Job Title: Team Lead, Windham County ACT Housing First Team
The Company: Pathways Vermont is a dynamic nonprofit agency which believes in transforming the lives of individuals experiencing difficulties and permanently ending homelessness.
The Role: The Team Lead is a member of a modified Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team. The team is interdisciplinary and composed of staff who provide flexible, compassionate, community based services. The team ends homelessness for Vermonters while supporting health, wellness and community integration goals.
Supervised by: Housing First Services Manager
Serves: Windham County
Responsibilities:
- Engage in relationship building/rapport building with clients and provide service from a “Choice” perspective as well as client centered, harm reduction, and strengths based approaches
- Participate in and oversee day to day operations of a service team
- Facilitate daily ACT team meeting and complete surrounding duties
- Provide one to one support and counseling on life skills, housing concerns, and health maintenance, including such tasks as medication support, housekeeping, and assisting clients to manage their monies, including preparing budgets with clients and computing expenses
- Collaborate with clients in the formulation and maintenance of a comprehensive, Medicaid-compliant service plan that is reviewed and modified with the client on a regular basis
- Assist clients in navigating access and maintenance of housing including viewing units, assistance with moving in, life skill development, landlord/client disputes, etc.
- Assist clients with referrals to community agencies to ensure that they have full access to services and resources they require, i.e. entitlements, benefits, advocacy, addiction services, etc.
- Coordinate and monitor referrals to community services, benefits and entitlements (healthcare resources, Social Security, Public Assistance, food stamps, etc.); manage contacts with outside agencies, act as client liaison where indicated and support client’s self-advocacy and access to needed/preferred resources
- Develop a working knowledge of relevant community resources in Windham County and demonstrate a willingness to explore new or unfamiliar resources as necessary
- Maintain written and computerized records, compile reports and complete other program documentation (including service notes, face sheets, statistics, letters, petty cash receipts, etc.).
- Participate in 24/7 telephone on call services rotation with other team members.
- Support compliance with all certification and regulatory standards
- Provide data for written reports requested by city, state, or federal funding sources
- Support client visits and vehicle assignments
- Other duties as assigned
Working Conditions/Physical Demands:
- Frequent exposure to outside environmental conditions for community-based meetings
- Often meeting with persons in the community and/or visiting different businesses
- Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction at times when collecting paperwork, assisting with applications, etc.
- Extensive reading responsibilities
- Ability to ascend and descend stairs occasionally required (in instances when apartments, businesses and/or meeting places do not have an elevator)
- Regular operation of a computer and other office machinery including frequent typing
- Grasping. Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm such as stapling, completing hand-written forms, etc.
- Frequent talking and listening in participation of exchanging ideas through spoken word and occasional receipt and giving of detailed information through oral communication at normal speaking levels.
- Occasionally lifting and carrying up to 30 pounds, occasionally exerting up to 20 pounds of force and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently (opening doors at meeting places/businesses, etc.)
- Visual acuity to operate motor vehicles
- Exposure to high levels of noise and persons who are upset, angry or in an extreme state
Qualifications:
- Master’s degree or comparable experience preferred
- Patience, creativity, flexibility, compassion, and sensitivity to persons with disabilities and other minority populations.
- Prior experience working in a mental health and/or harm reduction agency, preferably in community-based services
- A good understanding of the issues facing persons with mental health challenges, substance use issues, and/or the criminal justice history particularly as related to meeting basic needs of food, clothing, shelter and advocacy.
- Excellent communication, writing, computer skills, interpersonal skills, sound knowledge of supportive counselling and the ability to form relationships with marginalized individuals
- Sound judgment and good problem solving skills including assessing risk factors
- Ability to structure time, develop work priorities independently, and meet program expectations with regard to documenting interactions
- Excellent independent problem solving skills and demonstrated ability to intuitively approach challenging situations
- Knowledge of community resources for mental health and substance use
- Valid driver’s license, a reliable personal vehicle available for work purposes and current automobile insurance required
- Ability to work on call (rotating schedule)
- Lived experience of mental health challenges, homelessness and criminal justice involvement will be considered an asset
It is the policy of Pathways Vermont that all employees and applicants shall receive equal consideration and treatment in employment without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, veteran status, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identification, or disability. Pathways Vermont is committed to a diverse workplace that reflects the communities we serve, and is particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of people including people with military experience, individuals with disabilities, and people of color. To apply, please email cover letter and resume to [email protected].
