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POSITION SUMMARY

Please Note: To be considered, we would like all candidates to include a cover letter with your application!

Description of Fountain House and the work of a Social Practitioner

Social Practitioners are the staff workers at the Fountain House clubhouse - a 75-year-old rehabilitative community and the originator of the clubhouse model of psychosocial rehabilitation.

Social Practice is a specialized form of therapy that uses a community-based approach of assisting individuals in their mental health recovery to:

• Learn new skills,
• Hone their talents
• Build dignity
• Develop a sense of belonging, and
• Make progress towards their goals

Fountain House is a community of opportunities for social connection, growth, meaning and recovery. It is not "clinical" program in the traditional sense - workers here do not have a private office nor conduct one-on-one therapy or counseling sessions. The participants of the program - people living with serious mental illnesses (SMI) like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder - are referred to not as "clients," or "patients," but members of the community who are essential to the function of the program. Fountain House employs a community-based approach to rehabilitation, using ordinary daily activities to connect staff with members, members to each other, and everyone to their strengths and talents. Serving as social practitioner presents a unique opportunity to use all of the developing techniques of "social practice," the tools and opportunities of the clubhouse, and above all, yourself to support members in their recovery.

Shift: Monday - Friday 9AM-5PM with some evenings and weekends as needed.

Salary: $29.12 hourly with wonderful benefit options and generous Paid Time Off (PTO).

Language: Program needs require the Bronx Clubhouse English/Spanish bilingual.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

What does the role of "Social Practitioner" entail?

• You will spend much of your time in your "unit," - one of a number of functional areas of the clubhouse - where you will work side-by-side with groups of members on the daily tasks that run the clubhouse, whether it be cooking lunch, doing data entry, reviewing scholarship applications, cleaning the bathrooms, or producing our quarterly literary magazine.
• You will, at times, work side-by-side with and train members on real entry level jobs in the community, like at City Meals-on-Wheels or at a local cafe.
• You will, occasionally, work side-by-side with members on overnight trips to our 200-acre working farm in western NJ, taking care of our animals and planting in our gardens.
• You will, occasionally, work evenings and weekends doing social activities that you plan with members based on their interests, from things like cooking clubs to museum trips.
• You will do all of this in a way that is intentional and focused on the rehabilitative and therapeutic potential of the work, the relationships and the community.

In doing this work, you will cultivate and support a rehabilitative community within your unit and within the clubhouse. You will develop relationships with and between members that can be leveraged to provide support for positive change and risk-taking, to combat social isolation and increase meaningful connections, and to introduce members to new opportunities in service of their recovery.

As you build relationships with members, you will also serve as a guide and advocate, working together on the more concrete steps needed to achieve their goals including accessing social services, social security and welfare funds, education, employment, and housing.

Read more about social practice as a developing theory here:

OTHER JOB INFORMATION

This is a full-time, 40 hour-per-week position. You will primarily work from 9:00am to 5:00pm with some exceptions for occasional evening and weekend programming and overnight trips to the Fountain House High Point Farm!

This position is included in our staff union, which is a part of AFSCME DC37 Local 215. Please find the Fountain House Workers Union collective bargaining agreement here:

As per the union contract, new Social Practitioners will be compensated $58,240 for the year of 2023 with increases guaranteed each year through the terms of the contract.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Undergraduate degree required, masters degree preferre
• 1-2+ years' experience working with individuals with serious mental illness and or/hands on experience working in a community setting preferred
• 1-2 years coaching and counseling experience preferred
• Proven ability to effectively respond to mental health crises and other challenging interpersonal situations

Physical Requirements

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and meet all physical requirements satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Mission

To create the community innovation and social change needed for people most impacted by mental illness to lead connected and healthy lives.

Vision

Transforming the way the world sees and treats people most impacted by mental illness.

Values

We believe that every person is capable of great things, deserves just and equitable treatment, and the right to self -determination and community.