Participant Support Specialist Secondary Case Manager

PURPOSE. DIGNITY. ACTION.

Participant Support Specialist (Secondary Case Manager) 

PURPOSE. DIGNITY. ACTION. (PDA) 

PDA strives to build robust support for non-punitive, community-based solutions to many public safety issues. With neighborhood and public partners and in partnership with community members actively seeking to move past experiences of harm and injury, we design and deliver widely supported initiatives that promote safety, restoration, and racial equity. 

Who We Are

Formed in 1969 as The Defender Association to provide high-quality legal defense for civil rights activists in Seattle, in 2013 we began to concentrate exclusively on alternative public safety models, when King County created an in-house public defense program. PDA remained independent to carry on the work of our Racial Disparity Project, which had helped to design LEAD, the nation’s first pre-booking diversion model for drug-related offenses. In 2021, we adopted a Co-Executive Director structure, recognizing the value of power-sharing, multiple voices, and perspectives at the leadership level. Our multicultural team of lawyers, organizers, project managers, social workers, direct service providers, and administrative staff blends professional and technical skills with lived experience of the systems we’re working to change. 

CoLEAD Background

CoLEAD developed from the LEAD framework to provide intensive case management in non-congregate shelter facilities for people who are at high risk of exposure to the criminal legal system; all participants experience substance use disorder and high barriers to housing and establishing a lawful income source. CoLEAD connects hundreds of participants to primary care, prevents overdoses (no participant has died of an overdose since we launched in Spring 2020), establishes permanent housing plans, and provides legal system coordination under the LEAD model.

Position Description:

The Secondary Participant Support Specialist focuses primarily on milieu management, onsite community support, and daily facility operations. Unlike the Primary Case Manager, this position does not hold an intensive case management caseload. Instead, the Secondary PSS acts as a critical support partner, collaborating with the Primary Case Manager to provide additional capacity, ensure service continuity, and maintain a stable, supportive environment for all participants. This position will report to the Swing Shift Supervisor.

Available Schedules:

• Schedule 1
  • Wednesday: 3pm - 11pm
  • Thursday: 3pm - 11pm
  • Friday: 3pm - 11pm
  • Saturday: 8am - 12am (Double Shift)

• Schedule 2
  • Sunday: 8am - 12am (Double Shift)
  • Monday: 3pm - 11pm
  • Tuesday: 3pm - 11pm
  • Wednesday: 3pm - 11pm

• Schedule 3
  • Thursday: 3pm - 11pm
  • Friday: 3pm - 11pm
  • Saturday: 3pm - 11pm
  • Sunday: 8am - 12am (Double Shift)

• Schedule 4
  • Saturday: 8am - 4pm
  • Sunday 8am - 11pm (Double)
  • Monday: 3pm - 11pm
  • Tuesday: 3pm - 11pm

**The schedules listed above reflect current openings; please note that all assignments are subject to change to meet evolving programmatic needs.**

Essential Job Functions:

• Coordinate and support the relocation of current residents of the building to equivalent housing locations, in alignment with the relocation plan.
• Collaborate with staff, participants, and contractors to build a positive, productive, and inclusive work environment.
• Provide on-site residential support to build participant independent living skills using a trauma-responsive, harm-reduction approach.
• Manage the milieu by engaging with Participants, utilizing de-escalation skills, and building positive relationships with participants and colleagues.
• Support overall lodging operations, including coordinating with facility teams and reporting maintenance issues to ensure the facility remains clean, pleasant, warm, affirming, attractive, and calm.
• Assist participants with lodging concerns, helping them find creative solutions and facilitating the grievance process if needed.
• Develop and maintain strong collaborative relationships with PDA, RHA, ETS REACH, law enforcement, and other service organizations to ensure continuity of care.
• Ensure service compliance with CoLEAD and PDA policies, including supporting participant adherence to the Lodging Agreement through coaching and redirection.
• Support Primary Case Managers as appropriate including conducting intake evaluations, housing paperwork, supporting document acquisition, assisting with planned/unplanned exits which may require packing up rooms and completing exit paperwork, establishing meaningful weekly encounters, and developing participant-centered goals.
• Collaborate daily with the Primary Case Manager to provide wrap-around support, assist with documentation or appointment coordination, and ensure participant needs are addressed efficiently.
• Advocate for participants by connecting them to community resources.
• Manage administrative and operational tasks, including completing documentation, incident reports, timesheets, and expense submissions.
• Participate in ongoing learning, including regular supervision, program meetings, and required training.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Essential Job Qualifications:

Knowledge and Skills:  

• Human-centered approach to service provision that promotes a healthy, positive, and productive work environment.
• Includes and utilizes the strengths, insights, and experience of staff, peers, and PTs.
• Ability and confidence to assess complex situations and make timely leadership decisions.
• Basic computer skills, including experience working with Google suite programs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-motivated with strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Team oriented person that invests in being a strong member in a fast paced, dynamic environment.
• Ability to implement harm reduction techniques within a participant-centered framework, including motivational interviewing and trauma-informed care.
• Ability to de-escalate crisis situations and maintain composure in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to maintain professional boundaries while fostering trust with participants. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Lived experience with criminal legal systems, SUD, or living unhoused.
• Three or more years of experience providing milieu management, de-escalation, and onsite support in a shelter or housing environment.
• Bilingual
• Demonstrated experience in non-abstinence-based service provision for individuals experiencing behavioral health challenges.
• Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP)/Substance Use Disorder Professional Trainee (SUDPT).
• Formal education or training in the field of mental health. 

Location

Located in Capitol Hill in Seattle. PSSs may be required to cover other locations as needed, which are located in North Seattle. Working offsite to accompany participants for support is also required. You will need to have a vehicle for this position and you will be reimbursed for your mileage for driving while on shift.

Benefits include:

• 401k match of up to 4% of salary, beginning after six months of employment.
• Annual, 2% of salary, profit sharing contribution to 401k, provided in most years
• Generous medical and dental benefits for employees and family members
• Flexible Spending Agreement for both medical and dependent care needs
• 15 days of vacation per year, increasing annually up to 20 days of vacation per year, after 5 years
• 12 personal/sick days annually.
• 12 shift holidays annually (in lieu of agency-wide holidays).

This is a Fair Labor Standards Act exempt, at-will position; continuation in the position depends on both performance and funding.

Equal Opportunity Employer

PDA is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and fosters an environment free of barriers and discriminatory practices. PDA actively promotes mutual respect, acceptance, teamwork, and productivity. PDA is committed to maintaining an organization whose staff, Board, and clients are diverse in background, experience, race, color, national origin, gender, age, religious affiliation, marital status, sexual identity, sensory, mental or physical abilities, veteran status, and other qualities that strengthen the program while reinforcing its commitment to basic fairness. People of color, those directly impacted by the criminal justice system, people who identify as queer, trans, lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and those with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals needing a reasonable accommodation for the application or interview process should contact hr@WeArePDA.org.

How to Apply

Submit your cover letter and resume, as these documents are required for consideration. Please Note: Only applicants under consideration will be contacted. No phone calls, please.