Program Coordinator - HOST

Description

Days Off: Saturday, Sunday

Shift: Office Day (9:00am - 5:00pm)

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 3,000 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.

JOB DEFINITION:

The Program Coordinator for HOST is part of a multi-disciplinary team serving adults experiencing homelessness, severe and persistent mental illness, and co-occurring disorders. The team 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 team provides outreach, engagement, critical survival, and ongoing services to caseloads throughout Seattle with the ultimate goal of addressing acute mental and physical health needs, increasing stability, obtaining housing, and transitioning to long-term services. As part of the HOST Leadership team this position supports, develops and leads the efforts of the HOST team and requires a high degree of coordination, critical thinking and collaboration with other DESC programs as well as outside agencies to assure successful transition of individuals to ongoing care and program success.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Coordination

• Support and assist staff in the field and onsite in the Downtown Behavioral Health Clinic to coordinate services, troubleshoot issues, and facilitate changes through prompt and clear communication and expectations.
• Develop, initiate, create, update, and maintain various tracking sheets, resource lists, information manuals, schedules, blank charts that will aim to assist the HOST Leadership with day-to-day operations.
• Work in coordination with the Senior Program Manager and Project Manager to provide oversight of program evaluation related to contract changes, workflow protocols, and service delivery. Identify additional support, resources, and information needed to support staff.
•  Identify workflows that need to be developed or created in order to support executing Program deliverables.
• Support facilitating and transitioning new referrals to HOST CM team in collaboration with the supervisors and Referrals Coordinator. This includes screening appropriateness of referrals, assisting with referral and client discharge coordination, collaborating with supervisors in assigning referrals, and rendering appropriate customer service throughout this process.
• Interface with external agencies as needed (e.g., file missing persons reports with SPD, and coordinate with pharmacies, ITA court, etc.)
• Interface with internal teams at DESC and external organizations to coordinate, develop systems and processes and discuss related efforts and goals.
• Build relationships in the community, provide trainings on the HOST program, and positively represent DESC and HOST in the community.

Team Functions

• Be familiar with individual clients, their histories, needs and treatment plans in order to respond promptly and appropriately to requests for information from staff, clients, and outside sources.
• Work with, support the team with problem-solving, and provide crisis services to clients who call or present at the clinic as needed.
• Intervene, assess, and report any clinical behaviors/information as relevant.
• Attend each team meeting and participate fully as a member of the team, take notes and send follow-up emails with pertinent information.
• Assist in creating and monitoring completeness of client charts, perform mock audits of charts on an ongoing basis, and assist in preparation for various audits.
• Assist case managers in collecting the needed housing paperwork, provide housing assessments to clients, and advocate for the most vulnerable clients to obtain appropriate housing for their level of need.
• Attend meetings relevant to HOST work including but not limited to representing HOST at LEAD meetings, Human Services Division (HSD) huddles, and others.
• Facilitate the coordination of referrals/transfers/exits of clients internal and external to HOST as well to other long-term care services.
• As needed, perform clinical services and document in Electronic Health Record (EHR).

Administrative

• Provide and represent basic information on agency and services to external organizations as appropriate.
• Facilitate and develop new employee training and shadowing schedules, assist with training around documentation and other areas as needed.
• Facilitate and support scheduling coverage with the team, crisis drills, and other tasks for HOST staff.
• Collect data and prepare drafts of monthly, quarterly and as-needed reports and assist other members of the HOST leadership team in creating, completing and interpreting reports.
• Support administrative teams to ensure active credentialing within the HOST team, both at hiring and on an ongoing basis. 
• Other duties as assigned.

Living Conditions

All DESC clinical leaders are responsible for ensuring that their teams support their clients to achieve and maintain healthy living conditions as applicable. This may include participating in unit cleaning when the need arises.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to meet Washington Department of Health requirements for registration as a Registered Agency Affiliated Counselor (AAC) or any other superseding credential.
• A combination of 1 year of relevant paid work experience and demonstration of the ability to perform required job duties, preferably in a clinical setting.
• Ability to drive an agency or personal vehicle to conduct agency related business. A current Washington State driver's license and insurable driving record are required.
• Intermediate proficiency in Office suite, computer literacy, and mass data entry/upload.
• Experience organizing, facilitating, and assisting in program planning and project or business operations preferably in a clinical setting.
• Typing and keyboard skills and clerical skills/experience.
• Computer skills, including data entry and word processing experience, or related experience with the indicated potential to learn these skills quickly.
• Ability to work independently with minimal direct supervision with multiple demands and interruptions.
• A willingness to be flexible and work cooperatively with co-workers to accomplish all responsibilities of the team.
• Initiative and creativity in problem solving and system development.
• Careful attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds and disciplines.
• Ability to relate effectively to clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behaviors.
• Subscribe to philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs, and of consideration and respect for clients.

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 accommodation 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 for long periods of time, communicate with other people by talking and hearing, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 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.