SCHEDULE: 40 hours, Monday - Friday, 8:30a-5pm
Pays $23.48 per hour DOE.
This position carries a retention bonus of $5,000.00, payable in installments as follows: $1,000 at 30 days, $1,000 at 6 months, and $3,000.00 at twelve months of employment.
“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: 1740 Washington St., South End, Boston
JOB DESCRIPTION:
SUMMARY OF POSITION:
Congregate Housing provides comprehensive, intensive case management support to homeless and chronically homeless individuals in housing using the Housing First Model promoting long-term stability in housing and the end of homelessness in Boston.
The Congregate Housing Case Manager works as part of an intensive case management team serving tenants who may be experiencing untreated mental illness, active drug and alcohol addiction, and other major health challenges. The Case Manager uses a Harm Reduction, Trauma Informed approach to working with participants, including the utilization of Stages of Change Theory and Motivational Interviewing techniques. The Case Manager is responsible for a specific caseload of tenants, and also for collaborating with other Congregate Housing staff on program-wide efforts to stabilize and promote the individual growth of all Congregate Housing tenants. Additional case management responsibilities include, but are not limited to: assisting tenants with all required program documentation; assisting tenants with obtaining benefits, health care, educational opportunities, employment opportunities, and legal aid; supporting the development of tenants’ activities of daily living skills and creating individual service plans with tenants, and maintaining all necessary documentation..
QUALIFICATIONS:
The Congregate Housing Case Manager must have a clear commitment to the population we serve, and be able to work as part of a team.
REQUIREMENTS:
EDUCATION/TRAINING:
REQUIRED:
- Strong written communication skills
- Computer Proficiency in Microsoft Office Products
PREFERRED:
- Bi-lingual – Spanish/English
- Undergraduate Degree in a related field (i.e. social work, psychology, education, nursing)
KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:
REQUIRED:
- Experience working with individuals experiencing substance abuse, mental illness, trauma, homelessness and/or other complex disorders
- Strong commitment to learning and using Harm Reduction and Motivational Interviewing skills in order to promote improved behavioral health among tenants
- Knowledge of effective Crisis Intervention techniques and ability to respond appropriately in crisis situations
- Experience working as part of a team
PREFERRED:
- Experience working with chronically homeless individuals in Housing First programs
- Knowledge of local care-giving and advocacy resources for people experiencing: substance abuse and dependence, mental illness, trauma histories, head injury, medical illness, physical disabilities, relationship violence, criminal and civil justice system involvement
- Knowledge of government benefits systems, and Boston area service providers
- Experience with HMIS
PHYSICAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:
REQUIRED:
- Ability to access different building locations and program sites via vehicle, public transit, and by foot in varied weather conditions, including climbing several flights of stairs and lifting up to 50 pounds of weight
- Ability to sit for long periods of time and use computer, calculator, fax, copier and other office equipment
MENTAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:
REQUIRED:
- Ability to set limits fairly and consistently while maintaining appropriate boundaries
- Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills; the ability to balance many competing demands
- Ability to communicate professionally both verbally and in writing, including the ability to successfully represent the organization in various forums
- Ability to juggle many competing demands, to prioritize work efficiently and effectively
- Ability to take initiative, plan and work independently
- Interpersonal skills, patience, persistence, tolerance, ability to engage and develop rapport with a wide range of personalities
- Must have highly developed professional ethics to maintain appropriate boundaries and sets limits fairly and consistently
- Contributes to the overall integration and success of the department by being a team player, accepting and offering guidance as appropriate, participating in PSI activities and trainings as requested and promoting organizational integration based on the mission, vision and values
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
- Actively manage a case load of formerly chronically homeless tenants in congregate housing promoting housing retention, income maximization, and greater self – determination. Provide high quality, culturally sensitive, client – centered intensive housing based case management utilizing evidence-based practices of motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care and harm reduction. Using creativity and perseverance when necessary to engage the most difficult to reach tenants.
- Assess tenants on their tenancy, substance abuse issues, mental health symptoms, legal issues, health care, employment and income, independent living skills, and community engagement using the Phases of Care (POC) Assessment Tool to guide frequency and type of case management intervention. Conduct case management in the home, in the community, or in Congregate Housing offices as POC indicates.
- Work with tenants to create client – centered, strengths – based, individual service plans (ISP), to be periodically evaluated and edited as necessary/appropriate and/or according to program and billing standards.
- Educate, coach, and reinforce activities of daily living (ADL) skills, including, but not limited to personal hygiene, budgeting, cooking and leisure time activities. Assist tenants in shopping, laundry, and other ADL as needed or requested.
- Provide strengths – based interventions with tenants experiencing psychiatric distress or other acute crisis. Develop individually based crisis intervention plans with each tenant in order to reduce the number of hospitalizations and/or police response. Intervene directly and/or cooperate with team efforts around crisis stabilization for tenants.
- Maintain accurate written records and documentation in accordance with program standards including, but not limited to ISPs, tenant charts, incident reports, detailed case notes and referrals and third party billing, when applicable. Maintain HMIS records in a timely and accurate fashion and contribute to Annual Progress Reporting when needed.
- Participate as part of the Congregate Housing Services Team, contributing to bi-weekly case conferences and collaborating with the Congregate Housing Clinician and BHCHP’s nursing and psychiatric staff when appropriate.
- Provide advocacy and brokerage services with community agencies and other available and appropriate resources, with the goal of supporting each tenant’s personal growth, enhanced independence and stability in housing. Demonstrate initiative in exploring existing and potential resources for tenants through the development of positive working relationships with service providers in the Greater Boston community. Actively participate in referrals and aftercare/discharge planning to and from treatment programs when appropriate.
- Attend regularly scheduled meetings including supervisory, case management team meetings, Congregate Housing Department meetings, PSI staff meetings, and other meetings as requested.
- Participate in required and recommended trainings to enhance case management and advocacy skills.
- Due to emergency or unforeseen program needs, staff may be temporarily or permanently reassigned to another PSI Housing program at any given time.
- Represent PSI and the Supportive Housing Department in the Housing Court system in conjunction with the Case Management Supervisors.
- Assist tenants as required for bed bug remediation as outline by PSI Bed Bug Policy.
- Follow all regulations and performance specifications as required by participating MCOs. Submit monthly billing documentation to PSI’s billing department in conjunction with the Associate Director for Congregate Housing. Work closely with the billing department to help maintain client’s enrollment in their insurance plan.
- Perform additional duties as request by the Supervisor.
INTERNAL CANDIDATES, IF INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION, PLEASE SUBMIT A PROMOTION/TRANSFER APPLICATION TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF POSTING.
Pine Street Inn is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
