Position Summary

The Case Manager – School Based will work closely with the School Liaison and Clinician to identify students and triage priorities for treatment. The position is designed to provide medically necessary services, under a treatment plan approved by a qualified mental health provider or clinician. The goal is to enhance independent functioning through which the persons served is integrated in to and/or maintained within the school or community setting and subsequently reducing the risk of out of home or school/classroom placement.

This goal-directed medically necessary service is for children/youth with serious emotional disturbance through which the individual is assisted in obtaining access to needed medical, social, educational, and other services. All interventions provided shall be related to specific goals set forth in the persons served treatment plan.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Provides direct services to serious emotional disturbance (SED) children/youth and their families based on the philosophies and principles of the strengths model.
• Works collaboratively with the school districts to create a system of care for the identified clients that promote both good mental health and academic performance.
• Works with the School Liaison and Clinician to identify students and triage priorities for treatment.
• Facilitates outreach to students, families and child welfare contacts to help engage in treatment.
• Participates in the treatment planning process.
• Maintains the treatment plan and necessary treatment protocols required by the Community Mental Health Center (CMHC).
• Communicates with School Liaison and school personnel when appropriate about student needs, interventions and progress.
• Helps maintain communication between all entities including family, student, school, clinician, child welfare and community.
• Provides individual supportive counseling, solution focused interventions, emotional and behavioral management, and problem behavior analysis with the persons served with the goal of assisting the client with developing and implementing social, interpersonal, self-care, daily living and independent living skills to restore stability, to support functional gains, and to adapt to community living.
• Engages with the students in the classroom, the home or in the community to help build skills wherever needed.
• Makes referrals to appropriate community resources.
• Promotes individuals access to needed medical, social, educational and other needed services.
• In addition, this position assists the individuals with the application for benefits, and the arrangement of transportation to needed services.
• Coordination of services for children/youth as identified in an individual’s plan that has as its objective the assurance of an integrated, comprehensive plan of supports and services, which includes family members, natural supports, and relevant community providers.
• Assists youth and families with crisis planning when appropriate.
• Act as an advocate for children/youth and families. This will include assisting the persons served and family in accessing needed resources and additional services and/or reconnecting students/families when they are not following through with the treatment process.
• Helps families negotiate barriers to treatment and ensures services are coordinated with the family.
• Participation in meetings for the purpose of case review, case assignments, and individual case planning.
• School Based Case Manager’s caseloads shall be assigned and monitored by appropriate supervisors and managers. The size of the caseload shall be assessed based upon clinical needs of the children/youth and family.
• Participates in internal and external networking activities designed to increase the likelihood of meeting the client and family’s identified needs.
• Completes clinical documentation (progress notes, etc.) in a timely fashion.
• Acts as an ambassador of Astra mental health & recovery in the community setting but especially with the area school districts and associated agencies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Other Duties

• Demonstrate cultural and linguistic competence
• Approach interactions with individuals served and colleagues with a trauma sensitive lens
• Acts as an ambassador of the agency in the community setting, which may include doing public educational and informational presentations.
• Support and actively promote the vision and mission of the agency and the philosophy of the strengths perspective
• Completes required trainings
• Other duties as assigned, as qualified and trained for.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Licensure:

• BA/BS degree in human service field or 4 years of education/experience in a human service field
• Valid driver’s license, current auto insurance, a good driving record and a reliable vehicle are required
• Must successfully pass the KBI, DCF Central Registry and all background investigations.

Experience:

• Experience working with children and families preferred
• Passion and desire to work with children and adolescents

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Effective communication skills (verbal and written)
• Customer focused (internal and external)
• Team oriented and ability to get along with others.
• Excellent listening skills
• Accountability
• Reliability
• Trust/Integrity
• Demonstrates adaptability/flexibility
• Developed time management skills
• Developed organizational skills
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite with ability to learn other software programs as necessary including Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
• Relationship building
• Problem solving
• Attention to detail and accuracy in work
• Ability to be collaborative
• Open to learning and accepting feedback
• Ability to maintain appropriate boundaries and confidentiality
• Strengths based
• Family centered
• Community based
• Culturally respectful

Other Physical Requirements:

Case Manager – School Based must have sufficient ambulatory capabilities to work with children and adolescents in the office setting. Position may require the ability to use physical restraint using Managing Aggressive Behavior (MAB) with children and adolescents exhibiting out of control behaviors.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Office and Community-Based working environment; requires flexible schedule; frequent interruptions occur; expected to deal with individuals in crisis; risk of exposure to aggressive and/or acting out (verbal and physical) children and youth, and exposure to low socioeconomic homes and neighborhoods.

Astra Mental Health and Recovery is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities and for religious practices, in accordance with applicable law and guidance issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Astra does not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This commitment applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, training, corrective action, and termination.