Coordinator of Law Enforcement Partnerships

Somerville is a city that upholds progressive principles for both employees and residents alike. If you are looking for a culture that embraces innovation, empowerment, and collaborative involvement, Somerville not only embraces these talents but encourages them. Creative, hands-on collaboration with passionate dedication are at the core of the City’s workplace culture.  Challenging and fast-paced, Somerville also offers a generous benefits package that embodies a strong work-life balance. Not only is it a “Model City”, as termed by The Boston Globe, but it is also a model employer.

Statement of Duties

The Coordinator is primarily responsible for scheduling and staffing meetings with community providers related to the Metro Boston Crisis Intervention Team Training and Technical Assistance Center (MB CIT TTAC).   The MB CIT TTAC partners with municipal law enforcement in 26 communities in the Metro Boston area, responsible for providing CIT training to officers and developing community partnerships that will support CIT implementation.

Essential Functions:

• This position will specifically work with the COHR unit at Somerville Police Department to conduct outreach to individuals and families impacted by behavioral health and addiction.  
• Services may include supportive assessments, development of community support meetings for adults age 18+ with varying levels of impairment, and serving as a liaison to connect individuals with community resources with a framework of recovery. 
• The position will be based at the Police Department but will require frequent travel in the metro-Boston area to meet with partner police departments and behavioral health partners.
• Staff quarterly planning meetings with Law Enforcement and Health Care providers.
• Administrative duties include assisting with scheduling and coordination of regional CIT trainings; identifying regional needs of police to assist in directing individuals to appropriate level of care.
• Work with Crime Analyst and COHR Director to development systems to identify calls for service related to behavioral health; document response and develop behavioral health partnerships.
• Contribute to website for law enforcement regarding best practices in responding to individuals impacted by substance use and addiction. 
• Work with Project Assistant to create regional referral data base.
• Work with research partner ICH  (Institute for Community Health) to gather input from community providers and police officers to assess needs and improve integrated systems of care and self-care supports. Collaborate with MB CIT TTAC law enforcement and behavioral health partners.
• Provide crisis intervention and conduct assessments for clients referred, and write necessary documentation.
• Coordinate and schedule case intervention reviews for MB-CIT regional partners and engage in care consultation regarding specific clients with other staff, relatives and appropriate representatives of other agencies, including social service agencies, housing authorities, health care providers and vocational issues.
• Maintain active database of community resources for the MB CIT region, through a public health lenses.  Strategies will focus on social determinates of health.  Database will be updated on a monthly basis.
• Work with partners to ensure programmatic documentation and data, meet standards of confidentiality.
• Coordinate and facilitate quarterly CCIT meetings.  Conduct outreach and community relations to broaden CCIT membership and awareness of program.
• Take minutes and set quarterly agenda for CCIT meetings.
• Must acquire approval prior to executing the following functions; Any Change or new policy or procedure with partners regarding how Police calls for service related to behavioral health are managed.  Changes in documentation of calls for service.
• Certain Crisis Intervention and diversions may need consultation with COHR Director.
• Responding to any client record requests, along with any other issues pertaining to client confidentiality. Representing the MB CIT TTAC and/or the Somerville Police Department in any public forum (i.e. advertising programs or services, using social networking to broadcast program/agency news or events, discussing the program/agency at community meetings or with members of the media, etc.)

Recommended Qualifications                                                                     

Education and Experience:

• Master’s Degree with LICSW preferred with more than three years of experience in either case.
• Bi-lingual in Portuguese, Spanish and or Haitian Creole preferred.
• BSW/MSW, CADAC/LADAC, LMHC, or equivalent preferred, or actively pursuing certification
• Experience in individual and group counseling with individuals with dual-diagnosis.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

• Knowledge: Intervention strategies; curriculum development
• Abilities: Exercise judgment on enforcement of all program policies and procedures as they pertain to clients. Make some on the spot decisions relative to a client’s health and safety including crisis interventions, referrals, and restrictions.
• Skills: Knowledge and familiarity of evidence-based practices and trauma-informed treatments.
  • Good written and verbal skills, computer skills, record keeping, and organizational skills.
  • Ability to follow and enforce the policies and procedures of the program.
  • Be able to work independently and be responsible.
  • Familiarity with Excel, PowerPoint and Microsoft Office software and ability to learn QED and CAD police specific database systems.

Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job the employee will be exposed to active substance abuse.  You may be exposed to clients that bring traumatic personal histories and vulnerability. 

Clients very regularly present with long histories of trauma and co-occurring physical and psychiatric disorders. Further, the nature of work in this field involves various uncertain, unpredictable and potentially dangerous situations. Occasionally the employee may encounter individuals who are actively abusing alcohol or other drugs; (s) he may be responsible for responding to emergencies as they arise.

Physical and Mental Requirements

(The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)

The employee may regularly be required to sit, stand, use hands, talk, hear, reach with arms, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl or run.  The employee may regularly be required to move, by pushing, pulling or lifting up to 25 pounds. 

Further, the employee must be mentally fit enough to exercise sound judgment, remain calm under pressure and establish firm boundaries in order to effectively address client concerns and/or respond to emergencies as they arise.

Send your resume and cover letter by January 16, 2018, to:

City Hall Personnel Office
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA 02143
Fax: 617-666-4426
TTY: 1-866-808-4851
Email: employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Nency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.