-occurring disorders
• Encourage guests to explore any/all housing options refer to housing resources when permitted

• Pleasantly greet, welcome and work with volunteers, donors, food servers, tour groups and other visitors

Judgement

• Seek supervision and feedback when needed from direct supervisor, Director of Shelter Operations, or internal Clinical partners,
• Advise the supervisor/key carrier regarding matters of concern with operations or policy

• Adhere to TB-testing procedures and other required testing or vaccine requirements
• Maintain current certification in CPR and First Aid
• Document all hazardous incidents and intervening appropriately in any unsafe situation
• Consistently attend and actively participate in meetings, including but not limited to: shift reports, staff meetings, case conferences, supervision or check-ins with supervisor.
• Report to work regardless of weather conditions as the Shelter Crisis and Stabilization Specialist position considered essential under the PSI weather emergency and emergency policies
• Report to work and all scheduled meetings and trainings on time
• Perform other additional assignments or projects as requested/directed by supervisor, program director or senior program or agency managers
• Attend mandatory Narcan trainings and be an active response participant to on-site overdose and to administer Narcan, as indicated, based on that training

Resilience

• Consistently demonstrate behavior that is representative of PSI’s values of Community, Teamwork, Accountability and Respect
• Actively support and train Shelter staff on techniques and methods to minimize secondary trauma while also addressing guest needs to the best of PSI’s options and resources
• Utilize Trauma-Informed Care when interacting with guests and staff
• Adhere to the Inn’s mandatory training requirements including CPI, CPI refresher course, Trauma- Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, and any other training required by program management
• Seek and engage in trainings to support skills and career growth
• Model positive staff/guest interactions keeping in line with PSI’s Code of Conduct and Boundaries Policies
• Actively engage in problem solving regarding guests’ concerns, looking for solutions that support the resiliency of guests and support the shelter policies and operations
• Actively participate in individual supervision

INTERNAL CANDIDATES, IF INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION, COMPLETE AN APPLICATION FOR PROMOTION/TRANSFER AND FORWARD IT TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF POSTING.

Pine Street Inn is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.