Position Summary:
The Forensic Behavioral Health Navigator supports individuals to help them remain successfully in the community, helps individuals connect to service to assist from further penetration in the criminal justice system, provides connections to services serve as alternatives to arrest and incarceration, and supports community reentry from incarceration. This position will be based at the Reentry trailer on the PDP campus.
The Forensic Behavioral Health Navigator will serve all programs offered by the Behavioral Health and Justice Division of the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) which are at the intersection of the behavioral health and criminal justice. Navigators will specialize in work at one intercept point (i.e., police, pre-trial, jail reentry, probation and parole), and will work across these intercepts in response to the needs of the population of justice-involved individuals with behavioral health needs
Duties and Responsibilities:
Forensic navigators help individuals with mental illness "navigate" the maze of treatment programs, the court system, and community support services for successful lives in the community. Navigators reduce barriers that keep individuals with mental illness from getting timely treatment by identifying behavioral health needs and diverting individuals to appropriate resources and away from jail.
Specific duties include:
- Critical point of engagement for individuals upon release from local custody.
- Serves a pivotal role in coordinating services and identifying resources to help people get off to a good start.
- Acts as a trusted source for individuals seeking support.
- Real-time access to the Kensington Wellness Support Center team for transportation/rideshare needs and other supports.
- Provides a calm listening ear and constructive support.
- Facilitating linkages to community treatment and outside support systems.
- Assists with referrals to obtain Medical Assistance.
- Assists with referrals to obtain case management.
- Arrange appointments for behavioral health, medical, and other care and services.
- Works in person at various locations such as the Reentry trailer, CJC, and Pretrial Services.
- Other duties and locations can be assigned based on community needs.
Skills Required:
This position requires strong clinical skills, case management skills, and an ability to navigate systems of care, the criminal justice system, and community resources.
- Strong clinical and case management skills.
- Demonstrated understanding of and ability to navigate the behavioral health and criminal justice systems in Philadelphia.
- Knowledge of mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and co¬ occurring challenges.
- Knowledge of how behavioral health issues intersect with the criminal justice system in the City of Philadelphia.
- Cross-cultural skills and experience with culturally diverse populations. Recovery experience preferred.
- Knowledge of benefits, how to activate benefits, and how to leverage benefits to access treatment and resources.
- Demonstrated excellence in written and oral communication skills. Knowledge of multiple languages a plus.
- Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
- Ability to work cooperatively and communicate effectively with a wide variety of individuals and agencies representing varying perspectives and interests.
Additional skills include:
- Recognizing signs and symptoms of mental illness
- Understanding medications
- Understanding special populations
- Connecting with families and consumers
- Employing de-escalation techniques to improve and manage behavior
- Initiating 302 petitions
Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology or a related clinical field with at least 2 years of experience working with individuals with serious mental illness.
Candidates must have a working knowledge of the Philadelphia Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice systems.
Essential Functions:
- Work to strengthen collaboration between BHJD/DBHIDS and other City agencies, including the Philadelphia Municipal Court and Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, Defender Association of Philadelphia, City of Philadelphia’s Managing Director’s Office of Criminal Justice, and the Philadelphia Department of Prisons.
- Provide high level of timely and effective communication with internal and external partners to ensure program goals and objectives are met.
- Conduct screenings and assessments and provide treatment plans based on individual needs for program participants.
- Complete behavioral health treatment/service history research for participants, where appropriate.
- Facilitate linkages to appropriate treatment providers and other social services based on the needs of the participant.
- Network with area community providers and provide resource coordination.
- Activate maximum benefits (e.g., Medicaid, SSI) for individuals so they can access needed services and supports.
- Interface with criminal justice representatives as needed to support the goals of each BHJD/DBHIDS program.
- Enter and maintain clinical and program data.
- Maintain accurate, confidential records to document services provided using appropriate databases
- Remain current with resource and referral information
- Attend and participate in staff meetings and supervision.
- Other duties as assigned
Equal Opportunity Employment:
PMHCC, Inc. is committed to equal opportunity. It is our policy to support equal employment for all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual preferences, age, national origin, disability, behavioral health status, military status or any other characteristic protected by law.
Americans with Disabilities Act:
Employees as well as applicants who are currently, or become disabled, must be able to perform the functions of the job with either reasonable accommodation or unaided. PMHCC, Inc. will examine reasonable accommodations on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the law
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, or a related clinical field
- At least 2 years of experience working with individuals with serious mental illness
- Working knowledge of Philadelphia behavioral health and criminal justice systems
- Strong clinical and case management skills
- Knowledge of mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and co-occurring challenges
- Knowledge of benefits activation, including Medicaid and SSI
- Ability to conduct screenings, assessments, and treatment planning
- Ability to use de-escalation techniques and initiate 302 petitions
- Cross-cultural skills and experience with culturally diverse populations
- Recovery experience
- Knowledge of multiple languages
What We Do
PMHCC, a not-for-profit organization, began as The Philadelphia Mental Health Care Corporation in 1987 for the City of Philadelphia in order to implement a major grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Program for Chronic Mental Illness. One of nine national grants, the funding was to assist the Philadelphia Office of Mental Health realize its vision for a unified mental health system to provide affordable housing, effective case management, and a broad range of psychosocial and vocational programs for people with mental illness. The objective included consolidating funding in a managed behavioral healthcare model. Over the years PMHCC's activities and responsibilities have broadened so that PMHCC serves as a major human services systems management company in support of several City of Philadelphia departments, while maintaining its core commitment to public behavioral health programs. Today, PMHCC makes a major contribution to Philadelphia's citizens by serving as an umbrella organization for special programs and initiatives, and providing critical administrative services to mental health, substance abuse, intellectual disabilities, human services, special health and related city offices and health programs.
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