Mobile Mental Health Associate (Project Respond/Emergency Department Diversion Team)

Mobile Mental Health Associate (Project Respond/Emergency Department Diversion Team)

Job Overview

Location/Schedule: Work is performed in the community setting including client residences, schools, police precincts, shelters, residential facilities, and public spaces, but the position is based out of Kerns building in NE Portland, OR. The schedule is Friday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Position: Mobile Mental Health Associate

Program: Project Respond/Emergency Department Diversion Team

Cascadia's Mission and Vision:  

Mission: Cascadia Health delivers whole health care – integrated mental health and addiction services, primary care, and housing – to promote hope and support the well-being of the communities we serve. 

Vision: We envision a community where everyone benefits from whole health care, experiences well-being, and has a self-directed, connected life. 

Position Description: The Mobile Mental Health Associate working with the Emergency Department Diversion Team acts as an Emergency Department Liaison and provides outreach and support to individuals identified in local emergency departments as needing additional support and advocacy in order to reduce the need for a higher level of care and provide stabilization in the community. This position works as part of a team and approaches work with people from a trauma-informed, strength-based, perspective and works in concert with programs in Multnomah County’s Acute Care Continuum. The Mobile Mental Health Associate position works collaboratively with mental health and physical health care providers, police agencies, emergency departments, school personnel, and other social service agencies to assure the best possible treatment for clients, while supporting a Trauma Informed Care environment.

All incumbents must understand, appreciate and respect the diversity and cultural differences within our Cascadia community.  It is expected that there is an awareness and sensitivity to the perspectives and perceptions to those we serve, as well as our colleagues. As Cascadia is Trauma informed, the incumbent must support a Trauma Informed Care Environment. With the high prevalence of trauma among individuals receiving behavioral health services, it is required that the incumbent understand the effects of trauma on health, coping, and other aspects of the lives of those we serve.

Essential Responsibilities:

This position description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of responsibilities or an all inclusive job description.

• Ability to assess individual protective and risk factors as well as capabilities and resources in order to guide intervention.
• Assist individuals in seeking community resources and utilizing natural supports to meet identified needs. 
• Triage requests for service as they come into the office from Emergency Departments.
• Coordinate responses to situations with other community agencies and service providers.
• Identify and assess risk factors for harm to self or others in the context of the client’s current pyscho-social context via interview with client and with consideration given to collateral information; consider and articulate potential outcomes of various interventions, discuss their risks and benefits, and formulate why a particular course of action was pursued in lieu of other options; opt for least intrusive and most supportive intervention.  
• Provide assessment dispositions to treatment providers and emergency departments as appropriate.
• Provide short term engagement, advocacy, referral, and support in the community to individuals originally assessed in Emergency Department.
• Assess for personal safety in the environment and request law enforcement support as appropriate.
• Provide information and facilitate linkage to mental health treatment and other social services.
• Consult with teammates, supervisors, program managers, and program medical directors as appropriate.
• Provide clinical consultation to other Cascadia Programs and Emergency Department staff when appropriate
• Document and maintain electronic health record (EHR) and ancillary records in a manner that assures compliance with all agency policies, program procedures and local, state, and federal regulations. 
• Demonstrate responsibility for safety of consumers, staff and property; possess familiarity with fire regulations and evacuation procedures.
• Adhere to mandatory abuse reporting, HIPPA and complete annual employee training requirements on a timely basis as indicated in the licensing requirements for the facility as well as agency requirements. Attend seminars, trainings and other educational opportunities in order to develop professional skills and abilities.