Mental Health Professional (Unlicensed)

Hope Mission Statement

The mission of Hope the Mission is to prevent, reduce and eliminate poverty, hunger, and homelessness by offering immediate assistance and long-term solutions.

Position Purpose and Summary

The mental health needs of people experiencing homelessness are often serious, complex, and consistently overlooked. For many of the participants Hope the Mission serves, untreated trauma, co-occurring disorders, and behavioral health crises are not side issues — they are the barriers that have made stable housing impossible. The Mental Health Professional (MHP) meets those barriers head-on, with skill, compassion, and a commitment to meeting people where they are.

Working under the supervision of the Licensed Mental Health Professional, the MHP provides supportive mental health services within the DMH Van Nuys program. This includes outreach and engagement, crisis support, psychoeducational groups, and coordination of long-term behavioral health services — all delivered through a harm-reduction, Housing First, and trauma-informed framework.

This role requires both clinical skill, compassionate care, and strong interpersonal skills. The people this position serves have often been failed by systems and defined by their circumstances rather than their potential. Showing up consistently, communicating without judgment, and navigating complex needs with both structure and compassion — that is not just part of the work. That is the work.

Responsibilities

Outreach & Participant Engagement

• Conduct one-on-one outreach and engagement with participants to build trust and assess needs
• Coordinate and implement outreach and community engagement activities to increase awareness of and participation in supportive services
• Conduct needs assessments; provide referrals and coordinate mental health and behavioral health care for HTM shelter participants

• Represent HTM at care coordination, community, provider, and external meetings as required

Crisis Intervention & Clinical Support

• Perform crisis intervention and teach de-escalation and conflict management strategies to participants
• Conduct suicide risk assessments and develop safety plans with participants; secure EMS or PMRT support as needed

• Provide guidance to Interim Housing staff and case managers on participants whose mental health or behavioral health needs are creating barriers to permanent housing placement

Care Coordination & Medication Support

• Coordinate transportation for participants to medical, dental, behavioral health, mental health, and court appointments as needed
• Assist participants with self-administration of medication to promote correct use and adherence
• Coordinate prescription refills with providers and pharmacies as needed

• Collaborate with healthcare providers across a variety of settings to coordinate participant care

Groups & Psychoeducation

• Develop, facilitate, and lead psychoeducational groups for participants

• Create psychoeducation training materials tailored to participant needs

• Maintain accurate and timely physical and electronic records for all services provided to each participant in HMIS system
• Submit regular written reports to the supervisor and additional reports as assigned
• Meet performance outcome targets established by program funders

• Comply with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations related to confidentiality, mandatory reporting, and professional practice standards

• Participate in team huddles, shift-change meetings, all-staff meetings, behavioral contract meetings, and discharge meetings as requested
• Attend weekly team meetings and individual supervision
• Maintain positive, professional working relationships with colleagues, management, and support staff
• Communicate effectively and respond to correspondence in a timely manner
• Adhere to organizational dress code and professional conduct standards
• Demonstrate emotional regulation and resilience in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment, including the ability to manage stress professionally and appropriately leverage supervisory support to maintain personal balance and effectiveness.
• Identify and report unsafe situations, systems, or processes to the supervisor promptly
• Travel to community locations, appointments, and partner sites as required

• Perform other duties as assigned

Skills & Competencies

• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred but not required

• Knowledge of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements, ensuring the confidentiality and proper handling of all protected health information (PHI), particularly for Mental Health Program (MHP) roles.
• Knowledge of Housing First, Harm Reduction, and Trauma-Informed Care principles preferred
• Maintains professionalism, empathy, and sound decision-making when working in complex or emotionally challenging environments.
• Skilled in mentorship, change management, and cultivating a culture of accountability, growth, and continuous improvement
• Knowledge of legal standards related to professional practice, mandatory reporting, Tarasoff requirements, and professional boundaries
• Ability to develop and facilitate psychoeducational groups and training materials
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team; Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills.

• Problem-solving, strategic thinking, and creative solution development

• Master's degree in Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology, Professional Clinical Counseling, or a related field required

• Minimum two years of experience providing behavioral health or mental health services preferred
• Proficient in Google Suite, Microsoft Office, HMIS, and Electronic Health Records
• Experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness highly preferred
• Experience working with diverse populations and co-occurring substance use disorders preferred

• Commitment to ending homelessness and serving individuals with lived experience of housing instability

• 
  Background Screening – Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of background checks as required per worksite.
• Drug and Alcohol Testing – Candidates must pass pre-employment and ongoing drug and alcohol screenings in accordance with company policy.
• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Check – For roles requiring driving, employment is contingent upon an acceptable driving record (meeting criteria of HTM’s commercial insurance), a CA drivers license, and proof of vehicle insurance coverage.
• Legal Eligibility to Work – Candidates must provide proof of legal authorization to work in the US.

• Compliance with Company Policies and HIPAA standards – All employees must comply with company policies, including safety, confidentiality, and conduct standards.

Physical, Demands, Environmental Conditions, Equipment

Work Environment

HTM will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if HTM is concerned about a conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing’s Fair Chance Act webpage.