SCHEDULE: 40 hours, full time schedule, Sunday-Thursday, 1pm – 9:30 pm, may include early mornings, nights and/or weekend hours by prearrangement; this position is non-essential in the event of an emergency

Pays $25.12 - $27.13 per hour DOE (Salary ranges provided are based on relevant experience and skill set)  

LOCATION: 444 Harrison Ave, Boston, and any other PSI Emergency shelter site as needed

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION:

The Lead Triage Specialist–After Hours (LTSAH) engages new shelter guest referrals in a triage assessment process to determine each guest’s immediate level of need, and to further assess connections to natural supports and community resources to facilitate pathways to safe, stable, and permanent housing. The LTSAH will perform all duties of the Triage Specialist role and will possess the judgement and discretion to represent Triage leadership in the absence of a Triage Supervisor(s). At times the LTSAH may act as a liaison between shelter management and the Triage Department and will assess and funnel supervisory needs appropriately, coaching Triage Specialists in the moment or escalating matters for further direction. The LTSAH may act as a liaison with clinical staff and the On-Call Director regarding more serious matters and may consult with Triage Specialists on more complex cases. The LTSAH is a representative of the Triage team and its leadership in the absence of Triage Supervisor(s). 

The LTSAH will be responsible for all functions within the Triage Specialists role; Lead Triage Specialists’ roles and will serve as the Triage team’s access point for Guests seeking Shelter or Triage Services after hours. The LTSAH will assist with the team’s goals related to ensuring all guests coming into shelter have access to Triage Services. The LTSAH will work both as part of a team and independently in an effort to extend program services to individuals that may come into the shelter outside of the traditional team hours. This position will also play a lead role in tracking of and assisting guests in accessing our HFI shelter and for placing external referrals as appropriate.

The LTSAH will work with community providers of health and behavioral health services to coordinate care plans which do not rely on emergency shelter when other more appropriate medical and behavioral health services should be explored and utilized. The Triage Specialist will work to coordinate appropriate discharge plans for guests who are reentering the community from incarceration with a clear focus on upstream services which avoid unnecessary reliance on emergency shelter.  

The LTSAH will work within a best practice framework of Harm Reduction, Motivational Interviewing and Trauma-Informed Care and, whenever possible, will provide support toward family reunification and mitigating barriers to securing alternative options for safe housing. If diversion is not possible or appropriate, the Triage Specialist will initiate a full guest intake, frame the guest understands of a limited stay in emergency shelter, and establishes the foundation for the guest’s work towards a more permanent housing solution – this will include referrals for housing placement within the first 30 days of Shelter. The Triage Specialist will provide exceptional customer service both internally and externally and will work in partnership with case management teams to provide integrated service delivery which furthers our mission to eliminate homelessness. The Triage Specialist will work under tight timeframes for accurately entering guest information into Pine Street Inn’s approved Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).  Attention to detail and accuracy is critical in this position.  

The LTSAH I will work from the following principles:

• Shelter is a temporary safety net, not a home. The Housing Placement Team must assertively motivate guests and incentivize them to seek better alternatives using best practices.
• All people experiencing homelessness, regardless of their housing history and duration of homelessness, can achieve housing stability in permanent housing.
• Never warehouse or institutionalize our guests in our shelters.
• Everyone is “housing ready.” Sobriety, compliance in treatment, or even a clean criminal history is not necessary to succeed in housing. Rather, homelessness programs and housing providers must be “consumer ready”.
• Leverage guests’ strengths, assets, and connections to move quickly out of shelters and to any other housing.
• Recognize the impact of violence and victimization on development and coping strategies.
• Employ an empowerment model.
• Maximize guest choices and control over her/his recovery based in a relational collaboration.
• Create an atmosphere that is respectful of the guests’ need for safety, respect, and acceptance.
• Emphasize the guests’ strengths, highlighting adaptations over symptoms and resilience over pathology. 
• Minimize the possibilities of re-traumatization.
• Strive to be culturally competent and to understand each person in the context of his or her life experiences and cultural background.
• Solicit guest input and involve guests in designing and evaluating services.

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QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

REQUIRED: 

• Associates in a human services related field Or High School Diploma with a minimum of two (2) years of equivalent experience in a social service setting
• Strong computer and math skills, including familiarity with MS Word, Excel and ability to learn and successfully use MIS & HMIS programs

PREFERRED:

•  • Certification, training, or formal education in counseling and/or case management
•  • Bi-lingual – Spanish/English

KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

REQUIRED: 

• Minimum of two (2) years’ experience delivering services to a challenged population often struggling with addiction and untreated or under-treated mental health concerns
• Working knowledge of local resources available to Boston’s homeless population
• Working Knowledge of Housing First and Rapid Rehousing
• Knowledge of the issues related to homelessness
• Strong written communication skills

PREFERRED: 

• Minimum of one (1) years’ experience working in a shelter and Triage context
• Practical experience in client assessment, diversion, mediation, negotiation, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma- informed Care, Crisis Prevention and Intervention, household budgeting, and service planning, recovery services – including mental health, substance use/abuse and traumatic brain injury
• Proficiency in Client Track and PSI Shelter and Triage inquiry phone process, with strong attention to data completeness and accuracy