Assistant Team Lead (Mental Health Services)

Overview

The ACCS Assistant Team Leader (ATL) promotes the full integration and functioning of Persons Served (PS) needed to live successfully in the community. Assists the ACCS Team Leader in managing the Integrated Team by providing clinical supervision to all licensed staff and other staff as required. Monitors engagement of all PS; selects intervention strategies for those who are difficult to engage, designed to reduce barriers to and promote initial and sustained engagement. Oversees clinical risk assessment, management and mitigation strategies employed by the team for all PS, including those residing in Group Living Environment/Supported Independent Environments (GLE/SIE). Trains, mentors and models clinical evidence-based practices and best practices to all team members, including GLE/SIE Program Directors and staff.

Responsibilities

• Oversee clinical programming and service delivery by the team.
• Provide clinical supervision to clinically licensed and other assigned staff.
• Monitor engagement status of all PS, consult on intervention strategies, and support LPHAs in effectively addressing lack of initial or sustained engagement for any PS, so that PS are not discharged due to disengagement from services or homelessness.
• Join with LPHA and Lead Peer Specialist in orientation, engagement and enrollment activities for PS presenting high risk behaviors.
• Provide competency-based staff training on clinical evidence-based practices and best practices to team members and GLE/SIE Program Directors, including Motivational Interviewing; Harm Reduction and Addiction Treatment; Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment (SBIRT); Housing First; Stages of Change; Seeking Safety, and Cognitive Behavioral interventions, as well as the development of Safety Plans and Crisis Prevention and Response Plans, 8 Dimensions of Wellness, and documentation process and standards.
• Mentor and model the use of best practices and evidence-based practice interventions for all staff.
• Support staffs’ use of trauma informed, recovery-oriented, person-centered, culturally competent and strengths-based approaches and skills training techniques in their work.
• Support LPHA and Licensed staff performance, including offering role-based and licensure specific supervision, giving consistent and direct performance feedback, completing competency-based assessments, and providing field supervision to directly observe LPHA and Licensed staff interactions and work with PS.
• Promote healthcare and employment and education services access for PS.
• Promote engagement, housing permanency, community tenure, achievement of greater self-sufficiency and successful completion of service.
• Consult with LPHAs and Licensed staff on appropriate clinical interventions for treatment plans for difficult to engage PS.
• Regularly review LPHA treatment plans to ensure treatment is effective in addressing the PS’s needs and goals that led to enrollment, barriers to movement, or additional needs identified while enrolled in ACCS, and that timely, thorough and thoughtful documentation of PS needs and services is provided.
• Oversee all clinical risk assessment and management strategies and protocols employed by the team so that PS clinical risks are mitigated and proactively addressed. Meet directly with PS as needed to perform assessments, negotiate program participation, etc.
• Consult with LPHAs as needed to complete Safety Plans and/or Crisis Prevention and Response Plans for PS.
• Select treatment interventions for PS who have high risk behaviors and/or histories as needed.
• Determine PS high risk alert status.
• Lead team efforts in crisis prevention and intervention for high risk PS.
• Provide training to all team staff, including GLE/SIE staff on risk management and reduction.
• Manage adherence to risk management and staff safety procedures by all staff.
• Provide on-site consultation to GLE/SIE staff with LPHA as needed, to address engagement, risk and/or other clinical needs of PS. Ensure the seamless integration of Team and GLEs/SIEs risk management processes.
• Actively manage challenging care transitions with LPHAs for high risk PS.
• Function as the primary liaison with DMH’s Legal Office regarding Team’s PS subject to Guardianship. Request Guardianship applications from DMH. Lead the Team’s efforts to maintain existing guardianships and assist in the Guardianship petition process when needed for Team PS. Track Guardianship status, gather or complete necessary paperwork (e.g., affidavits); consult with Team Psychiatrist on possible competency evaluations needed; acquire, verify, and communicate to the ACCS Team members about the specific legal scope and clinical implications of the guardianship terms for each PS subject to guardianship.
• Function as Primary liaison to DMH risk management professionals and to Care Coordination entities as needed for high risk PS.
• Notify DMH Site Office of significant events and critical incidents.
• Manage adverse events, ensure plans and corrective actions are implemented and reported.
• Request Risk Management assistance from DMH as needed.
• Request additional testing from internal or external resources as needed for high risk PS, competency evaluations, etc. Inform DMH regarding discharges planned and outreach provided pre-discharge as needed.
• Ensure Team’s adherence to Vinfen’s Risk Mitigation protocols, policies and procedures.
• Analyze risk data to inform future practice improvements.
• Conduct Treatment Planning meetings as needed.
• Work with and direct the action of Integrated Team Consulting Psychologist and Occupational Therapist. Request consultation from Vinfen’s Clinical, Medical, Rehabilitation and Recovery senior leaders as needed.
• Covers Integrated Team Leader’s duties during absences.
• May perform LPHA coverage duties when LPHA staff are absent.
• Participate as member of the Assistant Team Leader Community of Practice Workgroup led by Vinfen’s Clinical Directors for licensure-specific supervision, continuous professional role competency development, mentoring and learning.
• Participate in internal and external committees, meetings, and other activities as assigned.
• Perform other related duties, as assigned.

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong commitment to the right and ability of people served by ACCS to live, work, have meaningful relationships and receive the clinical treatment, resources and supports needed to thrive in their community of choice
• Extensive knowledge of clinical treatment principles and modalities, best practices and evidence-based practices, including Motivational Interviewing; Harm Reduction and Addiction Treatment; Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment (SBIRT); Housing First; Stages of Change; Seeking Safety, Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) and Cognitive Behavioral interventions.
• Extensive knowledge of engagement strategies
• Extensive knowledge of risk management and mitigation strategies
• Extensive knowledge of recovery-oriented, person-centered and strengths-based values and principles and modalities, and knowledge of Peer Support principles and evidence-based practices, including the ethical standards of Certified Peer Specialists and Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP), empowerment and self-advocacy techniques
• Knowledge of the effects of prejudice including internalized negative attitudes about oneself, discrimination, and oppression of people with psychiatric disorders, and the effects of poverty.
• Extensive knowledge of trauma-informed and culturally competent services
• Sensitivity to the cultural, religious, ethnic, disability and gender issues of PS
• Knowledge of human, legal, and civil rights of PS
• Knowledge of emergency services and acute care systems
• Knowledge of community based mental health, health care, care coordination and other services and resources available to PS
• Knowledge of health risks of psychiatric disability
• Skills and competence to train, formulate and supervise clinicians to provide treatment interventions, best, evidence-informed and evidence-based practices, and supportive trusting relationships with PS
• Extensive knowledge of self-management, risk management and reduction, crisis intervention techniques and psychiatric advanced directives
• Extensive knowledge of formal and informal assessment practices
• Knowledge of operations management procedures and practices
• Knowledge and use of different communication and learning styles and supervisory techniques.
• Knowledge of organizational, strategic, participatory, and collaborative skills
• Knowledge of data-driven decision-making processes and ability to encourage others to use data analysis to improve operational performance
• Ability to provide leadership and management to team staff
• Ability to make independent judgments and decisions
• Ability to work in a professional and confidential capacity
• Knowledge of personal computer applications and equipment
• Extensive knowledge of documentation standards and requirements