Status: Full time (hours may vary)

FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt

Job Location: Bronx, NY

Reports to: Assistant Director of Harm Reduction

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Hourly Range: $25.27 - $27.47

Objective:

The Harm Reduction Specialist assists the population that suffers from homelessness, mental illnesses chronic medical conditions including HIV and AIDS in a supportive housing environment. The Harm Reduction Specialist's job responsibility is to help stabilize their lives and navigate lifestyle changes, reduction of substance use-related harms, link to harm reduction/substance use providers, relapse prevention, avoidance of triggers for using substances, life skills, and recovery.

Essential Functions:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Provide person-centered harm reduction and substance use services that effectively engage residents and promote health and wellness, personal growth, and housing stability.
• Provide assessment services to residents who may experience harm related to substance use. Determine short-term and long-term service needs.
• Utilize a harm reduction approach to support residents around issues of mental health and substance use.
• Conduct Harm Reduction Discuss basic self-care, wellness activities, health education, stress reduction, issues of life priorities, and addiction awareness.
• Meet regularly with residents to discuss harm reduction, education, treatment decision-making, identification of relapse triggers, and improvement of coping skills.
• Prepare, conduct, and document individual and group counseling and education.
• Assess barriers and difficulties for residents to participate in substance use Develop strategies to help residents overcome these barriers and difficulties.
• Develop and maintain confidential records for each resident according to the mandated schedule documenting all relevant interventions and assessments as well as correspondence with collateral services.
• Participate in staff and clinical meetings and individual supervision to ensure best practices in the performance of role responsibilities.
• Work collaboratively with members of the team to ensure coordination of Providing education and support to staff related to addiction and substance use.
• Participate in a robust training program that includes training in evidenced-based models to ensure the highest level of service is provided to clients.
• Perform other job-related functions, assigned.

Required Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma or Equivalent required.
• Knowledge of harm reduction, HIV/AIDS, mental health, substance use, or chronically homeless population.
• Experience with individuals impacted by poverty, homelessness, mental illness, substance use, and/or medical issues is required.
• Ability to work independently as well as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Highly organized and able to manage a diverse caseload of clients with diverse needs.
• Able to work well under pressure including in crisis situations and able to be flexible with work schedule when necessary.
• Preferred: Experience with ETO, or other electronic case management systems.
• Preferred: Experience working with evidence-based models, specifically Motivational Interviewing.
• preferred: Bi-lingual Spanish/English
• Preferred: NYS CASAC certification/CASAC-T/equivalent experience or willingness to complete a CASAC in 6 months or 2 years of equivalent experience.
• preferred: Experience running groups.

Work Environment: This job operates in a supportive housing site in NYC and works with a population who may suffer from mental illness, substance abuse, disability, HIV/AIDS, and/or other health issues.

Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, stoop, climb stairs, and/or kneel. Occasionally the employee will have to lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

Note:

Lantern Community Services provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Lantern Community Services (Lantern) values the diversity of all our clients, staff, Board of Directors, and partners. By bringing diverse individuals and viewpoints together, we create more vibrant, healthy, and just communities. Lantern welcomes individuals of all backgrounds and experiences regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, pregnancy, religion, immigration status, veteran status, class, creed, mental or physical disability, and any other characteristic protected by federal, state, and local law.