Community Support Specialist (Adult)

Position Title

Community Support Specialist (Adult)

Department

CPRC

Reports To

CPRC Supervisor (QMHP)

Overall

Responsibility

A community support specialist provides support to a caseload of approximately 20-30 persons who have severe and persistent mental illness and are living in community homes or other community settings to support overall wellness and achieve their personal definition of recovery.

Key Tasks and

Responsibilities

• Using a motivational, stage-matched approach, provide individualized services based upon strengths, needs, abilities, and preferences identified collaboratively with client/family, focused on supporting client’s movement toward recovery/resiliency goals.
• Support client in completion of goals identified on Wellness Plans or Treatment Plans with client as required and as needed for updating of goals and objectives as items are achieved, or as the client’s goals change.
• Communicates effectively with family members (guardians) of persons with severe and persistent mental illness, other mental health professionals, medical providers, other stakeholders/state social agencies.
• Aid in accessing public services, including financial, housing, maintaining benefits, emergency assistance, food, etc.
• Maintain contact with clients who are hospitalized, participating in discharge planning and communicating with all involved providers in developing aftercare plans.
• Provide education and skill-building in areas such as daily living skills, employment/education, symptom management, communication/relationships, budgeting, maintaining a residence, etc., with focus on movement toward independent completion of these tasks.
• Provide individual assistance to clients in accessing needed services including accompanying clients to appointments to address medical or other health needs.
• Advocates effectively for clients.
• Provides timely, accurate and quality documentation.
• Manages time well as evidenced by being on time for appointments, attending staff team meetings and completes documentation on time.
• Works to improve the overall health status of individuals served through Wellness Coaching and collaboration with Health Care Home team.
• Ability to screen for suicide by utilizing tools such as Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale.
• Able to prioritize workload.
• Works as part of an integrated team.
• Attends staffing meetings and supervision with supervisor as scheduled.
• If person meets requirements as a QMHP (Qualified Mental Health Professional), they will participate in on-call rotation as required and will provide crisis intervention services to clients in need.
  
  
  

Skills And

Attributes

• Possesses empathy skills as evidenced by good eye contact, listening skills and ability to develop rapport with a diverse range of clients.
• Has an array of multiple interventions to draw from in working with clients.
• Does not engage in rescuing behavior.
• Able to balance personal and professional lives.
• Able to be flexible, non-judgmental, open-minded and accepting while still being able to maintain healthy professional boundaries.
• Has a willingness to learn, grow and change.
• Possesses a solid working knowledge of community resources and the ability to find and utilize new resources.
• Has a moderate to extensive knowledge of mental illness to include diagnosis, symptoms and correlating intervention.
• Possesses a basic knowledge of the mental health delivery system to include the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Substance use treatment facilities, Supported Community Living, and surrounding Administrative Agents.
• Has a working knowledge of complex comorbidities and the importance of integrated care.
• Maintains a professional appearance and dresses appropriately.
  
  
  

Physical Requirements

This position requires extensive travel primarily in a 50 mile radius of the office. It also requires extensive documentation in an electronic health record. Ability to sit for extended periods of time and occasional lifting up to 20 pounds.

Degree

Requirements

Meets at least one of the following:

• Meets the criteria for a qualified mental health professional.
• At least one (1) year of experience required if a non-human service Bachelor’s degree is the highest education obtained (a Bachelor’s degree in human service field is preferred).
• At least four (4) years of experience OR a combination of higher education and experience required if a High School/GED is the highest education obtained.
• At least two (2) years of experience OR a combination of higher education and experience required if an Associate’s degree is the highest education obtained.
  
  
  

(*If the degree is an Associate’s of Applied Science in Behavioral Health Support from an approved institution; then no additional experience is required).

Licensure

Requirements

Class E Driver’s License

Certifications: Basic Life Support, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, Level 1 Medication Aid.

Experience

Requirements

Preferred experience in case management with adults and/or youth with severe and persistent mental illness.