Supportive Outreach Service Mental Health Navigator

The **Supportive Outreach Services (SOS) Mental Health Navigator (MHN) **works with participants to access social supports and coordinate resources designed to prevent the participant from requiring 9-1-1 services outside of emergencies. This includes working with both professional and informal supports to provide wraparound services while also guiding participants through the complex system of services, supporting them to follow their mental health treatment plans and obtain necessary social supports. Services are provided using a strength based, recovery-oriented approach that recognizes the importance of meeting individuals where they are at and moving forward. Collaborative communication and information sharing, in a timely and appropriate manner, occurs with many different stakeholders.

This posting is for one Full Time Temporary position up to 18 months.

**RESPONSIBILITIES**

Provide a full range of participant-centered social supports focused services in various community settings for identified complex mental health needs individuals that may include:

- Assessing, along with triage team, the suitability for program participation and identify alternative supports if not the appropriate service. Follow up with referrals sources.
- Utilizing a strength based, wholistic, recovery-orientated approach that recognizes and respects each participant's unique experiences and needs.
- Appropriately identify needs and support individuals in accessing social supports, such as subsidies, housing, mental health, addictions, parenting. Engage informal support people to assist with ensuring safety, risk mitigation and supporting intervention strategies.
- Completing safety risk assessment using a variety of screening and tools. Creating suicide prevention safety plans and family violence screenings and safety plans is required.
- Working closely with the Supportive Outreach Services Mental Health Counsellor to implement social support strategies with participants. Manage a caseload of individuals to ensure resource needs continue to be met while awaiting, treatment.
- Engaging informal support people to assist in ensuring safety, risk mitigation, and supporting intervention strategies that maintain stabilization. This includes consultation and liaison with families, community service providers, schools and police.
- Facilitating and participating collaborative community tables for goal setting and case planning, supporting transitions to other providers, advocating for participant in service systems as well as completing referrals to additional resources.
- Meeting participants, when safe to do so, in various environments conducive and appropriate for case management and intervention support. This may include office, home, virtual, community, or other agency settings.
- Ensuring department practice principles and values are reflected in service delivery, at all times.

Adhere to case management practices that reflect the unique needs of each participant:

- Engaging in regular supervision and caseload reviews, organizing and/or participating in collaborative case conferences.
- Holding lead responsibility in collaborative communication with many different stakeholders and ensuring communication and information is shared in a timely and appropriate manner
- Ensuring that all documentation/assessments are completed professionally and in a timely manner
- Maintaining accurate information in the electronic record systems, such as New Org.

Develop and invest in strong working relationships with community partners and corporate partners, including Family and Community Services, to provide excellence in service delivery and enhance the continuum of care for complex needs individuals:

- Developing and maintaining strong collaborative relationships with the Family and Community Services team as well as many community partners including health services, Enforcement Services, RCMP, government agencies as well as several not-for-profit agencies. Coordinate with external partners and agencies to create a network of supports to program participants, notice trends, and coordinate service provision.
- Providing information and presentations, as time allows, on a wide variety of applicable complex needs topics to various audiences.
- Attending regular agency meetings, participate in working groups and projects as assigned by the supervisor.
- Contributing to the creation of a welcoming 'hub' environment within the Family and Community Services office location

**SKILLS AND ABILITIES**
- The ability to effectively consult, liaise and include families, community service providers, schools and police as part of the comprehensive support system.
- Demonstrates personal commitment identifying participants needs and actively seeks solutions to these. This position requires a high level of understanding of multiple complex systems, their various service delivery models and respective referral processes.
- Experience and understanding