Community Specialist, Healthcare

Community Specialist Senior Division Agency Overview

Felton Institute responds to the needs of our community by providing innovative, evidence-informed social services that transform lives. Our organization offers 50+ programs that address mental health, the unhoused, early care and education, those impacted by the justice system, transitional age youth, as well as aging adults. Our programs combine the latest scientific research with cultural sensitivity and a deep commitment to supporting and reflecting the communities we serve.

Felton offers a dynamic, challenging, and supportive work environment where we encourage the use of professional development, that staff can utilize throughout their career.

Felton’s Senior Division specializes in a full continuum of mental health services for older adults in outpatient clinics, the community, and supportive housing sites, as well as programs in employment training, economic security, case management, advocacy, and social connection and inclusion. Felton Senior Division supports older adults and adults with disabilities to flourish in their communities with dignity, security, and a high quality of life.

The Division specializes in mental health services for adults as well as workforce development, volunteer and community engagement to reduce social isolation of seniors.

Felton's Clinical Housing Support Program provides behavioral health and other onsite support services to assist tenants at the Drs. Julian & Raye Richardson Apartments to maintain housing stability and improve access to resources. All tenants were formally homeless adults with co-occurring mental health, substance use, medical problems, and limited experience living independently. Support services include individual and group behavioral health counseling and case management, psychiatry, primary care nursing case management and medication monitoring, referral to and coordination with primary medical care, substance abuse and psychiatric treatment, benefit counseling and client advocacy, meal programs, health education, community building, tenant organizing, and all other case management functions.

Under the supervision of the Program Manager, this position participates in a multidisciplinary team serving tenants of Rene Cazenave and Richardson Apartments many of whom have severe mental illness and co-occurring disorders. Bringing lived experience, the Community Specialist works directly with the interdisciplinary clinical team to provide outreach and engagement, rapport building, and case management services including linkage to medical care and other services.

This person will also provide support individuals to learn independent living skills, communication skills, social skills and other necessary skills to support independence, maintain housing stability and support mental health recovery. The Community Specialist will document all client encounters in a timely manner using appropriate documentation procedures for Medi Cal billing. The Community Specialist also will support client access to medical appointments, grocery shopping, and other independent living tasks as the needs are identified.

This person will also bring expertise regarding community resources, recreational opportunities, and other connections to services, formal and informal, participants, and will work with the staff to develop the center in innovative ways to reduce social isolation and increase mental health.

• Passionate about working with older adults who may be isolated, have mental health issues, have cognitive impairments, substance abuse issues, or other needs that are not being met
• Demonstrated outreach, rapport building, and engagement experience
• Familiar with and/or ability to provide targeted case management services and mental health focused skills building services
• Ability to travel frequently in SF and work in office, community, home, and hospital settings
• Lived experience with mental health services/peer certified/trained preferred/older adult preferred
• Previous work experience in social services or related field; working…