Harm Reduction Specialist - Bond Health Staffing

Harm Reduction Specialist needed for an IMT Team.
Full time position!
Salary: $60,728 plus benefits!

Overview
The IMT Teams serve individuals who are street homeless or living between institutional settings and housing. Team members work collaboratively with settings in which the participant is living and use assertive engagement strategies to proactively engage individuals in services. IMT team members share responsibility for the people they serve, helping individuals attain housing and other personal and safety goals that may be of a health, social, work or education nature.

The IMT Harm Reduction Specialist is an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team of mental health clinicians. The Specialist is a team member responsible for engaging participants through harm reduction strategies including motivational interviewing and stage-wise interventions that target an individual’s readiness for change. The Harm Reduction Specialist is a resource to other team members in issues related to mental health and co-occurring substance use.

Core Principles
The job responsibilities of all staff extend to understanding and incorporating certain principles into their work and into their relationships with program participants. These principles are:
- Program participants' right to self-determination;
- Respectful communication;
- Services that support recovery and healing consistent with and nurturing each participant's cultural background, experience, identity, and values.
- Clear professional boundaries to support the limits and possibilities of services.

Essential Job Functions
Behavioral Health Specialist-related:

• • Identify participant treatment and support service needs and associated recovery plan objectives based on stages of change and assessment results, including risk associated with harmful behaviors.
  • Screen and assess participants for the treatment of co-occurring substance use disorders.
  • Advocate and liaise for participants within the criminal justice and shelter system.
  • Provide individual counseling that includes principles of Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment as appropriate.
  • Identify participant treatment and support service needs and associated service plan objectives based on participant goals assessment results, including risk associated with harmful behaviors.
  • Function as resource on behavioral health services and substance use and guide team in clinical meetings on these issues.
  • Provide harm reduction services, integrated substance use treatment and relapse prevention, including linkage to community-based recovery programs.
  • Function as primary resource with regard to harm reduction practice principles and substance use, and guide team in morning and weekly clinical meetings on these issues.
  • Provide harm reduction services, integrated substance use treatment and relapse prevention.
  • Provide harm reduction, relapse prevention and other groups that are responsive to need and interest.
  • Advocate in securing emergency detox and rehabilitation care, and other community supports that promote integrated dual disorder treatment.

Comprehensive IMT services-related:

• Assess and provide services to participants to address health and wellness, housing, income support, education, vocational training, employment and social supports.
• Complete initial comprehensive recovery-oriented service plan and 6-month plan review incorporating participant and relevant others' feedback.
• Provide ACT treatment services including: service planning and coordination; problem solving; support with obtaining housing; developing social connections; strengthening family and other relationships; developing independent living skills and obtaining necessary resources; accessing and accessing education and training; employment supports (job search, placement and support); entitlement and financial management; empowerment and self-help; wellness self-management with a focus on the development of coping skills; support with medications; and weekly groups.
• Use motivational interviewing, recovery and trauma-informed approaches when delivering services.
• Complete crisis intervention and relapse prevention plans.
• Collaborative with participants, families and natural supports, shelter and community partners to promote attainment of treatment and recovery goals.
• Coordinate discharge in collaboration with inpatient and ER staff when participants are involved.
• Complete thorough, timely and accurate documentation and adequate authorization records consistent with billing, regulatory, policy and contractual requirements.
• Complete expected minimum monthly treatment contacts of which 80% occur in the community.
• Provide 24-hour crisis intervention on-call services on rotating basis.

Job Qualifications
• Commitment to person-centered treatment strategies, upholding participants’ rights, and self-determination in service provision.
• Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, Criminal Justice or other Health and Human Services related field; LMSW preferred
• Minimum of two (2) years’ experience working with individuals with a mental health condition with co-occurring substance use disorder.
• Available to work a flexible schedule, mornings, evenings and weekends in response to participant needs.
• Must be able to work in the community, including use of public transportation across the boroughs.
• Computer proficiency in Windows operating systems and programs, such as MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, as well as comfort with learning new electronic systems.
• Bilingual Spanish-speaking, preferred.
• Must be fingerprinted and cleared by the New York State Justice Center.

For more information and to apply, please contact :
Howard Newman
Account Manager, Bond Health Staffing
5824 12th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY, 11219
Office: 1-718-302-0040 ext. 204
Fax: 1-718-302-0070
Howard@bondhealthstaffing.com