L.A. Metro Transit SUD Specialist

The Metro Substance Use Specialist works as a team member of a multi-disciplinary homeless street outreach team (MDT), in collaboration with social service professionals, ensuring the delivery of quality care in accordance with the rules and regulations established by the Los Angeles Department of Health Services (DHS).

The Metro Substance Use Specialist, as part of the DHS ICMS Metro Street Based Engagement (SBE) Outreach Team, will work in a variety of settings that will involve traveling on public transportation and on HYC designated vehicles.

The Substance Use Specialist will travel with the MDT Outreach team to a variety of sites including but not limited to transit stops on bus and rail line stops/stations, homeless encampments, shelters, drop-in centers, mobile outreach teams, and other areas as designated by DHS.

The Substance Use Specialist will use the whatever it takes approach to help people experiencing homelessness with substance abuse interventions and counseling while conducting outreach in the field. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Facilitate connections with local substance abuse disorder treatment, recovery, and detox programs and other providers that would help create a network of available care.
• Provide crisis intervention implementation, especially for clients experiencing the effects of substance use.
• Facilitate training among the MDT team regarding helpful practices, methods, and interventions for addressing substance use disorders and symptoms of substance use.
• Collaborate with the MDT outreach team to engage with people experiencing homelessness on the Metro transit system and help connect them to local resources to help them achieve their goals and improve their quality of life.
• Conduct triage and assessment tools to understand the needs of individuals seeking services.
• Develop care plans and treatment plans and be able to help clients maintain and implement goals towards addressing housing insecurity, mental health, and substance use disorders.
• Meet with established clients on a regular basis to review, evaluate, and support goal completion.
• Help connect clients to mainstream benefits.
• Maintain documentation standards as set forth by the program contract and HYC polices.
• Must demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through inclusive service delivery, continued learning and development, modeling inclusive behaviors, contributing to an inclusive work environment, proactively mitigating bias in internal and external systems as well as interactions with internal and external stakeholders.
• Participate in staff meetings, trainings, conferences, program evaluation and program development.
• Participate in case conferencing, community, resource, and other meetings as directed by DHS and program manager.
• Coordinate with the other Multidisciplinary Teams, DHS healthcare providers, and other outreach teams in joint outreach efforts.
• Perform weekly follow-ups and wellness checks on existing clients and on all new referrals.
• Other duties and responsibilities assigned by the Program Manager. The duties and responsibilities listed are designed to provide typical examples of the work performed; not all duties and responsibilities assigned are included here, nor is it expected that all similar positions will be assigned every duty and responsibility.
• Always demonstrate cooperative and professional behavior and maintain a professional appearance, this position is expected to work in public view.

Requirements:

• Ability to work five days a week. Must be flexible to work designated weekends as needed.
• Reliable Transportation.
• Observe and abide by HYC’s health and safety policies and procedures.
• Perform all job duties in a safe manner.

• Candidates must have 1 year of experience working with homeless individuals or have a minimum of two 2 years of experience providing direct health, behavioral health, substance, use counseling or ICMS SBE, unless otherwise approved by the County.
• Professional substance abuse counseling certification, i.e. CADAC OR certification of mental health specialty preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in human services or similar field preferred.
• At least 1 year full-time experience counseling or substance abuse counseling, or case management service to individuals with substance abuse disorders.
• Ability to meet the geographic range of the position. Position requires frequent travel throughout Los Angeles County.
• Physical demands include but are not limited to frequently required to stand, sit, walk, stoop, talk, hear, reach above and below shoulders; use hand and finger dexterity, keyboarding and making and receiving telephone calls.
• Ability to successfully pass a TB screening test.
• Successful completion of background screening.
• Bilingual in Spanish, preferred, but not required.
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residence.
• Valid California state driver's license.
• Current auto insurance, and a good driving record.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made, if requested, to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

HYC, INC. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. EMPLOYMENT CONSIDERATION IS MADE WITHOUT REGARD TO AGE, RACE, COLOR RELIGION, GENDER, GENDER IDENTITY, GENDER EXPRESSION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, MARITAL STATUS, NATION ORIGIN, ANCESTRY, MILITARY OR VETERAN STATUS, INCLUDING PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISABILITIES (INCLUDES HIV AND AIDS), SEX (INCLUDES PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH, BREASTFEEDING, AND OR ANY OTHER LEGALLY PROTECTED STATUS.