Mental Health Clinician

**Mental Health Clinician**

**Pathways to Housing**

**Permanent | Full-Time**

**Are you a Mental Health Clinician with an understanding of Housing Frist and Harm Reduction principles? Do you have experience working with vulnerable populations with significant mental health and substance use issues? Do you have a strong knowledge base of local resources in the areas of housing, mental health, addiction, community support, or finances? If so, this position may be for you**

**Who we are and what we do**:
The Alex provides wrap-around health care, housing, social and wellness programs to Calgary’s most vulnerable citizens. Using a patient and client-centred, multi-disciplinary model of care, The Alex envisions a healthy and caring community where every person is valued and can thrive. Our core purpose is to improve quality of life through accessible and integrated health, housing, and social services.

With five decades of experience innovating and working in the community, The Alex has a reputation for tackling tough health and social issues by walking alongside people on their journey from crisis to wellness, and from challenge to change.
- Health. Home. Humanity._

**Pathways to Housing, Pathways Assertive Outreach, HomeBase, Prelude, and Abbeydale Place are Housing First Programs through The Alex that support program participants with significant barriers to housing stability such as physical and/or mental health challenges. Participants are provided with subsidized housing and rapid access to a myriad of supports to encourage stability, wellbeing, and improved quality of life.**

Pathways to Housing is an evidence-based Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program guided by Housing First and Harm Reduction principles. Pathways to Housing supports participants with a primary psychotic illness, a history of housing instability, and capacity for independent living in scattered site housing. Our interdisciplinary teams collaborate to support program participants to achieve stable housing, pursue greater overall health and wellness and reintegrate into community.

Reporting to the Clinical Team Lead, the Mental Health Clinician is a key member of the Pathways Team and is responsible for utilizing a variety of approaches to support program participants to achieve stability and wellness while reintegrating into community. The Mental Health Clinician offers individual evidence-based therapies in an outreach setting (within participant’s homes and community), facilitates skills and process groups, assists program participants in meeting basic and housing needs, and is responsive to ACT Team duties including on call duties.

**What you will do**:
**_ Program Philosophy_**
- Offer culturally sensitive services where indicated
- Uphold the principles of ACT Model, Harm Reduction, Housing First and Trauma Informed Care
- Understand the Residential Tenancy Act, Mental Health Act and Community Treatment Orders
- Understand and follow program policies and procedures

**_ Administrative_**
- Complete monthly evidence-based assessment tools with program participants and required data entry
- Create, implement and update participant-centered service plan goals, safety planning, housing support plans
- Complete required documentation with excellence, in accordance with agency policy and procedures, and respective of professional college requirements

**_ Participant Care_**
- Provide single-staff, assertive outreach services to individuals with significant mental health and addiction concerns
- Support program participants who experience acute, severe and persistent mental health and substance use disorders
- Meet with participants to evaluate their health and substance issues and/or needs
- Identify substance use issues and create goals and treatment plans, including provide and complete treatment referrals as applicable
- Refer and accompany participants to support groups, as needed
- Develop and facilitate substance-use related group counselling programs, i.e. Structured Relapse Prevention and/or Cognitive Behavior Therapy, as needed
- Provide counselling regarding the use and effects of alcohol and drugs as needed
- Prepare needs and risk assessment(s)
- Maintain a comprehensive understanding of crisis management and the impact of trauma on mental health and addiction issues
- Teach and support participants in their suites and community settings with daily living skills (e.g. cooking, cleaning, financial literacy, grocery shopping, budgeting, laundry, etc.)
- Help identify risk factors that could lead to eviction and work alongside program participants to reduce the likelihood of eviction, including supporting with regular unit inspections and housing related items as needed
- Accompany and/or provide transportation support to external appointments as required
- Advocate for the rights of program participants
- Aid participants with systems navigation, including justice, financial, and health care system(s)
- Assi