Human Services Co-Responder (Quakertown Boro)

COUNTY OF BUCKS

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Human Services Co-Responder position partners with local law enforcement and serves as a liaison in addressing the social needs of individuals contacting 911 Emergency Services. The position aims to:

• Decrease the time law enforcement spends in response to a situation involving social service needs
• Provide a more effective emergency response through the addition of clinical-informed support and an enhanced community resource knowledge base
• Ensure those who outreach for an emergency response and are dispatched to the participating police department(s) receive timely and streamlined connection to resources to address their social service needs
• Divert individuals with primary social service needs from further penetration into the criminal justice system.

Referrals to this position will be determined by law enforcement and based on the individual’s risk to self and others (including need for behavioral health treatment); the frequency of law enforcement contact; and perceived need for social service support.

The Co-Responder will operate out of the local police department to which the position is assigned. While the position is a Bucks County employee supervised by the Division of Human Services, the participating police department(s) will provide an identified liaison to mentor this position in any daily police departmental protocols. Demand/location of this position will be continually assessed during the pilot for the best utilization of the position and need for the addition positions.

On a systemic level, through effective collaboration and communication, this position helps to support the effective implementation of the County Sequential Intercept Model recommendations and Stepping Up Initiative.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Respond in real-time with law enforcement as requested. Response is determined by law enforcement and may include ride-along or following behind law enforcement to the emergency response scene. The securing of the scene by law enforcement to ensure the safety of the Co-Responder and all at the scene is a primary pre-requisite of Co-Responder response.
• Respond to law enforcement referrals made as a result of an emergency response
• Provide social service screening across multiple domains to identify aging, children/youth, mental health/substance use, and domestic support needs
• Assist with the location of identified resources identified in social service screening
• Complete and/ensure completion of social service referrals to needed resources
• Obtain needed consents/authorizations to refer to needed healthcare resources
• Provide follow-up to emergency response/referrals for up to 60 days to ensure social service treatment/resource/support engagement with community-based resources has been established.
• Collaborate and maintain effective working relationships with other County forensic stakeholders (e.g. Behavioral Health Forensic Response Team/Forensic Specialists, District Attorney, Public Defender, Court Administration, community crisis/social service and social determinant of health providers) to ensure coordinated system coordination
• Collaborate with Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, Inc. regarding substance use related issues
• Collaborate with other County and other human service agencies (e.g. Area Agency on Aging, Children and Youth, NOVA, etc) as appropriate
• Participate in team meetings held by the Division of Human Services, police department (e.g. daily roll call as requested) and other key partners.
• Participate in training as prescribed which will include, but not be limited to, Motivational Interviewing, SBIRT, Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), Substance Use Disorders 101, and orientation to any human service agencies as needed
• Participate in educational presentations with law enforcement as related to the Co-Responder Initiative and as requested/schedule allows
• Document law enforcement referrals, dates, times, type of intervention, description/content of intervention, duration of services and communications as prescribed
• Assist with aggregate outcome data collection as prescribed including, but not limited to, number of requests for social service response received, time from response request to outreach, volume of F/F and phone responses/outreach with individual, diversion volume, and linkage to services information.
• Perform other related tasks as required.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability, and clearances required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s Degree in sociology, social welfare, social work, psychology, gerontology, criminal justice, or other related social science and three years of professional level experience in the field of social or criminal justice casework or any equivalent combination of experience and training; (Preferred)Master’s Degree with three years human service/criminal justice experience including experience with special populations, e.g. individuals with drug and alcohol, geriatric, childhood, and trauma issues, etc. Experience in the delivery of Crisis Services is desirable.
• Knowledge of and ability to implement the principles of a recovery-oriented system of care
• Knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn, the organization and structure of the County court and legal systems as they relate to individuals with social service needs
• Knowledge, or ability to quickly learn and maintain current knowledge, of community social service resources
• Ability to work largely independently
• Ability to plan and organize work, set priorities and manage workload in an effective and timely manner
• Ability to adequately express ideas clearly and concisely, orally and in writing
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with individuals, their families, law enforcement, the courts, attorneys, probation and parole officers, and community resource providers
• Clearances required by any law enforcement officer and as identified by the participating police department (e.g. Child Abuse, Criminal, FBI, etc.)
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.

Job Details