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POSITION SUMMARY
Become a Social Practitioner and join a collaborative and inspiring movement to support individuals (Members) with serious mental illness (SMI). Fountain House is more than just an organization; it's a community dedicated to fostering growth, collaboration and positive impact. We use community as our tool to do this based in our Clubhouse environment.
A Clubhouse is a community-based location designed to support the recovery of people living with serious mental illness (SMI). Each clubhouse provides a restorative environment for people whose lives have been severely disrupted because of their mental illness. The concept of a clubhouse - which was pioneered by Fountain House in the 1940s - starts with the idea that "community is therapy." In each clubhouse, an intentional community is created, where members and staff work together, side-by-side, to carry out all daily operations of the clubhouse.
The Mental Health Social Practitioner works to support the community through social practice and help Members live their lives to the fullest, while developing independent living skills and making social connections. This position requires interest in community, creativity, and flexibility. There will be no typical day as a Social Practitioner, but if you could see yourself fostering relationships and connections to community by making lunch, sharing a common interest over coffee, advocating at a social service provider, or helping one of your members to apply to a job in the community, then this could be the position for you.
The Mental Health Social Practitioner will be based at our Clubhouse in Hell's Kitchen, although you will be required to take part in transitional environments (e.g. at a local business) outside of the Clubhouse, take occasional overnight trips to our Community Farm in New Jersey and participate occasionally in evening and weekend activities.
The Social Practitioner is a part of our community!
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (with flexibility). Fully in-house.
Pay: $29.12 per hour
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Member Support & Advocacy
- Perform member engagement, social design, relationship development, continuous assessment and therapeutic intervention and management of transitional environments with the Fountain House membership.
- Support and develop a therapeutic community based on Social Practice and the International Standards for Clubhouse Programs.
- Utilize the community to design positive interventions to deal with common barriers such as social isolation, poor self-esteem, anxiety, symptom management, and poverty.
- Create access to environments outside of Fountain House not traditionally therapeutically oriented, to build general skills, a sense of confidence, and to support members' self-efficacy. This includes the provision of on-site support in employment, education, and housing environments outside of Fountain House.
- Develop relationships with Fountain House members and the community that can be leveraged to provide support for positive change and risk-taking, combat social isolation and increase meaningful connections, and introduce members to new opportunities.
- Engineer various environments and social interactions to create therapeutic results and develop an accessible positive community.
- Observe and assess experiences with members in a variety of naturalistic environments in order to create specific interventions for individuals' rehabilitation.
- Provide daily advocacy and engagement with Clubhouse members to help gain self-worth, purpose of confidence, while offering guidance for appropriate problem-solving techniques.
- Provide counsel for members, individually and in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, and making changes.
Training Support & Entitlements
- Provide training support (vocational training) for transitional employment opportunities and maintain strong relationships with employers for job opportunity developments.
- Support and fill-in for members in their Transitional Employment (TE) opportunities, if/when needed.
- Assist members with entitlements and benefits; food stamps, SSI/SSDI, Medicaid/Medicare and ticket to Work/ACE/Access VR, Supplemental Need Trusts, & ADA accommodations.
- Facilitates supported housing applications (2010E), Single Point of Access applications and work to find appropriate housing; assist members with physical moves into housing units.
- Advocates for members well-being, safety, and livelihood with supports around clinical, legal, housing, appointments, medications, and independent living opportunities.
- Acquire proficiency in skills and tasks of the (unit) you are assigned. This may include safety protocols, health guidelines, inventory lists, how to guides, etc.
- Complete all documentation including but not limited to progress notes and reach out documentation on time.
- Maintain compliance with all government agency requirements, company policies and procedures.
- Periodic overnight travel to High Point Farm, work some holidays including Thanksgiving, some weekend and evening hours.
- Flexibility with staying late or arriving early, if necessary, to fulfill unit or member needs, and interchangeability with other staff on the unit.
- Maintain confidentiality of records relating to members' progress.
- Perform related duties as assigned by supervisor.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Undergraduate degree or an equivalent combination of training and experience required.
- Graduate degree or equivalent preferred.
- 1-3+ years' experience working with individuals with serious mental illness and/or hands-on experience working in a community setting preferred.
- 1-2 years coaching and counseling experience preferred.
- 1-2 years of vocational rehabilitation, training or employment specialist experience preferred.
- Ability to effectively manage and handle member concerns and behaviors.
- Proven experience with mental health crisis management by supporting and counseling members under emotional distress.
REQUIRED AND PREFERRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND CREDENTIALS
- Undergraduate degree or an equivalent combination of training and experience required.
- Graduate degree or equivalent preferred.
- 1-2 years' experience working with individuals with serious mental illness and/or hands-on experience working in a community setting preferred.
Physical Requirements
- To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and meet all physical requirements satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Salary Description: $29.12
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