Description

Title: Contracted Crisis Worker

Reports to: Mobile Crisis Response Supervisor

Program: Contracted Outpatient Services

Purpose:

Our Mobile Crisis Response team offers an excellent opportunity for contracted workers to gain experience working collaboratively with agencies across Chicago and the State of Illinois. It allows driven clinicians to gain experience working with a wide range of ages, presentations, and backgrounds to hone skills in risk assessment, safety planning, and creative de-escalation and stabilization strategies. 

This department is dedicated to innovative, trauma-informed approaches to working with the most vulnerable communities of Chicago during times of acute crisis. We work as a team to effectively meet the complex needs of these communities in a comprehensive manner, ensuring effective client stabilization while providing unique opportunities for robust clinical growth and skill development. This is a 24/7/365 program. Night and Weekend Shifts allow clinicians to supplement income while maintaining other employment. These shifts are readily available. Shifts may be worked in 6-hour, 10-hour, and 12-hour increments depending on department need and availability.

Compensation:

1. In person assessments pay $150 for licensed, MA level clinicians.
2. Assessments conducted virtually pay $50 per assessment.
3. Time spent completing mandatory trainings pays at a rate of $20 per hour.

Work Conditions and Location:

Work can be demanding due to consumer behaviors, periods of high call volume, or tight deadlines. The Contracted Crisis Worker must be willing to work a minimum of 10 hours a week or a total of 40 hours per month. The majority of the shifts available for contracted work are overnight and weekends.

Contracted Crisis Workers are able to make a selection from available shifts indicated on a shared calendar. Workers may also indicate when they would be available for back up should a scheduled worker become unable to cover an assigned shift. C4’s crisis coverage area extends from 35^th Street North to North Ave and from Lake Michigan to Austin.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Answer crisis calls in response to mental health crises in various Chicago communities.
2. When onsite assessment is needed or requested, drive to the location of the crisis within 90 minutes of receiving the call.
3. Provide emergency assessments at hospitals, schools and in the community.
4. Provide crisis intervention services to individuals in crisis, with the goal of immediate symptom reduction and restoration to a previous level of functioning.
5. Assess the client for indicators of abuse.
6. Establish a provisional DSM 5 diagnosis.
7. Facilitate psychiatric hospitalization when clinically indicated.
8. As appropriate, provide brief and immediate mental health services or referral, linkage, and consultation with other mental health service providers.
9. Develop mental health assessment or admission note resulting in the identification of the consumer’s mental health services or referral, linkage, and consultation with other providers.
10. Provide case management, outreach and aftercare services if requested by the program supervisor.
11. Develop close working relationships with DCFS and DMH funded agencies, and other child and adolescent mental health service providers throughout the north and west sides of Chicago and suburbs.
12. Work cooperatively with other members of the crisis team, including co-workers and supervisors.
13. Always maintain compliance with confidentiality, policies and procedures.
14. Maintain positive and mutually respectful relationships with other human service providers, entitlement agencies, health care vendors, and the community.
15. Assist with outcome measures if requested by the program supervisor.
16. Maintain compliance at all times with clinical documentation, timelines and agency policies and procedures including meeting required timeframes for documentation and service notes.
17. Report to assigned program supervisor and actively seek consultation whenever necessary or requested by supervisor.
18. Contracted Crisis Worker will coordinate with Director of Contracted Services to complete specified trainings, to include, but not limited to C4’s electronic medical record and training assigned by the MCR program supervisor.
19. Contracted Crisis Worker will maintain a commitment to shifts they select and communicate all deviations to appropriate program supervisor or his/her designee.

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Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Fully licensed clinician (LCPC, LCSW. LMFT) with 1 of crisis experience OR working toward full licensure under the supervision of a fully licensed clinician and meeting on a weekly basis.
2. Crisis experience in a behavioral health or hospital setting is preferred.
3. Experience in counseling children and adolescents is required. Additional experience in counseling adults is highly preferred.
4. Must have, or be willing to obtain, a National Provider Identifier number (NPI).
5. Must be willing to register with the Council for Affordable and Quality Healthcare and obtain a CAQH provider number.
6. Must carry own malpractice insurance.
7. Personal vehicle, valid Illinois driver’s license, insurable driving record, and vehicle insurance is required for applicants living in the Chicago area.

Competencies (Minimum Skills, Knowledge and Experience):

1. Ability to be respectful of the diverse cultures of the people served and capacity to provide culturally appropriate, competent, and individualized treatment in accordance with each client’s age, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, and culture.
2. Clinical competencies, including motivational Interviewing techniques.
3. Knowledge of, and ability to use, appropriate behavior management techniques.
4. Understanding of personal and professional boundaries.
5. Ability to plan, develop and manage multiple projects and tasks
6. Excellent organizational skills.
7. Time and stress management skills.
8. Communication skills including interpersonal, teamwork, and collaboration skills.
9. Conflict resolution and diplomacy skills.
10. Computer literacy.
11. Problem solving skills.
12. Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
13. Proficient in Windows environment.