Overview

The Assertive Community Treatment Team serves individuals that find it difficult to come to an AltaPointe facility for desperately needed treatment. These patients usually have been hospitalized multiple times, have a limited or no support system, inadequate basic living skills and persistent difficulty in illness and medication management. Other complicating factors may involve substance abuse problems and legal issues or other stresses that significantly impair their ability to maintain mental stability. These patients need intensive support from our ACT Team. The ACT team is a mobile, multi-disciplinary group of professionals who deliver the treatment and services needed in the manner and location that is most comfortable for the patient. The ACT Team's mission is to improve the patient's situation so that they can transition to a less intensive type of treatment. Adult Outpatient Programs provide the least restrictive level of care where adults may receive clinical interventions aimed at decreasing existing signs and symptoms. Outpatient treatment focuses on recovery, problem resolution, symptom reduction, stabilization and/or prevention of movement to a higher level of care. Treatment varies widely and depends upon the consumer's presenting symptoms.

Responsibilities

Case Managers assist with monitoring consumer's well-being including needs in the areas of mental health, physical health, living, learning, working, and social environments. Case managers travel to wherever consumers reside, whether that is at home, boarding homes, or other community based living to provide monitoring, when working with children they would be going to the schools as well. The primary role of the case manager is to increase psychological adjustment for the consumer by empowering the consumers and sometimes family members with information, education and support in order to follow through once case management ends.

Essential Functions

• Provides appropriate linkage to community resources
• Demonstrates the ability to assess the consumer's needs
• Monitors consumer to secure placement in the least restrictive environment
• Identifies goals and plans for appropriate services
• Provides ongoing monitoring of consumers' progress and needs as assessed
• Advocates on behalf of the consumer to secure community resources
• Evaluates the consumer for discharge planning

Physical Requirements

• Frequent standing, sitting, and walking which are in bursts of 5 to 10 minutes.
• There are times when this can be extended to pacing with the consumer (time
• could be undetermined) and at times sitting and standing can be extended with the
• employee having the ability to change positions as permitted by the observance
• and behavior of the consumer at that time.
• Occasional forward bending from the hips while kneeling to reach to the side.
• Occasional need to be able to assume a full squat/lunge from a standing position.
• Occasional need to maintain back extension while being on stomach with one's
• own body weight on hips and legs. This position is maintained for several
• minutes.
• Occasionally, be able to put one's own body weight on one knee and one elbow
• on the same side of one's body.
• Occasionally, be able to kneel and reach to same side toward the floor.
• Lift up to 10 pounds occasionally during shift.
• Strong grasp is needed to use keys to open doors throughout the facility, and to
• maintain constant contact with a consumer during a take down procedure or with
• other hold techniques.
• Pushing/pulling force up to 25 pounds occasionally during a shift.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in a human services related field or social work program. Must be at least age 23, have a valid driver license, and proof of current liability insurance.

Knowledge in child/adolescent specialty, outlined below, to be attained within six (6) months of employment:

• Knowledge of psychiatric disorders in the child/adolescent population
• Basic knowledge of growth and development of child/adolescent consumers as related to all intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of their development
• Knowledge of intellectual and developmental disabilities in the child/adolescent population
• Basic knowledge of behavior management and parenting issues
• Knowledge of cultural diversity
• Knowledge of behavior management, crisis intervention and interventions common to acute psychotic consumers, as well as, to non-violent crisis intervention practice
• Knowledge of effects of trauma including physical/sexual/emotional abuse and neglect issues
• Knowledge of available community resources
• Certified by the Alabama State Department of Mental Health to provide child/adolescent high intensity care coordination
• Certified to administer the CANS (Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment)