Case Manager for DHS Homeless Housing and Mental Health
Mental Health America of Los Angeles
- Long Beach, CA
- $24.00 per hour
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Assist individuals at every stage of the housing stabilization process including flexible services to meet the individual needs of clients.
- Outreach and engagement including processing referrals from Department of Health Services (DHS), Coordinated Entry System (CES) partners and other Housing for Health (HFH) partners, establish rapport with clients, provide a “screening in” philosophy, conduct a face to face screenings, obtain consents, and linkages to other needed providers and services.
- Conduct intake and enrollment activities with eligible clients, assist clients with other program eligibility documentation, complete project intake forms, authorization and enroll into ICMS.
- Assist with temporary housing referrals until permanent housing can be secured.
- Ensure all documentation is prepared and entered into appropriate systems on a monthly basis.
- Assist at all levels of move-in to permanent housing, assist clients to become document ready, assist with all applications and paperwork, coordinate client move-in and orient new tenants to their unit/building.
- Assist clients with access to services and address their immediate needs, conduct DHS-approved comprehensive psychosocial assessments, develop and implement individualized case management services plan in collaboration with and authorized by the client based on the client's comprehensive assessments and reassessments. The service plan shall address the clients' needs, goals, steps to reach goals, timeframes for completing goals, and disposition of each goal as it is met or changed.
- Ensure clients have access to health, mental health, and substance use disorder services.
- Assists clients with establishing a medical home and maintaining continuity with their medical home.
- Assist clients with obtaining income and/or establishing benefits, with locating and securing employment and volunteer and/or educational activities, assist with basic needs, life skills, community participation, improving and/or maintaining daily independent living skills, social/leisure, personal hygiene skills, budgeting and money management, legal issues and making appropriate referrals to overcome barriers to accessing and obtaining permanent housing, and provide transportation as needed.
- Provide housing location services (if scattered-site), educate clients on tenant rights and responsibilities.
- Educate client on the appropriate use of crisis intervention services versus 911 emergency calls, etc.
- Provide eviction prevention counseling; work with property management and HFH partner to help clients resolve issues that threaten their housing stability including tenant rights and responsibilities.
- Complete all paperwork in compliance with applicable laws, professional licensure requirements, in accordance with MHALA, CHAMP and LACDMH County Contracted Provider standards and funding source requirements, and documents in EHR, including 24 hour turnaround documentation.
- Read, perform research, attend classes, workshops or seminars and participate in other professional development activities in order to maintain and enhance personal and professional skills.
- High school diploma or GED with a minimum 1 year of experience providing psychosocial rehab related services to a disabled population required.
- Bachelor degree in a human service or related field preferred.
- Driving with current class C driver's license, a vehicle for transportation, proof of valid automobile insurance, the ability to be insured by MHA liability insurance are conditions of employment.
- Proficient in computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.
- Be able to learn and utilize Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) and Electronic Health Records Systems (EHR).
- Have experience working with clients with mental illness, chronic health issues, and substance use disorders.
- Have expertise in the following areas: chronic homelessness, outreach and engagement strategies, intensive case management services, best practice models, mental health and substance use disorder services, crisis intervention, suicide assessment and prevention, affordable housing and public benefits applications, housing and landlord/tenant rights, eviction prevention, etc.
- Ability to maintain a caseload ratio of one (1) full-time equivalent intensive case manager to 20 to 25 clients with a VI-SPDAT of 1 or 2.
- Flexible work schedule to include some early mornings, nights, weekends and holidays.
- TB clearance and yearly re-test are conditions of employment.
- COVID-19 vaccination is required for this position. Accommodations will be considered with proof of a legal exemption.