Lutheran Social Services of Southern California began in December 1944 when a group of Lutheran congregations in San Diego came together to discuss how to better assist families in need. They began discussing how to form a Welfare Commission. Their vision expanded when they came together with another group of Lutheran congregations in Los Angeles having the very same conversation. Lutheran Social Services of Southern California was officially incorporated in 1946 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit social service agency. The mission has stayed true to its earliest beginnings, to be a servant to those in need. Today LSSSC serves thousands of individuals and families throughout Southern California with over 45 programs/services at 18 locations. We are part of the Lutheran Services in America (LSA) network and strive to serve those in need with dignity and respect.
Lutheran Social Services of Southern California’s Mission: Ignited by faith, we live out God’s love by embracing, equipping and empowering vulnerable individuals, families and communities toward self-sufficiency.
The Specialist provides non-therapy mental health support services to help the client and family establish and maintain a stable environment in the household.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities of the Specialist include the following:
- Assists the Facilitator in teaching the Child and Family members to locate resources.
- Assists at Child/Family Team meetings to identify goals and plans focused on enhancing client safety.
- Provides support for the family/child in meetings and other system areas.
- Develops, initiates, and maintains Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with various area agencies and individuals for obtaining needed services for the Success First (SF) clients.
- Provides Intensive Home-Based Services (IHBS).
- Provides transportation for clients in a company vehicle to and from meetings, services, and appointments.
- Maintains their portion of the chart per the standards delineated by DBH, the program, and other government regulatory agencies.
- Assists with the provision of crisis/emergency services.
- Provides activities congruent with the goals and needs of the family and the Individualized Service Plan (ISP).
- Promotes collaboration among families, advocates, mental health providers, health care providers, school personnel, and personnel from other agencies.
- Provides other services as designated by and only with prior approval of the Clinic Director.
- Works cooperatively with team members (Clinician, Facilitator, Parent Partner, Therapeutic Behavior Services (TBS), Coach, Quality Assurance/Fiscal Representative) to support the client and family in attaining improved mental health and quality of life outcomes.
- Attends all assigned county meetings.
- Participates in the rotating On-Call Schedule for the program, which includes the Family Urgent Response System (FURS) for the Success First Program.
- Works a flexible schedule, with the ability to offer In-Person services to clients during the evening, weekend, and holiday hours out in the field or client’s residence.
- Using the On-Call schedule for the program, be available to address the regular and emergency needs of the clients, including emergency response availability, call back staff, and offer support for in-person crisis response during and after regular working hours.
- Uses the Electronic Health Record to ensure all required documentation is entered accurately and on time. Be able to chart independently by 90 days after hire.
- Maintains a clean and organized work environment.
- Meets all requirements and regulations delineated in the Employee Handbook. Advocates for the program by providing outreach to family members and the community.
Competency: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:
Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems promptly; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem-solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Response to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
Safety and Security - Observes safety and security procedures; Determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; Reports potentially unsafe conditions; Uses equipment and materials properly.
Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Education/Experience: The minimum requirements for this position are one of the following:
(1) Thirty semester (45 quarter) units of completed college coursework in behavioral or social science; OR
(2) Sixty semester (90 quarter units) of completed college coursework, which includes 15 semester (23 quarter) units in behavioral science; OR
(3) one year of experience providing direct mental health services under the supervision of a licensed clinician.
NOTE: A bachelor’s degree in behavioral or social science may be listed in lieu of detailed coursework. Psychiatric Technician (Psych. Tech.) courses and Alcohol and Drug Certificate courses that are completed as components of a vocational program are acceptable.
Language Ability: Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization.
Math Ability: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and draw and interpret bar graphs.
Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Word Processing software and Excel Spreadsheet software.
Certificates and Licenses: A valid California driver's License.
Supervisory Responsibilities: This job has no supervisory responsibilities.
Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.