The Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) is a client-centered recovery-oriented mental health
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.
* 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.

The following position is open for applications:
PEER SPECIALIST: A person who is or has been a recipient of mental health services for severe and persistent
mental illness holds this position. Because of their life experience with mental illness and mental health services, the
peer specialist provides expertise that professional training cannot replicate. Peer specialists are fully integrated team
members who provide highly individualized services in the community and promote client self-determination and
decision-making. Peer specialists also provide essential expertise and consultation to the entire team to promote a
culture in which each client's point of view and preferences are recognized, understood, respected and integrated into
treatment, rehabilitation, and community self-help activities. Staff hired must be certified by the Washington State
Peer Support Counselor Training Program within 1 year of employment with PACT team.
Pay range:
· $31,815-35,943/yr DOQ = High School Diploma, Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree with less than 2 years
post-graduate experience with experience with chronically mentally ill adults who have similar backgrounds as
DESC clients
· $36,450-40,578/yr DOQ = Master’s degree in a social or behavioral science or relevant field AND 2 years postgraduate
experience with chronically mentally ill adults who have similar backgrounds as DESC clients.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
TO APPLY: please submit a letter of interest and current resume to Human Resources
(hr@desc.org) at 515 3rd Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104. Current employees must submit a
letter and resume to both hr@desc.org and hfreese@desc.org.
Submit a letter of interest with a current resume to:
DESC- PACT
ATTN: Human Resource
515 Third Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
Letter and Resume may also be e-mailed to – hr@desc.org
Or Letter and Resume may faxed 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.