Social Worker (Homeless Services Bureau)

The Boston Public Health Commission's Homeless Services Bureau (HSB) provides emergency shelter, job training, behavioral health support, and housing services to unhoused individuals in Boston. We serve close to 5,000 individuals every year, and we are one of the largest providers of emergency shelter in New England.

We aim to make homelessness in Boston rare, brief, and one time. We do that by problem-solving with new guests at the front door to try to prevent anyone from entering homelessness to begin with.

For individuals who do become homeless and use our shelters, we help them quickly move from homelessness to housing by finding a safe place to call home. Once housed, we provide in-home supports to ensure someone does not return to homelessness again.

We use a Housing First and racial justice framework, which is built on the foundation that housing is a social determinant of health and a basic need that everyone deserves and does not require sobriety. We believe that everyone, with the right support, can succeed in housing.

We foster evidence-based approaches such as trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and motivational interviewing in the delivery of our services, and we ensure services are low-threshold and accessible to our guests.

Duties

• Part of a small team responsible for the monitoring, answering, assessing and resolving calls to the Bureau's dedicated Front Door Triage Line to provide information to potential guests and to screen provider referrals for appropriateness.
• Collaborates with external social services agencies and acts as liaison to hospitals, mental health facilities and inpatient/outpatient programs, including the maintenance of documentation and follow-up related to guests referred to shelter from these institutions.
• Acts as the primary contact for all shelter guests presenting at shelter from institutional settings, as well as interfacing with staff from those institutions.
• Collects robust data regarding upstream referrals to shelter to help inform internal and system-wide conversations and policies regarding shelter referrals.
• Works to establish regular relationships with staff at referring institutions and assists the Team in developing defined referral procedures.
• Acts as the primary liaison in relationships with referring institutions.
• Provides education and information to institutions on alternative options to emergency shelter.
• Provides clinical assessment, referral and placement services to all new homeless guests entering emergency shelter who report, or present with signs of, mental illness.
• Identifies high-risk behaviors in new guests and provides direct crisis intervention and clinical support to the team.
• Assertively moves guests on a quick path out of shelter by implementing a diversion plan or making a referral to housing department.
• Works in collaboration with the Clinicians of the Behavioral Health Department, to ensure that clients presenting with acute mental health symptoms are assessed for the most appropriate services and/or referral.
• Assists guests with DMH eligibility applications and, in collaboration with the Behavioral Health Department, coordinates DMH services for clients including outreach services from the Homeless Outreach Team of DMH.
• Works in collaboration with Recovery Services Bureau for placement into substance abuse and dual-diagnosis treatment if needed.
• Develops and maintains referral sources for homeless guests by establishing contacts and working in collaboration with area social services agencies.
• Maintains up to date and accurate progress notes and records for the department, including HMIS.
• Assists in compiling records and statistical reports.
• Attends assigned meetings and trainings.
• Transports clients via program van.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Master's degree required. LCSW, LICSW, LMHC or eligible for licensure (within 6 months).
• Strong clinical skills and understanding of mental health and dual-diagnosis issues.
• Experience working with diverse ethnic, racial and economic populations required. Prior experience with homelessness and substance abuse is helpful.
• Familiarity with MA Department of Mental Health eligibility determination and services.
• Supervisory experience preferred.
• Knowledge of Boston area social services and mental health agencies.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary team environment.
• Bi-Lingual Spanish speaking preferred.