IHART Connector

Summary: The IHART Connector supports unhoused residents of Santa Cruz County who are experiencing serious mental illness or co-occurring mental illness, and substance use disorders.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

A. Direct Service and Case Management

1. Conduct outreach and engagement in streets, shelters, and encampments to enroll participants in the IHART program.
2. Complete Housing Needs Assessments, identify areas of concentration, and create Housing Action Plans.
3. Assist clients in accessing medical, educational, social, prevocational, and rehabilitative services.
4. Provide or arrange for counseling, training, and support to help clients manage daily living skills and psychiatric symptoms.
5. Offer crisis support services as needed.
6. Inform clients of their rights, agency confidentiality, and grievance procedures, ensuring services align with clients’ freedom of choice.
7. Help clients attend appointments and access community resources based on their needs and goals.
8. Monitor clients’ progress to enhance stability.
9. Meet with clients at least once a month and maintain weekly contact to monitor their situations.
10. Connect clients with housing services, including voucher programs and other housing navigation programs as available.
11. Perform other duties as assigned by the department manager.

B. Teamwork and Collaboration

1. Maintain professional relationships with clients, colleagues, coordinators, doctors, and community partners to meet treatment goals.
2. Engage clients, families, and support networks in developing cohesive treatment plans.
3. Provide feedback to management on program quality and assist in monitoring effectiveness and conducting satisfaction surveys.
4. Participate in program activities as part of the team.
5. Consult and collaborate with supervisors and case coordinators as needed.

C. Documentation and Communication

1. Report any suspected abuse of dependent adults and elders to the appropriate authorities and comply with reporting policies.
2. Monitor clients’ progress toward treatment goals and collect/report outcome data.
3. Maintain clear, accurate, and professional records in client files and staff logs.
4. Communicate procedures and provide support for clients in crisis.
5. Collaborate with multi-agency IHART teams to meet program outcome expectations.
6. Assist management with data compilation for required reports and compliance with reporting procedures.
7. Handle all communication professionally and address any dangerous behaviors or conditions appropriately.
8. Document services in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) platform and make referrals using the Unite Us platform.

D. Professional Development

1. Attend training sessions, meetings, or workshops provided by the agency, County, or other mental health providers.
2. Complete training in HMIS and ongoing HMIS and Housing for Health (H4H) trainings.
3. Attend monthly H4H Connector Collaborative.

E. Information and Resources

1. Assist clients with identifying and accessing community resources, such as medical or dental appointments, substance use treatment services, behavioral health services, or housing resources specific to clients’ personal needs, goals, and service plans.
2. Maintain familiarity with and knowledge of Santa Cruz County Behavioral Health services and community resources.
3. Provide information to clients, families, other agencies, and the community regarding health care issues, including prevention, early detection, and remedial care. Conduct enrollments as necessary.
4. Use equipment and materials in a safe and acceptable manner, following established safety procedures and all CAL-OSHA standards. Use appropriate safeguards and observe safety rules in all on-the-job activities.
5. Take preventative measures and create intervention methods for clients or conditions that seem to pose a threat of danger or crisis.

Qualification Requirements: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty to a satisfactory level. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

A. Education and/or Experience

1. High school diploma or equivalency, OR
2. B.A. or B.S. in social work or a related field, OR
3. Two years’ experience working in mental health, AND
4. Must obtain 20 hours of continuing education per year in subjects related to mental health, aging, or administration.

B. Knowledge

1. Knowledge of and ability to conform to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations.
2. Knowledge of and ability to recognize early warning signs of increased symptoms and possible decompensation.
3. Knowledge of and compliance with Front St. Inc. Employee Handbook, including but not limited to personnel policies and procedures, issues of confidentiality, and issues of privacy.

C. Language Skills

1. Read, speak, and understand English with enough ability to analyze, and interpret regulations, work with the client caseload, and document all work.
2. Ability to write general correspondence, performance documentation, and procedures associated with projects being managed.
3. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from managers, clients, family members, customers, and the public with awareness of multi-cultural considerations.

D. Mathematical Skills

1. Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as conversion from billed minutes to hours, proportions, and percentages associated with completing the requirements of the position.

E. Reasoning Ability

1. Ability to carry out instructions delivered in written, oral, or diagram form.
2. Ability to apply good judgment, problem-solving techniques, and common sense to all aspects of the job.

F. Other Skills and Abilities

1. Must be able to adjust tasks in accordance with changing deadlines and priorities.
2. Must be able to complete tasks and meet deadlines, problem solve and manage multiple projects.
3. Must maintain cooperative and professional working relationships with all stakeholders.
4. Must have adequate computer skills to utilize e-mail and word processing programs.
5. Must demonstrate multi-cultural competence and sensitivity.

G. Additional Requirements

1. Must be 21 years of age or older.
2. Valid California Driver’s License and company vehicle insurance eligibility and approval. Enrollment in the Department of Motor Vehicles Employer Pull Notice Program is required.
3. Provide a satisfactory physician-signed Health Screening.

H. Physical Demands
Physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

1. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and listen.
2. Employee is regularly required to sit or stand for extended periods of time.
3. Employee may occasionally use their hands and fingers for cooking and cleaning. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms, stand, walk, and stoop, and may be occasionally required to kneel, crouch, or crawl.
4. Employee may be required to lift up to 25 pounds.
5. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
6. All staff must be in good health, and physically, mentally, and occupationally capable of performing assigned tasks.
7. Works in an office environment, outdoors, shelters, and encampments.
8. May need to move on foot through rugged terrain.
9. Employee may be required to carry a backpack up to 25 pounds for extended periods during community outreach.
10. During the course of the job, the employee will be interacting daily with individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder. The actions of clients may at times be unpredictable. Staff may experience verbal abuse and at times may be physically threatened.

Salary : $24 - $27