Outreach Specialist

Overview

Outreach Specialist, Clinical Access

Full Time, 80 Hours Per Pay Period, Day Shift 

Peninsula Overview:

Peninsula, a division of Parkwest Medical Center, has set a new standard for effective, innovative and caring mental health services in East Tennessee. With a combined total of more than 75 years of experience, Peninsula has helped thousands of people recover from disorders and dependencies, and lead healthy, positive and productive lives.

Offering both inpatient and outpatient services for children, adolescents and adults, Peninsula is a leader in the changing healthcare environment. The hospital is located in Blount County, with outpatient centers in Knox, Blount, Loudon and Sevier Counties. Additionally, Peninsula offers care specifically designed for seniors with co-existing psychiatric and medical conditions at the Senior Behavioral Center located at Parkwest Medical Center. Peninsula is truly committed to improving the health of the people and communities it serves.

Position Summary: 

Position is responsible to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team to provide care monitoring and in-person support services to assigned consumers.  Position is responsible for engaging service participants in services both within the healthcare service delivery system and the general community.  Outreach Specialists services are community-based and often provided in the consumers’ home, a primary care physician’s office or another service providing agency. 

Recruiter: Kathleen Karnes || [email protected]

Responsibilities

• Meet with the entire team once weekly to review treatment needs of consumers.
• Contribute to development of comprehensive care plan for designated service participants.
• Work side by side with service participants and their family (if indicated) in their natural environment to assist them in understanding, acquiring, and maintaining needed health care services and developing a healthy lifestyle.
• Plan for and assist consumers in activities of daily living skills such as effective communication techniques, daily routines, functioning in an educational setting, acquiring employment (if age appropriate), obtaining legal assistance and counseling, and in communicating with medical providers and public agencies such as the police, health department, and the courts.
• Assess life domain needs of consumers: living arrangements, financial, vocational/ educational, health, social support, leisure/recreational and emotional/mental health.
• Assess needs and assist service participants in developing skills related to independent living and successfully navigating the service delivery system.
• Assess needs and assist service participants with planning for and learning social and recreational skills to better interact with others in their family and/or community.
• Assess, teach, and assist service participants in carrying out job seeking skills and other factors related to employment.
• Assess and assist service participants during times of crisis in order to facilitate re-stabilization.
• Assess needs and assist service participants in establishing and building support system and resources.
• Provide on-going linkage, monitoring, planning and evaluation, and advocacy for team consumers.
• Participates in inpatient treatment planning when a consumer is hospitalized in order to ensure continuity of care.
• Assess needs and assist service participant in obtaining medical, dental, and other personal care services.
• Assess eligibility and assist consumers in obtaining financial entitlement, such as SSI, SSDI, and all other programs they may be eligible to receive.
• Attend required staff meetings, training sessions, treatment teams, and other meetings as directed.
• Participates in quality improvement initiatives.
• Participates in on-call rotation.
• Local travel required.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Education:          

Bachelor’s Degree in a health-related field of counseling, psychology, or social work, or must be licensed as a nurse (LPN or RN). 

Minimum Experience:         

Position requires a minimum of one (1) year relevant experience if bachelor’s degree is not in counseling, psychology, or social work or if not licensed as a registered nurse. 

Licensure Requirement:      

Employee must have a valid Tennessee driver’s license Class D and state mandated minimum insurance coverage. Driving record must meet Covenant Health minimum standards at the date of hire and throughout employment tenure.  If RN or LPN, must be licensed in the State of TN.