Patient Access Clinician

About Casa Esperanza

Casa Esperanza, Inc. is a bilingual/bicultural behavioral health treatment provider serving Boston and the Merrimack Valley. Our mission is to empower individuals and families to recover from addiction, trauma, mental illness, and other chronic medical conditions; overcome homelessness and discrimination; and achieve health and wellness through comprehensive, integrated care.

About the role

The Patient Access Clinician primarily conducts intake assessments for enrollment into the Casa Esperanza Outpatient Program. In addition, they will provide individual and group therapy, as needed. The Patient Access Clinician will support with coordination of assigning cases to ongoing clinicians for therapy services, provide support with crisis management, connect with collateral contacts, provide referrals to appropriate services, develop treatment plans, and maintain the outpatient waitlist.   

As part of the Casa Esperanza Inc. team, the Clinician will provide services in a fully integrated, holistic, and collaborative manner using a team-treatment approach to ensure the coordination of all client services, both across Casa programs and with external providers.  This integrated model aims to facilitate clear communication amongst all providers and eliminate duplication of efforts or conflicting approaches to care; detail necessarily follow-up and assignments; and ensure wrap-around support services are in place to maximize treatment effectiveness and clinical outcomes. 
 
What you'll do

Essential Functions:  

 
Client Care 

• Complete initial assessment to determine appropriate level of care 

• Complete initial treatment plans Completes all documentation needed and develops clearly defined interventions and measurable goals and outcomes 

• Crisis intervention counseling, with referrals to ongoing mental health services when needed. 

• Engage external and internal service providers to better meet clients’ needs 

• Provides group treatment using evidence-based practices, including Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Relapse Prevention, Relational and Psychodynamic therapy, etc., as needed. 

• Facilitate and support with Structure Outpatient Addiction Program (SOAP) as needed  

• Participate in weekly clinical meetings to provide updates and assist in the decision-making related to treatment planning and implementation. 

• Functions as a resource to the rest of the team on mental health-related issues and assists in the various components of this program. 

• Educate clients and their families about psychiatric and substance use disorder diagnoses, recovery and wellness support services, medication including MAT for substance use disorders, psychotropic medications, and medications for other physical conditions, and ensure engagement with medication monitoring services and regular health maintenance 

• Work with Casa leadership team to plan, implement, and maintain trauma informed practices 

• Other job duties as assigned to support clinical services.  

Administrative 

• Ensures adherence to program treatment philosophies and policies. 

• Maintains client and program records in accordance with agency requirements and timelines 

• Assist with utilization management to include assessing appropriateness, effectiveness, and medical need for services. 

• Work with Intake and Admission Manager and Director of Outpatient Services to maintain efficient workflow to meet program utilization goals and objectives and ensure timely billing.  

• Assist in all reporting as required by supervisors. 

• Attends all trainings and professional development opportunities as required. 

• Attends mandatory weekly multidisciplinary team meetings. 

• Maintains knowledge of current trends and developments in the field. 

• Participate in weekly programmatic and clinical supervision. 

• Complete all documentation in our electronic health record.  

• Provide weekly supervision to direct reports.  

• Attend weekly supervision 

• Work with Medical Team to maintain and promote overall health and safety and ensure the appropriate level of care.   

• Provide backup on-call coverage, as needed  

• Other job duties as assigned to support the administrative duties of the role.  

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required in social work, psychology, counseling, or related field required 

• Spanish required 

• Independently Licensed within 6 months of employment.  

• Experience working with a psychiatric/substance-abusing/co-occurring population. 

• Familiarity in working in a strength-based, trauma-informed environment 

• Knowledge of appropriate community resources 

• Knowledge of the issues affecting people with HIV/AIDS in recovery from substance abuse/alcoholism 

• Experience with individuals dealing with homelessness, mental illness, domestic violence, and the criminal justice system 

• Experienced in crisis management and intervention 

• Experience providing individual, family, and group interventions to target populations. 

• Strong verbal/written communication 

• Ability to work as both an effective team member and independently 

• Knowledge & Practice of evidence-based practices, including cognitive behavioral therapy, relapse prevention, and motivational interviewing techniques, preferred 

• Ability to meet the physical requirements and training requirements of the position. 

• Describe the specific responsibilities and job functions of the role

Schedule

• Onsite position Monday-Friday, with availability from 8am to 8pm and Saturday 8-2pm. 

What we offer:

Casa Esperanza Benefits Package:

• Compensation: $70,000 - 72,000 annual salary
• 401(k) Retirement Plan: All eligible employees may elect to participate after 1 year of service. Casa Esperanza, Inc. will match a contribution of up to 6% of your annual salary
• Holiday Pay (12 days per year + 1 floating holiday)
• Paid Time Off (PTO)—18 days in year one, 20.5 days in year two, 23 days in year five
• Sick Pay—10 paid days per year
• Long/Short-Term Disability 
• Paid by Company Life Insurance
• Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• FSA/DCA (Flexible Spending Account & Dependent Care)
• ComPsych Guidance Resources - EAP
• Educational Opportunities
• Tuition Remission
• Employee Ticket at Work (Discounts for Entertainment, Travel, Movies, etc.)
• Career Advancement Opportunities
• Increased Salary for Credentials
• and more...

Physical & Mental Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.

At Casa Esperanza, Inc., the health and safety of our people is our number one priority. That’s why all offers of employment are contingent on the candidate showing proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (currently one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and a booster, when eligible) to pass the pre-employment requirements. Individuals with medical issues or religious beliefs that prevent them from getting the vaccine may request an exemption from the vaccine requirement.

Casa Esperanza’s EEO Statement

Casa Esperanza is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Casa Esperanza, Inc. also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or based on a sincerely held religious belief, in accordance with applicable laws. If you need to inquire about an accommodation or need assistance with completing the application process, please email hr@casaesperanza.org.