RHD Montgomery County Homeless Services’ Street Outreach team provides support to single adult households actively experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County’s eastern and central regions. The team provides clinical engagement, resource connection, referrals, and person-centered problem solving to stabilize housing situations or find alternative solutions. The team supports individuals in encampments, livening outside, or staying in places unfit for human habitation.
The Case Manager will determine resources needed to meet the individualized needs of the participant. The Case Manager will take all necessary actions in assuring the implementation of the service treatment plan including serving as an advocate for the participant to enable him/her to receive needed services; identification of program needs, service gaps and recommending strategies. A commitment to the APIS and RHD values should be demonstrated as job duties are performed.
Case Managers will work business hours 3 days a week (some flexibility in those hours) and 12-8 two days per week. The case manager will first focus on preventing individuals from entering the homeless services system by providing person-centered problem solving to stabilize housing situations or find alternative solutions.
DIRECT DUTIES:
Team-Based Planning:
- Act as part of a multidisciplinary team designed to provide services from a holistic and Values based perspective.
- Assist in the development of recovery plans and reviews in collaboration with the program participant, clinical and medical staff and other stakeholders as determined in collaboration with program participant.
- Develop and maintain relationships with community agencies in order to assist program participants in connecting with all available resources.
Direct Client Care:
- Provide community-based services to program participants focusing on education, connection with resources, community interaction and achievement of recovery plan goals.
- Working out in community within the service delivery area of the program. Required to drive program participants to appointments.
Outreach and Engagement:
- Engage and verify any single adults experiencing street homelessness in Montgomery County’s Central and Eastern regions.
- Facilitate problem-solving conversations to identify safe housing alternatives.
- Provide referrals to community resources and build community connections.
- Deliver Outreach services primarily in the field where the clients are located as well as maintain and deliver basic and lifesaving supplies for clients.
- Utilize an outreach vehicle to visit encampments and homeless individuals. Coordinate outreach to encampments and distribute cleaning materials, hygiene kits, and meals as needed.
- Respond to client determined priority need or emergency situation – food, health, income, transportation, etc.
Case Management and Connection to Resources:
- Provide Coordinated Entry intake, assessment, and referral via HMIS to housing resources.
- Connect individuals experiencing homelessness to shelter beds; weather related code blue and code red resources, and other emergency related resources.
- Provide transportation to vulnerable households in times of high need or emergency, or as requested on an emergency basis by the County.
- Provide case management supports including housing navigation services, linkage to public benefits, physical health services, legal services, and other service resources as needed.
- Monthly face-to-face engagement/interactions, no less than one time during a 90-day period will constitute an active client.
- Support move-ins to housing.
Encampments/Clean-Up:
- Provide cleaning materials (bags, instructions, encouragement) for residents to maintain clean sites, dispose of garbage.
- Engage residents in Harm Reduction Outreach, including providing needed items, as available, as needed.
- Responsible for participating in community-oriented encampment resolution efforts and promoting healthy street conditions.
Job Qualifications :
Education and Experience:
- A bachelor’s Degree in Human Services or a related field is preferred and/or equivalent experience.
- Intermediate computer skills.
- One year of case management experience preferred.
- Two years' general work experience providing support to individuals in behavioral health, Addiction Recovery or IDD services required.
- Valid driver’s license.
Additional Job Competencies:
- Well-organized and detail-oriented.
- Excellent Customer service skills (both internal and external) .
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Leadership and management skills.
- Resident relations and retention.
- Knowledge and understanding of state and federal regulations regarding group home/ residential care.
- Behavioral issue management and crisis intervention skills.
- Compliance with regulatory standards.
- Proficiency in direct supervision, developmental disabilities care and medication administration.
- Life saving measures (CPR) and first aid certifications.
- Budget management.
- Previous supervisor/management experience in group home/residential setting.
- Medical terminology knowledge.
- Demonstrates a strong working knowledge of the appropriate regulations, Apis values and program policies and procedures.
- Basic computer and internet literacy with the ability to utilize applications like emails, time recording and other programs to enter and retrieve data as necessary to perform the essential functions of the job.
- Valid non-provisional drivers’ license and personal vehicle with state minimum liability insurance coverage.
- Subject to employment screenings, including FBI clearance, if applicable.