Reentry Outreach Specialist

About Casa Esperanza

Casa Esperanza, Inc. is a bilingual/bicultural behavioral health treatment provider serving Boston and the Merrimack Valley. Our mission is to empower individuals and families to recover from addiction, trauma, mental illness, and other chronic medical conditions; overcome homelessness and discrimination; and achieve health and wellness through comprehensive, integrated care.

About the role

Casa Esperanza is currently seeking an enthusiastic and skilled Reentry Outreach Specialist who is passionate about public health and supporting individuals returning from incarceration to join our Reentry Program. The purpose of Casa’s “Transcend: Empowerment, Recovery, and Reentry” Program is to reduce relapse and recidivism amongst Latine reentering citizens living with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders (CODs) by expanding access to integrated, bilingual/bicultural services that provide a bridge to help individuals prevent homelessness, unemployment, and relapse. The Reentry Outreach Specialist will be responsible for connecting with correctional facilities to support in the transition of participants from corrections to a recovery-oriented continuum of care. The Reentry Outreach Specialist will conduct intensive outreach activities to educate justice-involved individuals about community-based addiction, mental health, employment, and housing services both within Casa Esperanza’s continuum and across our provider network.

The Outreach Specialist will also complete Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) assessments with currently incarcerated individuals to identify reentry and behavioral health treatment needs, design a reentry plan that will support sustained recovery and access to essential services and support including: health insurance, health services, housing, and employment. The Reentry Outreach Specialist will be a guide and coach who builds pathways to essential resources, provides motivation for sustained engagement and change, and facilitates meaningful participation in the community for both current inmates and reentering citizens. S/he will support clients at court, advocating for their needs and promoting Casa’s continuum of care to the justice system to ensure effective communication and collaboration with Community Corrections, Courts, and Law Enforcement to support the successful reentry of returning citizens. The Reentry Outreach Specialist will also help recruit justice involved individuals for participation in, and ongoing development of, Casa’s PAR (Programa de Pares Apoyando Recuperacion) curriculum in partnership with the Clinical/Curriculum Coach.  They will also support the completion of program benchmarks, timelines, goals, and objectives and report to payers and regulators as required. 

As part of the Casa Esperanza Inc. team, you will provide services in a fully integrated, holistic, and collaborative manner using a team-treatment approach to ensure the coordination of all client services, both across Casa programs and with external providers. Flexing duties and responsibilities in team-based care involves sharing patient-care responsibilities among members of a team, leading to improved efficiency, access, quality of care, and satisfaction for all involved. This integrated model aims to facilitate clear communication amongst all providers and eliminate duplication of efforts or conflicting approaches to care, detail necessary follow-up and assignments, and ensure wraparoundsupport services are in place to maximize treatment effectiveness and clinical outcomes. 

What you'll do

Service Delivery 

• Work with Project Manager and other Recovery Support Services staff to implement outreach and community mapping strategy for identifying and reaching Latines at high risk for substance use, criminal justice involved and recidivism 

• Work with the Reentry Program Coordinator to develop, schedule and facilitate support groups and reentry clinics, virtually and in-person, as needed 

• Participate in Reentry Panels to provide education and resources to incarcerated individuals 

• Conduct assertive outreach to correctional facilities, specialty courts, parole/probation boards, and other organizations working with returning citizens 

• Conduct LS/CMI assessments to incarcerated individuals to identify strengths, needs, abilities and preferences of returning citizens 

• Provide health insurance and benefits counseling, and reentry planning, in preparation for release 

• Use Motivational Interviewing and Stages of Change strategies to support engagement and build/sustain motivation for change 

• Assertively engage or reengage patients in appropriate behavioral health services including but not limited to individual, group, and family therapy; psychiatry and other medication assisted treatment; community-based case management; and peer and self-help supports  

• Ensure referrals to primary care, dental, financial, legal, education, training, and employment services and supports 

• Provide transportation assistance to and from correctional, treatment, and support services 

• Conduct regular outreach within the community to reach returning citizens that have disengaged from behavioral health services 

• Provide advocacy support to clients during their court appointments and hearings  

• Provide ongoing health promotion regarding substance use, mental health, STD/STIs, HIV, HCV, nutrition, exercise and chronic conditions management to clients and their family members 

• Represent the agency by providing community education and advocacy 

• Maintain ongoing engagement to support locating participants for grant follow up interviews and reengagement as appropriate 

• Work with Marketing and Communications to ensure an up-to-date list of community partners is continuously developed to strengthen our network of care 

• Work with the Marketing and Communications to request, develop, and maintain outreach materials that effectively educate patients, families, and partners about Casa services and policy  

• Other duties as assigned 

 Cross Departmental Collaboration 

• Work with the Marketing and Communications Team and Director of Outpatient Services, guided by Casa’s Community Relations Plan to build strategic community partnerships that support a multi-agency approach to criminal justice reform and the improvement of diversion and reentry services 

• Work closely with members of our Patient Access team (intake) to ensure all new program participants are provided with information about our reentry program services 

• Collaborate closely with Casa’s Community Support Program to ensure access to ongoing community-based case management services, psychoeducational groups, and care coordination 

• Work closely with the Multidisciplinary Team to engage and retain clients in care 

• Work with project staff to help clients build engagement in prosocial activities, strengthen connections to a community of recovery, and participate in recreational activities in a substance free environment 

 Administrative 

• Document all client encounters and other data as required and maintain up-to-date client records in electronic health record including LS/CMI Assessments 

• Ensure data collection requirements are completed within specified time frames 

• Attend bi-weekly supervision 

• Support with all reporting as required by Program funding sources in a timely manner 

• Support in facilitating Recovery Support Services group such as Thinking for a Change and document group notes in electronic health record 

• Attend all relevant case conferences and staff meetings including MDT, OBAT, RSS meetings 

• Other duties as assigned 

Qualifications

• Bilingual Spanish/English required. 

• Ability to obtain clearance for, and willing to travel to, correctional facilities 

• Experience doing outreach to individuals at risk for SUD, addiction, mental illness, trauma, violence and or individuals involved in the criminal justice system 

• Able to work weekends and evenings, as needed 

• Familiar with social, health and cultural issues specific to the Latine population 

• Ability to work as a team member & independently 

• Understanding of harm reduction techniques 

• Strong verbal and written communication skills 

• Strong interpersonal skills and crisis management skills 

• Minimum associate degree required in related field required 

• Computer skills, minimum Microsoft Word 

• Valid Massachusetts Driver’s License 

• Must be or willing to become CAC certified within the first 30 days of employment 

• Must receive their Human Subjects Certification within the first 30 days of employment  

Schedule

• Full Time
• Availability must be flexible from 8am to 8pm Monday – Friday, and weekends as needed 

What we offer:

Casa Esperanza Benefits Package:

• Compensation:  $22.28 – $22.95/hour 
• Holiday Pay (12 days per year + 1 floating holiday)
• Paid Time Off (PTO) - 18 days year one, 20.5 days at year 2, 23 days at year 5
• Sick Pay - 10 paid days per year
• Long/ShortTerm Disability 
• Paid by Company Life Insurance
• Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• FSA/DCA (Flexible Spending Account & Dependent Care)
• ComPsych Guidance Resources - EAP
• Educational Opportunities
• Tuition Remission
• Employee Ticket at Work (Discounts for Entertainment, travel, movies; etc.)
• Career Advancement Opportunities
• Increased Salary for Credentials
• and more....

Physical & Mental Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.

At Casa Esperanza, Inc., the health and safety of our people is our number one priority. That’s why all offers of employment are contingent on the candidate showing proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (currently one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and boosted, when eligible) to pass the pre-employment requirements. Individuals with medical issues or religious beliefs that prevent them from getting the vaccine may request an exemption from the vaccine requirement.

Casa Esperanza’s EEO Statement

Casa Esperanza, Inc. values its diverse workplace and encourages women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, older members of society, and others from minority groups and diverse backgrounds to apply.

We recruit, hire, employ, train, promote, and compensate individuals based on job-related qualifications and abilities. Casa Esperanza, Inc. also has a longstanding policy of providing a work environment that respects the dignity and worth of each individual and is free from all forms of employment discrimination, including harassment, because of race, color, sex, gender, age, religion or religious creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.  All employees, interns, volunteers, and contractors of Casa Esperanza, Inc. are responsible for maintaining a work culture free from discrimination and harassment by treating others with kindness and respect.

Casa Esperanza, Inc. also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or based on a sincerely held religious belief, in accordance with applicable laws. If you need to inquire about an accommodation or need assistance with completing the application process, please email hr@casaesperanza.org.