Addictions and Mental Health Specialist

**Overview**:
Canadian Mental Health Association Durham is an integrated community mental health and primary care hub that has been providing mental health services to Durham Region for over 60 years.

During that time, it has evolved to provide a broad range of services to individuals and their families experiencing mental health challenges, from information and education to case management, psychosocial rehabilitation, housing and primary healthcare. These services are provided through inter-professional teams focused on providing clinically based services that, in addition to dealing with client mental health issues, address social determinants of health using the recovery model.

This position provides specialist support for Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) within the Canadian Mental Health Association Durham (CMHA Durham).

**Responsibilities**

**Case Management Services**
- Participates as a member of a high performance, multi-disciplinary team managing a caseload of individuals living with a severe and persistent mental illness within a variety of community settings
- Develops, writes, implements, evaluates and revises overall treatment goals and plans in collaboration with clients and team members
- Monitors, reviews and updates Client Care Plans on a scheduled basis revising the plan, as necessary, ensuring flexibility to meet client’s needs
- Participates in, and conducts part of, client-centered comprehensive assessments of psychiatric history, mental status, physical health, use of drugs/alcohol, education/employment, social development, activities of daily living and family structure and relationships
- Documents client contacts using clinical methods and within predetermined time frame in accordance with CMHA policies and procedures
- Delivers medications to clients and monitors effectiveness, potential side effects and/or interactions
- Ensures that clients understand CMHA Durham services and agree to the expectations related to ACT services using appropriate agreements
- Works with clients in one-on-one and/or group situations teaching life skills and promoting sharing of responsibilities associated with co-ed and co-operative living in order for clients to reach their goals to move onto more independent housing
- Supports and assists clients with maintaining their skills to live independently in the community and promotes safe and healthy living standards ensuring that client’s basic needs of food, clothing and shelter are met
- Provides support services to clients assisting with scheduled appointments, arranging transportation to appointments and/or accompanying clients to appointments, as necessary
- Provides assistance to clients establishing peer and family support networks
- Establishes supportive therapeutic relationship with clients and advocates for, and with, clients families
- Consults and collaborates with community resources and service providers ensuring clients obtain the most appropriate services and receive continuity in their care
- Provides on-call crisis intervention during night hours and acts as back up to evening and weekend staff, as required

**Addiction and Mental Health Services**
- Participates as a member of a high performance, multi-disciplinary team performing addictions and mental health comprehensive assessments for clients living with a severe and persistent mental illness within a variety of community settings
- Works with outside services to detoxify clients and establish linkages to self-help programs, outpatient services and residential facilities
- Provides individual and group treatment services in the office and within community
- Provides addiction support and training to staff within the organization
- Acts as a liaison between mental health and substance abuse services in order to obtain assistance for clients
- Attends professional meetings, educational conferences and designated training workshops, as assigned, in order to maintain up-to-date knowledge and transfer knowledge to staff within the organization
- Develops, writes, implements, evaluates and revises overall treatment goals and plans in collaboration with clients and team members
- Participates in, and conducts part of, client-centered comprehensive assessments of psychiatric history, mental status, physical health, use of drugs/alcohol, education/employment, social development, activities of daily living and family structure and relationships

**Requirements**:

- Post-secondary education in a related area of study (i.e. mental health, social sciences or human services) and a minimum of three years related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Sound knowledge the Mental Health Act, Health Care Consent Act, Ontario ACT Standards, social service benefits and related legislation in Ontario
- Excellent communication (written and verbal) skills
- Recent work experience in addictions and mental health and/or concurrent disorders
- Valid Ontario Driv