Community Support Specialist

Job Description:

Job Title: Community Support Specialist

Location: Kansas City, Missouri area

Department: Recovery Services

Employment Type: Full-time

Shift: Monday-Friday (8:00am – 5:00pm CST)

Job Summary:

Are you a passionate and dedicated mental health professional looking to make a positive impact in the lives of children and adolescents? Do you want to work in a supportive and dynamic environment where you can grow your skills and advance your career? Join our team at Burrell Behavioral Health as a Community Support Specialist in the Kansas City, Missouri area!

As a Community Support Specialist, you will serve as a valuable liaison between our organizations and the communities we serve, primarily focusing on advocating for marginalized or underserved populations, connecting people with necessary resources, and promoting equitable access to essential services.

Kansas City offers a high quality of life, affordable housing, excellent schools, and endless opportunities for entertainment, culture, and outdoor activities. Join us in making a difference in the lives of children and advancing your career!

Position Perks & Benefits:

• Employee benefits package - health, dental, vision, retirement, life, & more**
• Paid time off - 29 days per year including vacation & holiday pay
• Mileage reimbursement - company paid for work functions requiring travel
• NHSC approved - eligible site for tax-free student loan assistance
• Top-notch training - initial, ongoing, comprehensive, and supportive
• Career mobility - advancement opportunities/promoting from within
• Welcoming, warm, supportive - a work culture & environment that promotes your well-being, values you as human being, and encourages your health and happiness

Key Responsibilities:

• Needs Assessment and Outreach: Conduct thorough community analyses to pinpoint unmet needs, service gaps, and disparities faced by targeted demographic groups; actively reach out to these populations through culturally sensitive approaches and establish trust-building rapport.
• Service Coordination and Referral: Link individuals to pertinent resources, such as housing, employment, healthcare, food assistance, mental health supports, and other wraparound services, ensuring seamless transitions and warm handoffs between providers.
• Case Management: Assume responsibility for managing caseloads, developing case plans, setting achievable goals, monitoring progress, and evaluating outcomes while empowering clients to overcome barriers, navigate complex systems, and make informed choices about their lives.
• Public Education and Awareness Campaigns: Organize and deliver presentations, workshops, webinars, and community events raising consciousness around priority issues affecting the wellbeing of constituents, garnering engagement, and mobilizing action towards sustainable solutions.
• Networking and Relationship Building: Foster lasting bonds with community partners, government officials, business leaders, nonprofit executives, and philanthropic investors to leverage shared expertise, coordinate multi-sector responses, and marshal adequate resources to tackle systemic challenges.
• Capacity Building and Technical Assistance: Offer guidance, consultation, and customized support to community-based organizations, faith institutions, civic associations, and volunteer networks seeking to improve operational efficiencies, adopt evidence-based practices, secure funding, and measure impact more accurately.
• Research and Evaluation: Contribute to generating new knowledge by collecting and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data from programmatic activities, demonstrating proof-of-concept, identifying areas requiring enhancement, and disseminating learnings broadly across sectors.
• Policy Advocacy and Systems Change: Spearhead advocacy efforts aimed at influencing legislation, shaping administrative rules, and modifying institutional structures to better align with equity principles, amplify voices of historically oppressed groups, and remove persistent obstacles impeding full societal participation.
• Confidentiality and Ethical Standards: Uphold stringent confidentiality requirements and observe established ethical norms guiding interactions with clients, colleagues, and external stakeholders while consistently prioritizing beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and fidelity throughout engagements.
• Continuous Learning and Skill Refinement: Pursue lifelong professional development opportunities through formal education, specialized trainings, credentialing programs, networking events, and reflective practice exercises to sharpen competencies and stay current on emergent trends transforming the landscape of community support work.

Education and/or Experience Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in one of the following fields of study:

• Psychology
• Social Work
• Sociology
• Education
• Criminal Justice
• Family Studies
• Counseling
• Recreational Therapy
• Human Services
• Human Development & Family Studies
• Child Development
• Gerontology
• Behavioral Science
• Rehabilitation Counseling
  
  OR...

Associate of Applied Science in Behavioral Health Support degree from an approved institution.

OR....

Work experience in a related human services field may substitute for educational requirements. *Related fields may include direct support such as case management, residential support, developmentally disabled support, vocational rehabilitation, and more. Four years of qualifying experience minimum or a combination of education and experience equaling four years required.

Additional Qualifications:

• A valid driver's license and a reliable vehicle.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced environment.
• Compassion, empathy, and a genuine desire to help others.

Brightli is on a Mission:

A mission to improve client care, reduce the financial burden of community mental health centers by sharing resources, a mission to have a larger voice in advocacy to increase access to mental health and substance use care in our communities, and a mission to evolve the behavioral health industry to better meet the needs of our clients.

As a behavioral and community mental health provider, we value diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workforce and encourage applications from individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. If you are passionate about empowering your local communities and promoting health equity, we invite you to join our mission-driven organization that is committed to building a diverse, equitable, inclusive and authentic workplace.

We are an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, and encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability or veteran status, or to other non-work related factors.

Burrell is a Smoke and Tobacco Free Workplace.