Job Description

Social Practitioner

At Fountain House, we believe in the power of community to transform the lives of individuals with serious mental illness. Every day, thousands of members choose to come to Fountain House to contribute their talents, learn new skills, access opportunities, and form friendships. Members and staff operate successful employment, education, wellness programs and work as partners to perform all the functions that keep our community going. The Fountain House model has been replicated in more than 300 locations in 30 countries and 32 states and currently serves more than 100,000 people with mental illness worldwide. As originators of this approach, we provide leadership by constantly advancing the practice and by leading the conversation around mental health recovery. As a result, Fountain House has created a comprehensive Community System of Care. This includes Clubhouses in Manhattan, the Bronx, Hollywood, California and Care Management, Home and Community-Based Services and a large housing program ranging from 24 hour supervised residences to scattered site supported apartments. We are committed to reducing social isolation, advocating for mental health policy change, and driving solutions that empower our members.

Social Practice is a specialized form of therapy that uses a community-based approach of assisting individuals in their mental health recovery to:

• Learn new skills,
• Hone their talents
• Build dignity
• Develop a sense of belonging, and
• Make progress towards their goals

This position requires interest in community, creativity, and flexibility. There will be no typical day as a Social Practitioner, but if you could see yourself fostering relationships and connections to community for adults with mental illness by working side by side, advocating at a social service provider, or helping one of your members to apply to a job in the community then this could be the position for you.

Social Practitioners at Fountain House embody the values of the clubhouse model, demonstrating what we call our HERO characteristics: fierce optimism, professional curiosity, and a deeply communitarian approach to partnerships, leadership, and engagement.

Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm with some occasional evenings and weekends

$30.58 per hour

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform member engagement, social design, relationship development, continuous assessment and therapeutic intervention and management of transitional environments with the Fountain House membership
• Support and develop a therapeutic community based on Social Practice and the International Standards for Clubhouse Programs
• Utilize the community to design positive interventions to deal with common barriers such as social isolation, poor self-esteem, anxiety, symptom management, and poverty
• Create access to environments outside of Fountain House not traditionally therapeutically oriented, to build general skills, a sense of confidence, and to support members' self-efficacy. This includes the provision of on-site support in employment, education, and housing environments outside of Fountain House
• Develop relationships with Fountain House members and the community that can be leveraged to provide support for positive change and risk-taking, combat social isolation and increase meaningful connections, and introduce members to new opportunities
• Engineer various environments and social interactions to create therapeutic results and develop an accessible positive community
• Observe and assess experiences with members in a variety of naturalistic environments in order to create specific interventions for individuals' rehabilitation
• Provide daily advocacy and engagement with Clubhouse members to help gain self-worth, purpose of confidence, while offering guidance for appropriate problem-solving techniques
• Provide counsel for members, individually and in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, and making changes

Training Support & Entitlements

• Provide training support (vocational training) for transitional employment opportunities and maintain strong relationships with employers for job opportunity developments
• Support and fill-in for members in their Transitional Employment (TE) opportunities, if/when needed
• Assist members with entitlements and benefits; food stamps, SSI/SSDI, Medicaid/Medicare and ticket to Work/ACE/Access VR, Supplemental Need Trusts, & ADA accommodations
• Facilitates supported housing applications (2010E), Single Point of Access applications and work to find appropriate housing; assist members with physical moves into housing units
• Advocates for members well-being, safety, and livelihood with supports around clinical, legal, housing, appointments, medications, and independent living opportunities
• Acquire proficiency in skills and tasks of the (unit) you are assigned. This may include safety protocols, health guidelines, inventory lists, how to guides, etc.
• Complete all documentation including but not limited to progress notes and reach out documentation on time
• Maintain compliance with all government agency requirements, company policies and procedures
• Periodic overnight travel to High Point Farm, work some holidays including Thanksgiving, some weekend and evening hours
• Flexibility with staying late or arriving early, if necessary, to fulfill unit or member needs, and interchangeability with other staff on the unit.
• Maintain confidentiality of records relating to members' progress
• Perform related duties as assigned by supervisor

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Undergraduate degree or an equivalent combination of training and experience required
• Graduate degree or equivalent preferred
• 1-3+ years' experience working with individuals with serious mental illness and or/hands on experience working in a community setting preferred
• 1-2 years coaching and counseling experience preferred
• 1-2 years of vocational rehabilitation, training or employment specialist experience preferred
• Ability to effectively manage and handle member concerns and behaviors
• Proven experience with mental health crisis management by supporting and counseling members under emotional distress

Required and Preferred Education, Experience, and Credentials

• Undergraduate degree or an equivalent combination of training and experience required
• Graduate degree or equivalent preferred
• 1-2 years' experience working with individuals with serious mental illness and or/hands on experience working in a community setting preferred

Physical Requirements

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and meet all physical requirements satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

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