Crisis Housing Specialist

OVERVIEW

Our homeless services team is growing! We’re looking for a Crisis Housing Specialist to help our community’s effort to reach functional zero for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. The Crisis Housing Specialist is a full-time position working with persons experiencing a housing crisis because they are currently unhoused or at risk of losing housing. The position includes advocacy, mediation, assessment, planning, creative thinking, and linking resources. The Crisis Housing Specialist works independently, and is part of the Coordinated Entry System (CES) team reporting to the Community Impact Manager for Basic Needs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Accept and track referrals from Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services.
• Conduct barrier assessments, enroll households in Coordinated Entry, and participate in case conferencing to facilitate warm hand-offs to housing resources.
• Conduct housing stability assessments stability assessments with clients who are unhoused or at risk of becoming unhoused to create a housing plan with goals and timeframes that identifies barriers to housing stability and action steps to address them.
• Assist clients with accessing SOAR advocate services for state and federal benefits.
• Assist with housing searches and landlord negotiations. If needed, provide tenant/landlord mediation.
• Work with referred participants to develop household budget based upon analysis of prior income and expenditures; discussing alternatives that might also be workable for the client’s needs; and assisting or providing credit counseling or coaching.
• Provide referrals to assist participants in leveraging other funds and services.
• Provide follow-up with participants to inquire about and track their progress with their housing action plan.
• Coordinate with other service providers to meet service and housing needs.
• Perform ongoing, individualized support and coordination for program-eligible households once stabilized in permanent housing.
• Document services and activities and closing out files when clients’ needs are met or no longer request services.
• Track expected outcomes from Housing Counseling services such as: participants’ progress toward self-sufficiency, reduced risk as evidenced by progress on the self-sufficiency matrix, and the number of participants that maintain or obtain permanent housing and who are securely and safely housed.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with entering client information and tracking client progress in a computer database.
• Experience in case management with persons experiencing serious mental illness.
• Strong verbal and writing presentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Strong program management skills and/or traits, including decisiveness, problem solving, communication, integrity, time management, and effective use of resources.
• Strong computer skills and proficiency in productivity software including Microsoft Outlook and Office.
• Bachelor of Social Work required; LMSW preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of human services, mental health services, domestic violence services, and the homeless service system of Sedgwick County.
• Demonstrated sensitivity to issues related to poverty and the barriers faced by people with low incomes.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Experience with Sedgwick County’s Homeless Management Information System, Eccovia ClientTrack.
• Experience administering the VI-SPDAT and housing clients through Coordinated Entry.
• Experience recruiting landlords for housing high-need individuals, including persons with mental health or substance use disorders.
• Four or more years’ experience working with unhoused/homeless clients.
• Experience administering outpatient human services.

SCHEDULE

• Normal schedule is Monday through Friday 8 am – 5 pm, although flexibility required for hours outside of the normal schedule.
• Remote work may be available dependent on specific tasks and the ability to complete activities remotely.

HOW TO APPLY

Submit your cover letter and resume via email to careers@unitedwayplains.org with “Crisis Housing Specialist” in the subject line.

Application Deadline:
For priority consideration, apply by March 15, 2023; position will remain open until filled.

The United Way of the Plains is committed to providing Equal Opportunity in Employment, to all applicants and employees regardless of, race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, military status, veteran status, handicap, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.