JOB DEFINITION:
The Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) is a client-centered recovery-oriented
mental healt service delivery model that has received substantial empirical support for facilitating
community living, psychosocial rehabilitation, and recovery for persons who have the most severe and
persistent mental illnesses, have severe symptoms and impairments, and have not benefited from
traditional outpatient programs.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
* Office will be open 12 hours/day M-F, and 8 hours a day on weekends & holidays. Some staff will
work 8 a.m.- 4 p.m., some staff will work 12 - 8p.m. All staff will work at least one weekend day in their
weekly schedule, so would work either Tue-Sat or Sun-Thu. All staff rotate holiday shifts.
* All staff will rotate on-call (paid) time since this team will cover our 24-hour crisis coverage (both on
the phone & in person) for MH issues for PACT clients. 2 staff will be on-call at any given time to
ensure back-up coverage and safety while doing crisis work. All staff will need to have internet access
at home for after-hours crisis coverage shifts.
* All staff will need to have Driver's Licenses & access to an automobile for work purposes--75% of
services need to be delivered outside DESC offices.
* Experience working with adults who are homeless, have a mental illness and co-occurring substance
abuse issues highly desirable. Bi-lingual English-Spanish fluency highly desirable.
* Desire highly dedicated, self-motivated, team-oriented, creative, resilient people ready for
challenging & rewarding work.
The important characteristics of PACT programs are:
·PACT serves clients with severe and persistent mental illness that are complex, have devastating
effects on functioning, and, because of the limitations of traditional mental health services, may have
gone without appropriate services. Consequently, the client group is often over represented among
the homeless and in jails and prisons, and has been unfairly thought to resist or avoid involvement in
treatment.
·PACT services are delivered by a group of multidisciplinary mental health staff who work as a team
and provide the majority of the treatment, rehabilitation, and support services clients need to achieve
their goals. The team is directed by a project manager, team leader and a psychiatric prescriber and
includes a sufficient number of staff from the core mental health disciplines, at least one peer
specialist, and a program or administrative support staff who work in shifts to cover 24 hours per day,
seven days a week and to provide intensive services (multiple contacts may be as frequent as two to
three times per day, seven days per week, which are based on client need and a mutually agreed
upon plan between the client and PACT staff). Many, if not all, staff share responsibility for addressing
the needs of all clients requiring frequent contact.

·PACT services are individually tailored with each client and address the preferences and identified
goals of each client. The approach with each client emphasizes relationship building and active
involvement in assisting individuals with severe and persistent mental illness to make improvements in
functioning, to better manage symptoms, to achieve individual goals, and to maintain optimism. There
should be no more than 8-10 clients to one staff member.
·The PACT team is mobile and delivers services in community locations to enable each client to find
and live in their own residence and find and maintain work in community jobs rather than expecting the
client to come to the program. Seventy-five percent or more of the services are provided outside of the
program offices in locations that are comfortable and convenient for clients.
·PACT services are delivered in an ongoing rather than time-Iimited framework to aid the process of
recovery and ensure continuity of caregiver. Severe and persistent mental illnesses are episodic
disorders and many clients benefit from the availability of a longer-term treatment approach and
continuity of care.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Master’s – Level Mental Health Professional (MHP)
Mental health professionals have:
1)Professional degrees in one of the core mental health disciplines
2)Clinical training including internships and other supervised practical experiences in a clinical or
rehabilitation setting; and
3)Clinical work experience with persons with severe and persistent mental illness.
MHP designation is defined by the Washington State Mental Health Division.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Submit a Cover Letter and Resume to: DESC-PACT, ATTN: Human Resources, 515 3rd Avenue, Seattle,
WA 98104, or email in Word document to hr@desc.org, or fax to (206)-515-1501
The Downtown Emergency Service Center is committed to diversity in the workplace, and promotes
equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The Agency will not discriminate
against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual
orientation, age, national origin, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical
disability in any employment practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification. Women
and minorities are encouraged to apply.