Description:
The Case Manager Housing Mental Health Pathways Program (HMHPP) seeks to prevent people being discharged from an acute psychiatric inpatient stay into homelessness by providing a specialised housing intervention at the time of a person’s discharge from hospital. HMHPP is a partnership between Launch Housing and the acute mental health programs at either The Alfred Hospital or St Vincent’s Hospital.
The position involves engaging with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness while they are an inpatient at the psychiatric inpatient unit and working collaboratively with patients, hospital staff and community supports to develop an appropriate housing support plan alongside regular discharge planning processes. In many cases, HMHPP support will continue after a person’s discharge, until clients have secured appropriate, safe and sustainable housing and connected with any relevant ongoing support/services.
The position operates as a solo worker program but sits within a wider team and thus has access to the teams wider informal and formal support mechanisms including team meetings and specialised external group consultations.
This is a permanent part-time opportunity based in Fitzroy, 68.4 hours per fortnight.
What you'll be doing:
- Undertaking housing-focused assessments and advocacy work with people during their admission in the acute mental health program at either The Alfred Hospital or St Vincent’s Hospital.
- Working collaboratively with clients, hospital staff, community mental health services, Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS), housing providers and other services as required to address the housing support needs of inpatients who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
- Ensuring clients are linked with appropriate housing and support following discharge from hospital.
- Assessing clients on the ward or where they are located post-discharge, to offer housing assistance and make referrals to local agencies.
- Attending clinical reviews for inpatients of the psychiatric inpatient unit as required.
- Utilising brokerage funds in line with procedures to assist clients with accessing emergency accommodation, private rental housing, securing tenancies at risk, facilitating community connectedness and well-being.
- Advocating on behalf of clients with other agencies to ensure access and delivery of services and that services are relevant, flexible and accessible to people experiencing homelessness.
- Foster effective coordination of housing outreach and support services in the program’s catchment area.
- Foster collaboration between services working with clients by becoming familiar with health and welfare services within the area
What we're looking for (key selection criteria):
- A tertiary qualification in social work, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy or other relevant allied health discipline (highly regarded).
- An understanding of the time pressures and changing priorities of hospital discharge planning.
- Post graduate Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training (highly regarded).
- A thorough understanding of the mental health service system including clinical and non-clinical services.
- Demonstrated understanding of housing and homelessness policy, context and systems.
- Significant experience in the social welfare sector working with consumers with complex mental health needs and an understanding of social policy/consumer support frameworks.
- Demonstrated ability to build positive relationships and communicate with people of diverse backgrounds / abilities.
- Good interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Well-developed organisational, task prioritisation and time management skills.
- Valid Victorian driver’s license (mandatory).
- Demonstrated commitment to the values of Launch Housing and our mission to end homelessness