Lead Community Response Specialist
8 days ago
Hartford
Job Description Our Mission “Preparing Our Community to Meet Life’s challenges.” We help everyone who comes to our door with resources for both immediate needs and long-term goals. Our network of programs, services, and experiences strengthen individuals, families, and communities and provides opportunities for growth and economic stability. Come join our team! When you become an employee at the Community Renewal Team (CRT), you will join a host of others with an average tenure of nine years of service. Some of our employees have celebrated more than twenty + years of service. You’ll participate in fun activities, themed- employee appreciation events, organization sponsored golf tournaments, etc. We celebrate the accomplishments of employees using our Wall of Excellence highlighting employees of the month. Opportunities to grow within the organization are plentiful. Most of our employees started in entry level positions and have been promoted throughout their career. BENEFITS 401K with a matching employer contribution, medical, dental, vision, HSA Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability (STD)/Long- Term Disability (LTD), and an Employee Assistance Program. Eligible employees are also able to participate in agency sponsored educational opportunities. Eligible employees receive ten paid vacation days, six sick paid days annually, and two personal days paid annually. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES The Lead Community Response Specialist is a supervisory role that also is responsible for responding to crisis calls and/or referrals. In nature, these calls will have an inherent high risk associated with them as individuals may be suffering from mental health and/or substance use. He/she is to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. This position is responsible for being a trusted member of the community, where they can be engaged to provide psychosocial support to participants who were at increased need for an array of community-based harm reduction services. The general duties are to develop authentic peer-to-peer relationships to promote recovery, referrals to appropriate treatment resources and supports, and, to promote safety for persons in crisis. All activities are designed to be consistent with the CRT’s Salesforce ISP service model, based on educating and empowering individuals for self- advocacy and to make self-identified changes in their lives with reducing need for emergency services. SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES This position is considered as an essential employee and will be expected to work during inclement weather, holiday and based on business needs. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS The list of essential functions, as outlined herein, is intended to be representative of the tasks performed within this classification. It is not necessarily descriptive of any one position in the class. The omission of an essential function does not preclude management from assigning duties not listed herein if such functions are a logical assignment to the position. • Directly supervise Community Response Specialists of which includes job duties and activities, supervision, and payroll., • In-directly supervise the program operations under the supervision and guidance of the director/supervisor., • Attend meetings with the director/supervisor to review all program activities and functions, including staff., • Organize, supervise, and perform training activities on job duties and program functions, • Host staff meetings, • Organize, supervise, and perform outreach activities and prevention education to foster good community relations, educate about program services and assess needs in Hartford neighborhoods where there is high crime and utilization of 911 for crisis intervention., • Engage high-risk, hard to reach people who use drugs or engage in sex work, including injection drug users., • Identify potential recruitment locations. Engage in dialogue with participants and other community members to continually improve our services and ensure that CRT is operating its sites and engaging in outreach activities in the best locations at the best times., • Culturally appropriate health promotion and health education such as safer sex and safer drug use education and distribute syringes and other health-related resources and tools (and collect used syringes) in accordance with public health regulations., • In a manner consistent with Harm Reduction principles, provide substance use and sexual risk assessments and discuss individualized risk reduction and harm reduction strategies (including safer injection practices; safer sex practices; overdose prevention and reversal; drug use management techniques; HIV, HCV and STI prevention; and other topics relevant to people who use drugs)., • Manage a caseload of program participants and provide low-threshold referrals and connect participants with medical care, substance use and mental health treatment, and other life-stabilizing services., • Solicit and track feedback from participants to ensure that the agencies to which we refer are effective and treat participants with respect and in a manner appropriate to harm reduction programs. This includes, helping connect to schedule appointments to identified service/resource., • Emphasizes person-centered, recovery-oriented approaches and interventions, • Prepares participants to recognize and respond to various mental health and addiction crises, including trauma; develop effective communication and connection skills., • Establish and maintain enhanced communication between community members and providers, • Model proper participant engagement and outreach for other staff, peers, and volunteers., • Provide guidance and mentorship as necessary., • Keep accurate, consistent, complete records and data on all program activities and/ or participants; provide program director with reports in a timely manner., • Prepare, set up and dismantle program sites and other program materials. Ensure the integrity of the sites, and maintain inventory of program supplies and bi-lingual educational materials, • Complete vehicle daily maintenance logs which include oil, tires, gas, and structural checks. Document and report any incidents or accidents within 24 hours of occurrence. Ensure that vehicles are kept clean, properly stocked, and ready for service, • Must be available to work a varied schedule, late evenings, weekends, and unconventional hours., • Perform all other duties as assigned. MINIMUM TRAINING, EXPERIENCE, AND HEALTH CERTIFICATIONS Education: Bachelor and/or master’s with an approved combination of experience, certification, and or education; in lieu of education a combination of education and experience will be considered. Minimum Years of Experience: A minimum of three years of experience in client case management and working in the behavioral health field. Active Certification in good Standing: Certified Recovery Specialist and Community Health Worker Certification is required. Must have and/or acquire both certifications within 6 months of employment. Demonstrate skills: Ability to manage diverse operations, effectively multi-task and a style that encourages creativity, growth, collaboration, problem solving, open communication and accountability. Organized, self-motivated team-player, with strong interpersonal and communication skills. Proficient in MS Office Suite and in using technology for data collection as a management reporting tool. Ability to compile written reports and maintain case notes. Ability to work with diverse, multicultural populations. Ability and willingness to be hands-on and solve problems as they arise. Willingness to work outdoors (sometimes in inclement weather), and/or in participants’ homes. Knowledge: Knowledge of local community resources. Physical and TB Required: Yes, prior to appointment Bilingual: Preferred – Language Spanish Driving Required: Yes Agency Vehicle: Yes Employee’s Own Vehicle: Yes, with proof of auto liability ins. Active Driver License in good standing required upon hire and throughout employment PREFERRED EXPERIENCE • Significant work or personal life experience with substance use, PLWHA, women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, sex work, and the formerly incarcerated., • Skills in the areas of harm reduction up to including safer injection and safer drug use techniques and overdose prevention, HIV and HCV prevention and treatment desired., • Significant ties to the Hartford community and resources available., • Experience in advancing an agenda of equal rights and social justice for marginalized people., • Ability to adapt to rapid change, • Experience working in high risk, fast paced, environments ADA COMPLIANCE Physical Ability: Tasks involve the ability to exert very moderate physical effort in light work, typically involving some combination of stooping, kneeling, crouching and crawling, and which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of moderate weight (12-20 pounds). Sensory Requirements: All tasks require visual perception and discrimination and the ability to communicate daily in oral and written form. Environmental Factors: Tasks performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, vibrations, electric currents, traffic hazards, animals/wildlife, toxic/poisonous agents, violence, disease, or pathogenic substances. Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM with a one hour lunch Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM with a one hour lunch
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