Job Description

Mental Health Connecticut (MHC) is a statewide not for profit provider agency that partners with individuals, their families, and the surrounding communities to create environments that support long-term health and wellness.

MHC has an immediate full-time opening for a Residential Specialist for our Mental Health Waiver program Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. This position will be out of the Bridgeport office, but will serve individuals living between Bridgeport and New Haven as well as between Bridgeport and Norwalk. The Residential Specialist (RS) documents and delivers Recovery Assistant (RA) and Community Support Program (CSP) services for the Mental Health Waiver program to persons in recovery in the activities outlined in their recovery plans. The Mental Health Waiver program provides the mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation services and supports necessary to assist the individual in achieving and maintaining the highest degree of independent functioning. Services are focused on skill building with a goal of maximizing independence to assist the participant in learning skills applicable to his/her living environment.

Salary: $18.80 per hour. MHC offers a competitive benefits package which includes:

• Medical and Dental (Cost share of premiums split 90/10 for employee only and 80/20 for employee + dependents)
• Voluntary Vision
• Company paid Life and Long Term Disability insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 403(b) Retirement Plan (company match is dollar for every dollar contributed, up to 6%)
• Generous paid time off policy including 11 agency observed holidays, in addition to sick time, vacation time, and wellness days

Requirements

The Residential Specialist responsibilities include:

• Implements the treatment plan. Staff routinely use skills lists, skill-builder toolkits, and curricula to guide skill-building interventions.
• Documentation, using both Electronic Health Record software and DMHAS databases, such as, but not limited to Sandata, of services provided using language and details required for billing purposes by the program and MHC.
• Teaching, coaching and assisting with daily living and self-care skills such as the use of transportation, nutrition, meal planning and preparation, housekeeping and basic household tasks, dressing, personal grooming and hygiene, management of financial resources, shopping, use of leisure time, interpersonal communication, personal safety, basic first aid, and problem solving.
• Teaching of recovery skills in order to prevent relapse such as symptom recognition, coping with symptoms, emotional management, relaxation skills, self-administration and appropriate use of medications, and preparation of illnesses related advance directives.
• Assist individual with appropriate dress and basic hygiene functions, supportive assistance and supervision of the individual, and short-term relief in the home for an individual who is unable to care for himself/herself when the primary caregiver is absent or in need of relief.
• Development of self-advocacy skills for the purpose of accessing natural supports, self-help, and other advocacy resources. Communicate on how to develop healthy habits (e.g., health diet, exercise, and behaviors designed to alleviate stress), and the importance of personal commitments, and adherence to scheduled appointments/meetings (e.g., clinical, vocational, educational, and judicial/court). Health and wellness education.
• Group treatment, involving not more than four persons receiving care, focusing on teaching and assisting of ADL skills.
• Maintain a productivity rate of at least 90% of billable hours.
• Acts as a liaison with the participants’ therapists, referral sources and community agencies.
• Willing and able to drive a personally owned vehicle locally and within the state. May be required to transport individuals in personal vehicle.

Experience/Education:

• Minimum of a related college degree or 2 years experience in human services/mental health field required.
• Certification strongly preferred i.e. Recovery Assistant certificate.
• Prior work experience with case management in community mental health/human services.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Valid driver's license, auto registration, and insurance.

Mental Health Connecticut, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, religion, citizenship, national origin/ancestry, physical/mental disabilities, military status or any other basis prohibited by law. EOE, M/F/D/V