Mental Health Clinician (SOS) - Community Support Program

The Bridge offers supportive housing and behavioral health services to vulnerable New Yorkers facing behavioral health and substance use challenges. We provide individuals with the tools they need to pursue their dreams and live meaningful lives. The Bridge envisions a world where adults experiencing serious mental illness can live and thrive within their communities. As a recognized leader in developing and operating supportive housing and community-based programs, The Bridge has 70 years of experience helping New Yorkers with mental illness, including those affected by homelessness, incarceration, and institutionalization. 

Scope of Position: The Licensed Mental Health Professional will play a pivotal role on one of the Governor’s newly launched innovative Safe Options Support (SOS) teams, which will provide comprehensive care to street homeless or subway-dwelling individuals. The role will require field-based work, periodic on-call coverage, and a willingness to work flexible hours.

Essential Position Functions:

• Conduct persistent and assertive outreach and engagement using strength-based approaches, beginning at known “hang-outs” or “hot spots” within the transit system or during inpatient hospital admissions or emergency department visits.
• Partner and collaborate with current street outreach teams, local police precincts, local hospitals, the MTA, the Department of Homeless Services, and family members/caregivers to identify individuals most in need of outreach and care.
• Continuously assess the health and social needs of participants through SOS’s conversational and observational assessments, as well as formalized risk assessment tools for those identified as high-risk.
• Collaborate with the centralized SOR Hub to identify available housing and support participants throughout the process, including completing HRA 2010e forms, applying for housing, prepping for interviews, following up with housing providers, and assisting with moving in (day of move), obtaining housing supplies, and learning the neighborhood.
• Participate in hospital discharge planning meetings to identify the best community resources for returning participants.
• Provide short-term therapeutic counseling and support to participants both pre- and post-housing.
• Collect and report data as required, and collaborate with the team leader, data analyst, and other SOS teams to use data to inform future care delivery.
• Once participants are housed, work with them and their housing providers to resolve clinical issues impacting the participant’s ability to manage and retain supportive housing.
• Foster relationships with community providers to ensure that participants are connected to appropriate services as they transition back into the community.
• Assist with appointment navigation, including accompanying participants to appointments, providing travel training, reengaging in community care, and addressing barriers to care.
• Facilitate crisis interventions, referrals, and hospitalizations as appropriate.
• Review documentation and conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments to determine the medical, psychiatric, housing, and other social needs in the community.
• Obtain historical and collateral information from multiple sources to support participants' behavioral and physical health needs.
• Monitor, evaluate, and record participant progress with respect to care plan goals.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• Licensed master’s degree or higher in social work, or mental health counseling.
• Experience working with homeless and/or precariously housed populations is preferred, but not required.
• Knowledge of homeless resources, NYC shelter systems, and MTA transit systems is a plus.
• Familiarity with counseling principles and methods for mental illness and substance use disorders.
• Understanding of treatment, rehabilitation, and community support programs related to recipients/residents, families, and staff.
• Knowledge of techniques for identifying, assessing, and preventing potentially violent behavior, including crisis management and de-escalation techniques.
• Ability to develop, evaluate, implement, and modify treatment interventions to meet the needs of individual recipients.
• Ability to prepare accurate and timely reports.
• Proficiency in Health Information Technology and Microsoft applications such as MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Spanish speaking is highly desirable.

The Bridge Inc. is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer

Salary : $62,000 - $67,000