Community Support Specialist

North Suffolk is looking for Community Support Specialists to join our team! As a Community Support Specialist you will participate in the engagement, assessment, and treatment planning process for persons served. You will work with a dedicated team of staff to address the needs and goals of the persons served in both community and group living environments. The team provides person-centered interventions and treatment plans in the areas of housing, risk mitigation, transportation, skill-building, money management, and medication administration to support persons served to live a self-directed life.

What you'll do

• Engage people and partner with them to improve their health and wellness, achieve symptom stabilization and self-management, and develop and/or restore skills impacted by mental illness.
• Gather information about community agencies to assist in the provision of services.
• Provide side-by-side support and coaching to help people socialize.
• Organize and lead individual and group social and recreational activities.
• Carry out the assigned interventions and action steps of the treatment plan, through the provision of direct support and rehabilitation services to people on an individual, group, and family basis (in conjunction with professional staff) in the office and in community settings.
• Collaborate with Housing Coordinators to help each person in finding a safe and affordable place to live – apartment hunting, finding a roommate, landlord negotiations, cleaning, furnishing and decorating.
• Participate in medication administration per MAP and DMH policies and protocol.

What you’ll need

• Education:
• High School Diploma/GED equivalent required.
• Bachelors Degree highly preferred
• Experience:
• In lieu of college degree, at least one year experience with population that has severe and persistent mental illness and/or substance use disorder
• Bilingual Spanish and American Sign Language skills desired but not required - please indicate language capability in application
• Skills:
• Must be MAP and CPR/First Aid certified within five months of hire (training provided)
• Massachusetts Drivers License required