Wellness Specialist/Mental Health Worker

$40,000 - $45,250

Somerset County, NJ

Position Overview

As part of a multi-disciplinary, core services team, provides wellness assessment and direct services to people who have serious mental illness and who are enrolled in the PACT Program.

Essential Job Functions

Participates:

• As a team member in the frequent monitoring and assessment of the mental health status of persons receiving services as well as related variables, including significant others, the home and the community in which the person served lives.
• Within the team, in the development of psychosocial and comprehensive assessments and an individualized recovery plan. Ensures documentation is done on time and with quality to ensure adherence to all DMHAS/Medicaid standards.
• In clinical and non-clinical team meetings, including individual and team supervision. Actively seeks out monthly supervision from supervisor.

Provides:

• Teaching of skills to support each persons’ individualized recovery journey and community integration.
• Direct assistance to secure safe, clean, affordable housing, food and clothing, medical and dental services, and appropriate financial support.
• Linkage to entitlement benefits such as Medicaid/NJFamilyCare, social security, rental assistance, and other public assistance (social services, transportation, legal advocacy and representation).
• Observation and assessment of service recipients stated concerns, mental illness symptoms, and behavior in response to medication and monitors for medication side effects during the provision of observed self-administration and during ongoing face-to-face contacts.
• Medication education for both individuals and families/significant others with service recipients consent.
• Coordination of services with other community mental health and non-mental health providers, as well as other medical professionals.
• Training and instruction to individuals at home and in the community, including individual support, problem-solving, skill development, modeling and supervision to perform personal hygiene tasks, perform household chores, develop and improve money management skills, use community transportation, and locate, finance and maintain safe, clean, affordable housing.
• Wellness services including education and cognitive/behavioral interventions on nutrition, diet, exercise, stress reduction strategies and other wellness tools.
• Rapid and flexible response to crisis, including but not limited to: accompanying the individual to the screening center/psychiatric emergency center and remaining with the person during the assessment process.
• Use of Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) and development of WRAP and Psychiatric Advance Directives which includes stage wise treatment utilizing Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Interventions and Teaching.
• Use of evidenced based practices, including motivational interviewing, IDDT, CBT skills, IMR, Trauma Informed Care, Permanent Supportive Housing and Career Development when engaging individuals with their recovery.
• Technical assistance and education to members of the team in the area of recovery and wellness. Works with the team to develop materials and strategies for teaching wellness strategies including Wellness Recovery Action Plans, instilling hope, promoting choice and empowerment, and spirituality, in conjunction with the team.
• Support to assist persons served to find and maintain employment and/or education/training
• Support to the service recipient’s family and other members of his/her social network to help them manage the symptoms and related consequences of the service recipient’s illness, reduce the level of family and social stress associated with the illness, and achieve wellness. Will provide education to assist the service recipient and family to relate in a positive and supportive manner.

Requirements

Education /Experience:

• Master’s degree and one-year experience in the provision of MH services or
• Bachelor’s degree in a behavioral health science from an accredited institution and two years’ experience in the provision of MH services, or
• Associate’s degree in Psychiatric Rehabilitation and two years’ experience in the provision of mental health services, or a person who is receiving or has received mental health services may substitute demonstrated volunteer or paid experience working with individuals with serious and persistent mental illness in lieu of a Bachelor’s degree.

Driver’s License, Vehicle:

• Valid driver’s license required
• No more than one moving violation within the past 12 months
• Vehicle required

Subcommittee and Mandated Trainings Statements

All employees are encouraged to participate on an agency committee, on a rotating basis. Mandatory trainings are to be completed during regularly scheduled working hours. It is the employee’s responsibility to attend mandatory trainings when they are offered by the agency and to complete mandatory web-based training in a timely manner. Employees failing to attend mandatory trainings are required to make up the training on their own time and at their own expense, i.e., CPR training.

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