Housing Justice Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Downtown Women's Center (DWC) seeks full-time Case Manager - Housing with a proven history of high-quality intensive case management services provision, to provide culturally responsive services through the Housing Justice Program. The ideal candidate is focused on providing culturally responsive services to unhoused women, living on Skid Row, who have experienced long-term homelessness and have been historically underserved by traditional housing programs. This innovative program is dedicated to implementing the recommendations of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness and the Ad- Hoc Committee on Women Experiencing Homelessness and is designed to quickly and permanently house the most vulnerable women of Skid Row. The Specialist - Housing Justice is a collaboration between Downtown Women's Center, the Mayor's Office, City Council, and other homeless service sector partners. This role is responsible for providing intensive case management services, housing navigation, and conducting outreach to women in the Skid Row area. The Case Manager will be responsible for engaging women in services, building a caseload, establishing housing linkages and placement, and provide individualized case management using Housing First and Rapid Re-Housing Models. This position will report directly to the Housing Justice Program Supervisor.
Essential Functions

• Provide culturally responsive field-based case management services to the most vulnerable women living in the Skid Row area to secure housing, including landlord engagement, identification of housing locations in the community, conducting biopsychosocial assessments, creating individual service plans, including goals to ensure housing stability, and ensuring women are linked to the appropriate services
• Implement recommendations from the Ad-Hoc Committees on Black People Experiencing Homelessness, and Ad-Hoc Committee on Women Experiencing Homelessness, in providing services ranging from outreach, housing navigation, housing retention and connection with community resources
• Collaborate with community service providers to identify appropriate clients through educational presentations and street outreach, as needed
• Arrange transportation or provide transportation in personal vehicle, as needed, to ensure that clients are able to attend appointments
• Research and provide necessary referrals for linkage with health care, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, food, employment, job training, public benefits and other services as indicated by treatment planning
• Assist newly housed clients in familiarizing and connecting with community resources including but not limited to, local grocery stores, entertainment, transportation, health care and social supports and services
• Address client crisis, as needed
• Work to effectively meet clients' needs and resolve individual barriers through follow-up , advocacy and collaboration with DWC staff and other community service providers
• Process housing applications including but not limited to project-based Permanent Supportive Housing and PHA (Public Housing Authorities) voucher applications
• Maintain accurate and timely records of activities, case management notes, and services provided to each participant
• Participate in weekly individual and group supervision, in addition to other agency meetings and trainings as required
• Participate in quarterly peer chart reviews by providing and responding to colleague feedback and making necessary corrections in a timely manner
• Develop and maintain relationships with clients, staff and local service providers, participate in community meetings pertaining to services benefitting clients, and serve as a representative of DWC at community events
• Be an ambassador of DWC and its mission and values by participating in community meetings/events
• Provide weekly, monthly and as needed written reports to the Program Supervisor as assigned
• Complete any data collection including but not limited to mileage, reimbursement and case notes.
• Advocate for racial equity and eliminating systemic barriers to housing retention
• Additional duties as assigned

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Competencies

• Creativity
• Flexibility
• Empathy
• Communication Proficiency
• Collaboration Skills
• Organization & Time Management
• Teamwork
• Cultural Humility
• Attention to Detail

Supervisory Responsibility
This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.
Work Environment
Downtown Women's Center operates several program and administrative locations in the Skid Row neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles. The organization's primary hub is located on San Pedro Street (SP) and includes participant-facing services, staff and departmental offices, and Permanent Supportive Housing units.
Programs at the SP site include the Day Center, Women's Health Clinic, kitchen and meal services, Trauma Recovery Center, supportive service offices, and housing units, among other operations.
Although some positions may have a primary work location at another DWC program site or within the community, employees in all roles may be expected to attend trainings, meetings, or other work-related activities at the San Pedro (SP) location. Parking near the San Pedro (SP) Access Center is limited, and employees should plan for offsite parking with a short walk to the site.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position:

• Ability to walk moderate distances between DWC sites or within the surrounding community.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Occasional standing, bending, or reaching for files and office supplies.
• Ability to lift up to 15 lbs. (e.g., binders, reports, or office materials).

Ability to maintain focus and attention to detail for extended periods of time.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time, non-exempt field-based position. Days and hours of work are Monday- Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Job Location
Expectation to work either in the field or the office at least four days per week. Must be able to work on-site as scheduled for in-person meetings and trainings.
Travel
Regular travel throughout Los Angeles County is required in this position
Required Education, Experience, and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work or a related field preferred.
• Case management experience required
• Strong knowledge of the complexity of poverty and women's homelessness, multi-culturalism and diversity, trauma, health and mental health issues, substance abuse, and older adults; familiarity with permanent supportive housing model and evidence-based practices
• Familiarity with Housing First model, Motivational Interviewing, Harm Reduction, and other evidence-based practices, preferred
• Experience working in homeless services and familiarity with the Skid Row community strongly preferred
• Resourcefulness in locating housing (market rate rent and subsidized housing).
• Knowledge of Fair Housing laws, eviction prevention and experience working directly with landlords through property management, real estate, or housing navigation services
• Excellent judgment, active listening, crisis intervention skills and conflict resolutions skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities, including proficiency in balancing direct service responsibilities with data management responsibilities
• Strong administrative skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) required
• Ability to be flexible with hours when needed
• Current valid California state driver's license, comprehensive insurance, and good driving record
• Lived experience is a strong plus
• Knowledge of the complex barriers surrounding women's homelessness
• Knowledge of communities that are disproportionately represented in the homeless population (communities of color, LGBTQ+ etc.)
• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills and ability to build relationships with women, coworkers, and community partners from diverse backgrounds
• Demonstrated ability to establish priorities, implement plans, and meet deadlines
• Active listening and problem-solving skills, a solution-oriented attitude, and good judgment
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care
• Cultural humility.
• Must be a CA resident and live no more than 80 miles from DWC; must be available for in-person meetings at DWC.
• Must provide documentation of a negative TB test result within the last twelve months, on first day of hire.

Additional Eligibility Requirements
Background check clearance
Pay Range
$30.18-$30.42/hourly
Work Authorization
Being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment. DWC does not sponsor employment visas, such as H-1B.
Fair Chance Act Statement
Downtown Women's Center will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Downtown Women's Center is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting the Civil Right's Department Fair Chance Act webpage.
Downtown Women's Center provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants and actively seeks candidates who reflect the rich diversity of the communities that we serve. We are committed to a work environment that embraces and promotes individuality and inclusion. We believe that diversity and inclusion of varied perspectives, backgrounds, and life experiences are essential to our organization's effectiveness, and allow us to serve our clients in the respectful, responsive, and understanding way that they deserve. We define diversity in broad terms to include race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, mental or physical disability, marital status, pregnancy, military and veteran status, medical condition, geography, socio-economic status, and other unique attributes that make us who we are.
Downtown Women's Center complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Pay Range: $30.18 - $30.42 per hour