What are the responsibilities and job description for the Residential Community Support Specialist position at Arthur Center Community Health?
Job title:
Residential Community Support Specialist
Who we are:
At the Arthur Center, we inspire community health and wellness! Our approach is to inspire our patients and clients to lead a healthy life so they can spend their time, talent and resources on living! We are headquartered in Mexico, MO and currently serve the Audrain, Callaway, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls, and Monroe Counties. We employ close to 200 people at our 5 locations.
Job position description:
We are searching for a compassionate and dedicated Community Support Specialist to join our Residential team! In this role, you will provide support to a caseload of residential clients with severe mental illness, helping to transition them to the least restrictive level of care. You will also provide individualized support, foster community, engagement, promote independence and ensure safety of all residents on your caseload. This position supports residents’ progress toward greater autonomy through skill-building, crisis management, and community support. Join Arthur Center Community Health to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those we serve.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
- Using a motivational, stage-matched approach, provide individualized services based upon strengths, needs, abilities, and preferences identified collaboratively with resident/family, focused on supporting client’s movement toward greater autonomy.
- Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to create individualized, recovery-focused treatment plans that facilitate residents' transition to the least restrictive level of care, aiming to enhance independence while meeting both mental health and daily living needs.
- Aid in accessing public services, including financial, housing, maintaining benefits, emergency assistance, food, etc.
- Maintain contact with residents 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.
- Track residents' progress toward achieving independence and recovery goals, ensuring that both mental health and life skills are developed to support a successful transition to less intensive care settings.
- Offer hands-on assistance with daily living activities, such as teaching meal preparation, hygiene, budgeting, and medication management, fostering skills that will enable residents to live more independently in the community.
- Engage residents in regular, supportive conversations to explore their goals and challenges, offering guidance and motivational support to help them work toward a more independent lifestyle.
- Support residents in accessing educational or vocational opportunities that align with their recovery goals, offering assistance with job searches, training, and other skill-building activities.
- Serve as a key member of the Residential Treatment Team. 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.
- Attends staffing meetings and supervision with supervisor as scheduled.
Key Skills and Attributes
- Possess empathy and compassion for residents, demonstrating a supportive and nonjudgmental approach.
- Ability to respond to crisis situations and screen for suicide by utilizing tools such as Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale.
- Ability to creatively identify solutions to barriers to independence, such as financial, social, or emotional challenges, and implement interventions that help residents move toward the least restrictive care setting.
- 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.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills for interacting with residents, families, and the interdisciplinary team, ensuring clear understanding and collaboration in the transition process.
- Ability to manage multiple responsibilities, keep thorough records, and track progress toward goals while helping residents navigate the complexities of transitioning to independent living.
- Has a working knowledge of complex comorbidities and the importance of integrated care.
- Maintains a professional appearance and dresses appropriately.
Degree and Licensure 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).
- Class E Drivers License, or eligible to obtain.
- Experience in case management with adults and/or youth with serious and persistent mental illness is preferred.
Top benefits or perks:
As an employee at Arthur Center, you’ll enjoy:
- Collaborative work environment
- Healthcare
- Dental
- Vision
- 401k with company match
- Life Insurance
- PTO
- 9 Paid holidays
