Triage Associate Jobs (NOW HIRING)

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION: 

Renaissance Social Services, Inc. (Renaissance) is a leader in Chicago’s response to homelessness. Renaissance prevents and ends homelessness for vulnerable Chicagoans, providing a range of proven solutions including prevention, outreach, rapid re-housing, permanent supportive housing, behavioral health care, and clinical case management.

Position Summary

Provides oversight and leadership of day-to-day operations of the Bridge Triage Housing Team who assist unhoused individuals living on the street or in shelters coming through the agency’s Homeless Outreach Program or the Chicago Continuum of Care partner agencies.  This includes individuals with co-occurring serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and other factors.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

• Providing regular weekly team supervision and bi-weekly individual supervision to Bridge Housing team
• Be able to organize employee schedules, including when staff request time off, while ensuring 24 hour coverage.
• Participate in, and actively oversee day-to-day operations of the Bridge Triage Housing facility.
• Ensure environment created is safe, accepting and welcoming for unhoused individuals, that guests receive at least 2 prepared meals a day and have access to food when needed.
• Ensure intake and exit assessments are completed in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
• Ensure all documentation is completed by staff in a timely manner
• Oversee activities offered by team to meet guest’s initial transition into housing, have proper documentation or are on a path to receive documentation and prepare guests for relocation into their permanent housing placement.
• Model and implement evidence-based practices as applicable, including Harm Reduction, Trauma-Informed Care, Housing First, Permanent Supportive Housing and Motivational Interviewing.
• Can collaborate with referring organizations to ensure entry into the program, and transition into Permanent Supportive Housing. 
• Identifying client and resident needs, including barriers to receiving appropriate services and assisting with effective problem solving to address issues.
• Assess and train guests on basic independent living skills to foster long term housing stability.
• Providing information, linkage, referral and advocacy for clients and residents with agencies in the community, including crises intervention services when needed.
• Maintaining the confidentiality of client information in any written, oral, or electronic form including, but not limited to, health information, HIV/AIDS status, and disability information. Releasing such information only as needed and with the proper release from the client unless mandated by law.
• Reporting all incidents of abuse, and/or neglect as required by state law.
• Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records using HMIS and paper files on all clients and residents receiving services, including maintaining records necessary to fulfill grant requirements and third-party payers.
• Identifying and developing training opportunities for staff.
• Provide clinical supervision to staff in accordance with CARF and BALC Safe standards.
• Conduct clinical risk assessments and safety planning for participants presenting with acute psychiatric or substance use crises.
• Serve as the clinical point of contact for hospital partners, mental health providers, and Continuum of Care partners.
• Oversee implementation of trauma-informed de-escalation protocols across the triage site.
• Completing required documentation in HMIS ensure compliance with grant reporting.
• Completing and submitting Quarterly reports required by funder
• Participates in hiring sequences of the agency and make recommendations on hiring or termination of staff
• Assists with special tasks as assigned, including, but not limited to, representing the agency at meetings, conferences, supervising, orienting and training new staff

Minimum Qualifications

• Qualified candidates will have a minimum of a master’s degree in social work or a related field. 
• LCSW or LPC required. License-eligible candidates may be considered with demonstrated clinical supervisory experience and a clear licensure timeline.
• Experience with Harm Reduction techniques and Crisis Intervention.
• Experience working with mental illness and substance abuse is a must  
• Candidate must have an automobile and 100,000/300,000/100,000 liability insurance. 
• Proficient computer skills are a must!
• Minimum of 5 years of post-licensure clinical experience, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or leadership capacity. Experience in crisis intervention, psychiatric crisis settings, or homeless services strongly preferred. Experience providing clinical supervision to staff required.

Must have the ability to relate appropriately and effectively with residents and families, to other staff and to personnel of other community agencies, knowledge of the symptoms of and appropriate treatments for mental illness. Knowledge of community resources, instructional skills, and ability to present information; skill to organize and document notes and service plans; knowledge of and willingness to match programs and services appropriate for clients and residents; skill to establish and maintain effective working relationships; ability to work independently and as a member of an interdisciplinary team including residents.

Physical Demands and Work Environment 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

The Associate Director works in a variety of settings, including clinics, offices, hospitals, and shelters. Their workday varies greatly, but it will often include the following:

• Sitting at a desk, working on a computer, meeting with clients, or completing paperwork
• Driving between facilities and clinics to check on clients.
• Able to lift between 10-15 lbs.
• Ability to walk and stand 50-80% of the time.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent clinical assessment and analytical skills

Note

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) of this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.