Occupational Therapist - HOST

Seattle, WA (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=216+James+Street+Seattle+WA+USA+98104) •HOST

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Job Type

Full-time

Description

Days Off: Saturday, Sunday

Shift: Office Day

Insurance Benefits: Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage), Dental, Life, Long-term Disability

Other Benefits: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan

About DESC:

DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is a nonprofit organization working to help people with the complex needs of homelessness, substance use disorders, and serious mental illness achieve their highest potential for health and well-being through comprehensive services, treatment, and housing. Our vision is a community where no person is abandoned, ignored, or experiencing homelessness.

As the region's leading provider of services to multiply disabled adults who have experienced chronic homelessness, DESC serves almost 2,000 people each day. Our integrated service model is designed to help people secure and maintain appropriate, safe and affordable housing. DESC is recognized nationally and regionally as an innovator in developing solutions to homelessness.

We are looking for energized and passionate Residential Counselors to manage basic day-to-day operations at our Permanent Supportive Housing Projects. Residential Counselors assist the individuals living in our supportive housing with their daily needs, with special emphasis on challenges related to severe and persistent mental illness and substance use disorders.

JOB DEFINITION:

Homeless Outreach Stabilization and Transition (HOST) is made up of two multi-disciplinary teams serving homeless adults experiencing severe and persistent mental illness, substance use, and/or co-occurring disorders. HOST prioritizes services to those who are highly vulnerable, lack service connections or other support, and are unwilling or unable to engage in traditional service models. The HOST team works throughout the greater Seattle area to provide critical survival services and engagement with the ultimate goal of addressing acute behavioral and physical health needs, increasing stability, obtaining housing, and transitioning to long-term services.

The HOST Occupational Therapist is a member of the multi-disciplinary team responsible for providing outreach and engagement, intensive case management, and ongoing behavioral health services to adults who are enrolled in the HOST Mental Health (MH) and HOST Substance Use Disorder (SUD) programs. The overall HOST model incorporates a modified assertive community treatment (ACT) approach to provide wraparound support. In addition to the Occupational Therapist, the teams consist of clinical case managers, individuals with lived experience, SUD specialists, prescribers, and other medical staff, including nursing.? Many services will be provided in the community, in shelters, and other community service centers.?This position requires a high degree of coordination and collaboration with other DESC programs as well as outside agencies.?

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide outreach and engagement services, as assigned, working with Supervisor & other team members when meeting new referrals.

• Provide a variety of case management activities focused on stabilization and transition to other ongoing providers, as appropriate.

• In collaboration with clients, staff across disciplines and collaborative partners, is responsible for evaluating, planning, directing, and administering occupational evaluations and interventions to clients.

• Partners with the client, considering the person’s environment, evaluates and provides services for functional living skills such as self-care, life skills, vocational and avocational skills, and community integration.

• Provide and prioritize crisis intervention with clients as needed. This may include de-escalation, going to EDs, and/or making referrals to crisis system if necessary.

• Assume primary responsibility for coordinating all aspects of clients' support and treatment plans. This includes providing and/or coordinating the following: survival services with a focus on access to food, shelter and clothing; acquisition and stabilization of housing; acute and ongoing medical care, psychiatric treatment, financial assistance, criminal justice system coordination, substance use treatment.

• Advocate for clients' access to community resources and services, ensuring that clients' needs are met and rights maintained; consult and collaborate with community providers to ensure continuity of care.

• Develop and maintain strong collaborative relationships with DESC staff, and other service and resource organizations to ensure full continuity of care for clients.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Participate in psychiatric consultation, supervision, program meetings and in-service trainings; participate in clinical reviews and case conferences for clients on caseload.

• Comply with the agency's clinical accountability policies and procedures; maintain timely and complete clinical records; participate in quality assurance reviews when assigned.

• Comply with applicable program research and evaluation procedures.

• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Current Washington State license to practice as an Occupational Therapist or a valid probational certificate issued by the state of Washington to practice occupational therapy.

• Graduation from an accredited Occupational Therapy Program and successful completion of American Occupational Therapy certification examination.

• Interest or experience in working with clients who have difficulty engaging with traditional programs.

• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds.

• Must have current Washington State Driver’s License, current auto insurance, and ability to become an authorized driver.

• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of behaviors.

• Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for clients.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bilingual in Spanish and English.

• Experience working with adults who have experienced homelessness

• Experience working with adults who have experienced mental health and substance use issues

• Experience in Home Health

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to sit, communicate with other employees, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 40 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

DESC is committed to diversity in the workplace, and promotes equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The Agency will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, caste, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any employment practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification. Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.

Salary Description

$103,545.12 - $114,309.12