Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), Nelson County
Center for Rural Services
Region Ten Community Services Board

CLASSIFICATION TITLE: Community Services Associate III

General Statement of Responsibilities:
This is a FLSA non-exempt position. The incumbent serves as a CSA III Peer Provider for the Assertive Community Treatment
Team, and is responsible for an array of direct supportive services to persons with serious mental illnesses living in apartments
or other housing arrangements. Services will include monitoring, assessments of functioning, skill development, behavioral
programming, and personal and social supports with an overall goal of assisting clients to remain psychiatrically stable. The
incumbent utilizes his/her experiences as a primary mental health service counselor to engage, motivate, and support ACT
clients.

The incumbent reports to the Program Manager for ACT in Nelson County and performs duties by proceeding in consort with
other treatment providers. The CSA III is expected to perform duties as specified and according to the policies of Region Ten
Community Services Board, as well as those of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS).

The essential functions of this job are starred below (*) under “Major duties.”

Major Duties:
1. *Be a member of the individual treatment team for an assigned number of consumers.
2. *Provide support services to individuals with co-occurring or substance use disorders.
3. *Provide WRAP programming for consumers of the PACT team.
4. *Assess needs and plan services according to individual strengths and needs; with the consumer, develop the individual

service plan, following tenets of Person-Centered Planning process; provide ongoing monitoring of consumer's mental
status and plan/perform interventions accordingly.

5. *Provide all rehabilitative services to consumers, including but not limited to: training in ADLs; monitoring of and
assistance with attending to nutritional and medical needs; assisting with medication management; helping to locate and
effectively use community resources; enhancing community adjustment and integration by developing services which
increase opportunities for community access and involvement; providing social skills training in order to increase
consumers' social competence.

6. *Maintain appropriate consumer records, staying up-to-date on all required paperwork and documentation for billing.
7. *Participate in daily staff organizational meetings and treatment planning review meetings.
8. *Attend in-service trainings and staff development programs to enhance service understanding and provision.
9. *Acquire and maintain valid certification in First Aid, CPR, medication administration, non-aversive behavior management

and defensive driving in order to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the program.
10. *Read all agency communication (i.e., ConnecTen, Region Ten's newsletter, Email, etc.).
11. * Perform other duties as assigned related to program requirements.
12. Perform specific tasks as assigned related to program requirements, as detailed below:

Psychiatric Treatment and Substance Use Treatment Services
1. Contribute to assessment of consumers’ mental illnesses symptoms and consumers’ response to treatment. Make

appropriate changes in treatment plans to ensure immediate and appropriate interventions are provided in response to
changes in mental status or behavior which put consumers at risk (e.g., suicidality).

2. Provide direct services to consumers on an individual basis in the office and in community settings to teach behavioral
symptom-management techniques to alleviate and manage consumers to adapt to and cope with internal and external
stresses.

Structuring Time and Employment
1. Provide work-related supportive services such as assistance with grooming and personal hygiene, securing of appropriate

clothing, wake-up calls, transportation.
2. Make referrals to ICT Case Manager and assist as necessary in getting consumers to participate.

Activities of Daily Living Services
1. Provide ongoing assessment, problem solving, side-by-side services, skill training, supervision (e.g. prompts, assignments,

monitoring, encouragement), and environmental adaptations to assist consumers with activities of daily living.
2. Assist and support consumers to carry out personal hygiene and grooming tasks.
3. Provide nutrition education, meal planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation.
4. Assist consumers to find and maintain a safe and affordable place to live-apartment hunting, finding a roommate, landlord

negotiations, cleaning, furnishing and decorating, and procuring necessities (e.g. telephone, furnishings, linens).
5. Assist and support consumers to perform household activities, including house cleaning and laundry.
6. Ensure that consumers have adequate financial support (e.g. help to gain employment or apply for entitlement).

Teach money-management skills (e.g. budgeting and bill paying) and assist consumers in accessing financial services

(e.g. professional financial counseling, emergency loan sources).

7. Help consumers to access reliable transportation (e.g. obtain a driver’s license and car, arrange for cabs, access bus line,
find rides.)

8. Assist and support consumers to have and effectively use a personal physician and dentist.

Social and Interpersonal Relationships and Leisure Time
1. Plan, structure, and prompt social and leisure-time activities on evenings, weekend, and holidays.
2. Provide side-by-side support and coaching to help consumers socialize (e.g. going with a consumer to a basketball game,

coaching and supporting a consumer before he or she goes to a family reunion).
3. Organize and lead individual and group social and recreational activities to structure consumers’ time, increase social

experiences, and provide opportunities to practice social skills and receive feedback and support.

Support
1. Provide practical help and supports, advocacy, coordination, side-by-side individualized support, problem solving,

direct assistance, training, and supervision to help consumers obtain the necessities of daily living including medical
and dental health care; legal and advocacy services; financial support such as entitlement (e.g., SSI, SSDI and
veteran’s benefits) or housing subsidies (e.g. HUD Section 8); supported housing (e.g. adult foster care, paid
roommates, meals brought in for those who need it); money-management services (e.g. payee ships); and
transportation.

Qualifications:
To ensure the safe and efficient operation of the program, a valid Virginia Driver’s License plus an acceptable driving record as
issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles are required. For business use of a personal car, a certificate of valid personal
automobile insurance must be provided. Staff shall be a certified peer recovery specialist (CPRS), or shall become certified
within the first year of employment. Must be able to perform CPR/First Aid intervention. The Community Services Associate III
must have life experience with services for mental illnesses. In addition, the incumbent must possess the following knowledge,
skills, and abilities:

Knowledge of: characteristics of severe mental illness and mental illness with chemical abuse; psychosocial rehabilitation
principles and techniques; crisis prevention and management; procedures for preventing, diffusing and managing aggression;
emergency procedures; first aid; CPR; business arithmetic; and computer skills.

Skills in: implementation of psychiatric rehabilitation goals and objectives for each consumer; monitoring consumer mental
status; observing medication effects, identifying alcohol or drug abuse; relating to a wide array of psychiatric impaired
consumers; recognizing and responding to medical emergencies; personal computers and keyboarding; and recording
information.

Abilities to: make sound and safe decisions as regards behavior management, health needs, emergencies; perform work
assignments under little or no direct (i.e. present) supervision; analyze needs of consumers and respond appropriately; de-
escalate and manage aggressive persons; and drive defensively.

CLINICAL PROVIDER PERFORMANCE EVALUATION STANDARDS:
This position is evaluated according to the Clinical Provider Performance Evaluation Standards.

Position Location: Nelson Counseling Center
71 Tanbark Plaza

Lovingston Va, 22949



POSITION ORGANIZATION CHART

Program Manager

I
Community Services Associate III

GRADE: 8

SCHEDULE: As scheduled, variable evening & weekend shifts.

Position Description Updated: November 3, 2022

I have reviewed this job description and acknowledge the duties as well as the KSA (knowledge, skills, abilities) included in this
description. I also understand the performance standards as they apply to this position.