402 - Community Navigator Case Manager

At New Narrative, we believe mental health care is community care. As a nonprofit organization, we partner with individuals to promote healing, housing stability, and long-term wellness through compassionate, equitable support.

If you’re passionate about community impact, we invite you to join our team.

Pay Rate: Starts at $27/hr and can go up DOE
Shift: Day shift, Monday - Friday

The Community Navigator Case Manager (QMHA) is a member of the Polaris Transition Team (PTT) and will provide case management to individuals assigned to Aid-and-Assist before discharging from the Oregon State Hospital and throughout the process of community restoration and post-adjudication. They will assist the individual in navigating the judicial and behavioral health systems, housing, and connect them with community resources upon transitioning back into the community for no less than six months. The Community Navigator Case Manager will partner with program participants with co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges to overcome barriers in building supportive relationships and assist with integration back into the community.

The Community Navigator Case Manager will report to the Polaris Program Manager and be a member of the Polaris Transition Team. The PTT provides wraparound services to individuals who have been referred to New Narrative by the Washington County Forensic Mental Health Team and Oregon State Hospital, with the aim of assisting the referred individuals in accessing transitional housing, connecting to community based mental health or substance use treatment services, and resource gathering (food boxes, medical needs, etc.) to promote overall stabilization while navigating the legal system. The PTT will work with individuals referred by community partners who may be experiencing co-occurring disorders, and support individuals as they transition into becoming their own best advocate. The aim of the Community Navigator roles on the PTT are to reduce rates of recidivism and to work towards decriminalization of mental health and substance use challenges.

Accountabilities: (Responsibilities of the job)

Engagement and Collaboration

• Provide skills training, advocacy, case management, and community navigation to support caseload of 15 participants in working towards their identified goals

• Willing to meet and engage with people “where they are,” including their environment and readiness for change.

• Provide up to 3 months of in-reach to assigned participants in Oregon State Hospital

• Provide a minimum of 6 months of transitional support in community restoration, case management, and post-adjudication support for assigned participants

• Conduct 9- and 12-month check-ins for each participant on caseload

• Coordinate support plan with Forensic Peer on 2-person Community Navigator team, sharing caseload of 15 participants

• Provide support to participants in a variety of settings including, but not limited to: the Oregon State Hospital, Washington County Jail, motels, Community Mental Health clinics, the outdoors, and shared community spaces

• Maintain professionalism in encounters with participants and other providers.

• Assist other program staff with implementation and facilitation of interventions

Case Management

• Ability to work with individuals who have a complex series of needs, which may include, but are not limited to: houselessness, substance use, severe and persistent mental health challenges, institutional trauma

• Ability to work in collaboration with emergency services (Hawthorn Walk-in Center, Mental Health Response Team, etc.)

• Coordinate with community resources to access food, housing, and medical care while providing assistance with navigating the judicial system, as well as case management

• Ability to work in collaboration with acute care settings if necessary.

• Provide support, assistance, and advocacy for linkage to resources and maintenance of resources.

• Coordinate with providers and resources involved in participant goals and care consistently, including but not limited to weekly contact and care conferences as indicated.

• Assist program participants in attending all required court dates, filing legal paperwork on time, and communicating with all necessary agencies to support their recovery

Crisis Prevention/De-escalation/Harm Reduction

• Provide crisis response and de-escalation in a community-based setting.

• Use Critical Time Intervention approach (CIT) to decrease use of crisis services, Hawthorn Walk-in Center, EMS, police, hospitalization, etc.

• Ability to work in collaboration with acute care settings if necessary

• Must be able to assist in de-escalation and crisis as needed

• Support harm reduction approach, linkage to resources including, but not limited to: clean needle exchange, NARCAN, MAT, SUD services, education around harm reduction, etc.

Supportive Skills Training

• Providing direct support in one-on-one settings within transitional housing or the community as needed

• Assess the support level and program needs of each participant, providing skills training as indicated.

• Provide individual skills training opportunities including but not limited to: ADLs, iADLs, coping, regulation, safety, interpersonal, community integration, community navigation, etc.

Documentation

• Document participant engagement within 24-72 hours of service delivery

• Collect contractually required data using MHS 04 Aid and Assist Report and any other required formats

• Coordinate intake and assessment, developing a person-centered plan with participant

• Conduct a re-assessment of person-centered goals at 9- and 12-month intervals

Core Competencies:

• Communication: Clear, direct and concise. Keeps people informed. Listens effectively to others.

• Teamwork: Effective at working in team situations.

• Utilizing available resources for personal wellness: Communicates with Supervisor or other designated New Narrative personnel to meet personal wellness and safety needs.

• Adaptability: Ability to modify or change service delivery as needed to best fit the needs of program participants and New Narrative values

• Dependability: Counted on to follow through on commitments: at work each day and on time; work completed in a timely fashion.

• Aptitude: Ability to comprehend and apply new ideas, processes and procedures, or training.

• Demeanor: Remaining calm in crisis situation, empathetic, unbiased, non-judgmental and excellent interpretation skills.

• Individual Responsiveness: Responds well to internal or external individual needs.

• Independence: Receives no instruction on routine work; with general instruction on new assignments.

• Feedback orientated: Demonstrates, engages and promotes regular forms of feedback from program participants, New Narrative staff, and colleagues.

• Organizational Awareness: Understands the culture of the organization; interests and concerns of various groups.

Supervision Received:

• Receive regular supervision from the Polaris Program Manager, seeking additional supervision whenever necessary.

• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings and group supervision as required.

Other General Expectations:

• Ability to work as a team member, remain flexible and establish priorities as a group.

• Ability to display a non-judgmental attitude.

• Creative, innovative and progressive problem-solver.

• Ability to remain calm in a busy and stressful environment.

• Ability to participate professionally and collaboratively in interdisciplinary meetings with outside agencies.

• Proficiency in Outlook, Word, and ability to navigate new computer systems as needed.

• Follow all New Narrative policies, procedures, and protocols.

• Maintain QMHA credentials

• Maintain security of all PHI (Private Health Information).

• Complete all required contractual training within 30 days of hire, including but not limited to: CTI, Forensic Peer Competencies, HMIS training

• Maintain CPR and First Aid Certificate.

• Must be able to pass a criminal history check through the Department of Human Services, including participating in appeals process if desired.

Qualifications:

• Qualified Mental Health Associate credential required

• Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred

• Incumbents with a substance use disorder must be sober and free of substance use for 1 full year preceding date of hire and must maintain this sobriety.

• Must maintain current Oregon driver’s license as position requires the ability to drive.

• Lived experience with mental health, substance use, the judicial system, restrictive environments, and/or altered states preferred, but not required.

All of our job openings are located in Portland, Oregon, and the surrounding metro areas.