Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)

Title:  Licensed Vocational Nurse
Division : Project 180
Pay Scale: $31.82 - $36.05

Project 180 Overview

Mission: SSG-Project 180 provides practical and clinical behavioral health, re-entry, and diversion solutions that empower justice-involved Angelenos to achieve lasting personal transformation and reclaim their lives.

Org. Summary: Project 180 is a leader in the forensic treatment space, offering high-quality, specialized treatment programs that serve thousands of justice-involved individuals. Our programs span criminal justice intercepts and include pre-arrest interventions, court-based diversions, jail in-reach, and intensive post-release services. Project 180 operates in partnership with County agencies including the Department of Mental Health (DMH), the Department of Health Services (DHS), and the Justice, Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD). Annually, we serve over 1,500 justice-involved individuals.

At the heart of our organization are our core values - our fundamental, non-negotiable beliefs that guide how we make decisions and work with one another in service of our mission:
 
Humanity: We lead with a people-centered focus, seeking to understand and value the lived experience of others and centering their human dignity.

Integrity: We honor the trust placed in us by doing what is right while fulfilling our commitments - even when no one is watching.

Adaptability: We embrace the pivot, evolving to meet the complex needs of our community.

Empowerment: We cultivate the tools, confidence, resilience, optimism, and agency within every individual to lead their own transformation.

Equity: We honor everyone’s unique journey, meet them where they are and commit to providing the targeted support and resources that allow each individual to contribute and thrive.

Interdependence: We move as a unified team, trading silos for collective strength, recognizing that our greatest impact is achieved together.
 
The Program
The Interim Housing Program (IHP) is a county-funded D epartment of Mental Health (DMH) program for unhoused individuals with significant behavioral health needs. The IHP provides temporary housing and connects individuals to important resources in the community, with the ultimate goal of linking individuals to permanent housing in their community.

The Position
The Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) provides direct clinical care to clients living at the interim housing site(s). The LVN is a member of the program treatment team and is responsible for coordinating care with a multidisciplinary team. This position reports to the Nursing Supervisor. An effective LVN is able to support clients with taking medications as prescribed and engaging in other health promoting behaviors.

Essential Functions:

Provide direct clinical care to ensure high-quality service delivery and outcomes:

- Actively engage clients in services through the development of strong rapport, consistent contact and use of motivational interviewing. Provide outreach services as needed, meeting clients “where they are at” (service location, client’s point of view).
- Complete a medical assessment and intake for all new residents and as indicated. Assist in linking  clients to needed physical health services. Accompany clients to physical health appointments as needed.
- Follow onsite medication room procedures that include medication pre-packing in weekly cassette, observing medication adherence, and providing intramuscular injections. Actively communicate medication adherence issues to the treatment team. 
- Provide medication education and reinforce established prescriber instructions, while referring questions regarding medication purpose/indications, treatment rationale, medication changes, side effects, or other clinical concerns to the supervising prescriber to increase medication adherence and consistent access to care. 
- Ensure clients have access to medications as ordered. Coordinate with pharmacy and prescribers to obtain medication refills, confirm prescriber orders and problem-solve any issues.
- Ensure clinical service delivery is consistent with legal and ethical standards, consistent with the scope of  a LVN. 
- Maintain LA County LPS designation. Complete clinical risk assessment and facilitate psychiatric hospitalization and/or safety planning, as appropriate.
- Apply racial equity lens to all elements of clinical care.

Coordinate care with a multidisciplinary treatment team:

- Support the treatment team in triaging client medical issues and escalating access to medical care as appropriate. 
- Actively contributes to planning and execution of clinical interventions in collaboration with the treatment team. Leverage unique skills and abilities of team members in service delivery. 
- Coordinate client clinical care with community health partners such as primary/specialty providers.

Complete administrative duties per program guidelines:

- Ensure the medication room and medication storage is clean, organized and consistent with program guidelines. Maintain an accurate inventory of medications and ensure that medications are properly disposed of. Participate in internal med room audit procedures. 
- Complete data entry and maintain records per program guidelines. 
- Complete health insurance eligibility checks for all clients per program guidelines.

Provide coverage for other sites:

- Provide clinical coverage at Project 180’s Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) Clinic and PBH/FIST sites as operational needs require. 
- Coverage may include both planned scheduling support and immediate same-day coverage to ensure continuity of nursing services.
- Maintain flexibility to adjust work assignments and schedules to support clinic operations, medication administration, injections, and client care during staffing shortages, planned absences, or other operational needs.

Fulfill baseline Project 180 staff expectations:

- Regular attendance required. Overtime, holiday or weekend work may be required.
- Maintain and uphold Agency mission statement, values, policies, procedures, and principles.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor. 
- Maintain active license and/or registrations as applicable (i.e. LVN, CPR)

Skills and Abilities

- Clinical Expertise: Provides clinical care with a focus on high-quality service delivery.
- Empathetic and able to develop strong relationships with clients
- Collaborative: Able to work in diverse teams to solve complex issues 
- Adaptive to changing circumstances and client needs in a dynamic environment
- Strong critical thinking and problem solving skills, remains calm under pressure. 
- Organized: Strong organization systems and attention to detail
- Communication skills: Clearly conveys information, builds rapport, and effectively engages with clients.

Minimum Qualifications
Required : 
- Active Vocational Nurse license in the state of California
- Experience working with culturally diverse populations.
- Valid CA driver’s license, proof of insurance and own vehicle required. Ability to transport clients in personal vehicle as needed. 
- Must not be on any type of legal supervision (probation or parole).
- Verification of Employment Eligibility and Background Check
- Basic computer skills
- LPS Designation Staff will obtain it within 6 months.

Preferred:  
- Mental health or forensic population experience
- Spanish speaking

Environmental Conditions (Working Conditions)
The employee will be based in a project based housing site and will need to perform job duties throughout the building as well as in the Project 180 office and in field settings.

Physical Requirements

The employee is expected to move about the housing site throughout the day, which may involve  walking, standing, and climbing stairs, or using a mobility device, or similar. The employee is expected to drive, carry a maximum of 20 lbs, listen, and speak in order to complete job requirements.

Mental Requirements

The employee must be able to do any/all of the following: perform complex and varied tasks such as synthesizing information and making decisions without immediate supervision; handle routine distractions, interruptions, noise, and uncontrollable changes in priorities/work schedules; interact professionally and diplomatically in high-stress situations; create and follow plans; meet deadlines.