Housing Coord-Entitlement Spec-QU539101

NOTE: All applicants must comply with ICL”s vaccination policy. Individuals selected for employment cannot begin working until they provide verification that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (with an FDA-authorized vaccine).

JOB SUMMARY:

In the Transitional Residence for individuals experiencing homelessness, the Housing Coordinator promotes the attainment of resident permanent housing goals by ongoing assessment of resident housing needs and preferences and the development of housing opportunities in the community. They assist residents with obtaining and keeping any entitlements for which they are eligible and managing their money to facilitate attainment of residents’ housing goals.

ESSENTIAL TASKS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty listed satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions unless this causes undue hardship to the agency.

1. Develop and maintain relationships with housing providers, HRA, SSI, and/or the Veterans Administration.
2. Develop and maintain community resources guides for each of the five boroughs.
3. Find suitable permanent housing in the community.
4. Serve as a liaison between the residence and landlords regarding move-in schedules, leases, rent and utility issues;
5. Collaborate with case management staff to understand the specific housing needs and preferences of residents and act accordingly when searching for housing options.
6. Serve as liaison to the Veteran’s Administration to identify housing for residents that qualify for VA housing.
7. Participate in ongoing reviews of existing linkages for their adequacy and seek to extend the program’s and ICL’s linkages as part of Continuous Quality Improvement.
8. Document efforts to locate and secure housing for residents.
9. Conduct a comprehensive review of the benefits eligibility and status of all residents admitted to the program and develop scenarios for residents that are consistent with their savings and money management plans as to what type of expenditures are necessary, what rate of savings of income would be desirable, and how to accomplish this; evaluate resident needs for entitlements.
10. Assist residents with establishing a representative payee when needed.
11. Maintain Entitlement case records, including the database that will enumerate the status of the individuals’ progress in obtaining and keeping the appropriate level of entitlements and to which system (VA, SSI or HRA) the individual is applying.
12. Assist residents with contacting entitlement agencies.
13. Coordinate and track the resident’s progression toward obtaining and keeping the maximum entitlement allocation;
14. Provide entitlement counseling to residents and staff.
15. Assure that each person residing in shelter is receiving or has applied for the appropriate level of VA, HRA, SSI, SSD, Medicaid, Medicare, and other entitlements.
16. Participate in the development of a resident savings and money management plan within the scope of Department of Homeless Services and Veteran’s regulations.
17. Offer and provide residents both group and individual instruction in budgeting, banking, resident skills such as shopping wisely from a price and product perspective, credit, and taxes; review individual resident budget plans in the context of case management reviews.
18. Collaborate with case managers and the vocational counselor to provide advocacy and technical counseling.

19. Participate in reviews will occur on the first working day following intake and weekly, thereafter, until entitlements issues are resolved.

20. Assist in the orientation of new personnel when requested.

21. Maintain up-to-date, accurate individual paper and electronic case records as directed by the Program Director..

22. Comply with attendance and timekeeping rules and report reliably and regularly to work on an on-going basis.

23. Attend regularly scheduled clinical meetings, staff meetings and supervision as well as in-service training and development activities.

24. Review the staff communications log and make entries concerning essential elements of information designated by program management.

25. Obtain and maintain CPR and First Aid certifications.

26. May have on-call responsibilities.

27. Comply and promote compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and agency policies helping to strengthen and maintain an ethical organizational culture.

28. Immediately report serious incidents, allegations of abuse, incidents, or sensitive situations and completes incident reports in accordance with agency policy.

29. Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Effective problem-solving skills
• Effective interpersonal skills
• Ability to work with diverse individuals
• Ability to work as a member of a team
• Ability to make reasonable and sound evaluative judgments
• Ability to create and compose written materials
• Ability to effectively and efficiently respond to questions from persons served
• Ability to read and understand lease, rental and utility agreements
• Ability to present information to persons served and other employees
• Ability to speak Spanish preferred
• Ability to Drive and stay in good standing with Dept of Motor Vehicles

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree plus two years experience providing case management or housing services, or other relevant human service experience, or bachelor’s degree that required a one-year practicum working directly with individuals with mental disabilities (e.g., BSW) and one year above experience. Or an associate’s degree in a health or human services field (see above fields) and three years of direct care experience, or a high school diploma/GED and four years of experience in providing direct services to individuals with mental disabilities (i.e., persons properly diagnosed as suffering from mental illness, mental retardation, alcoholism, or substance abuse) or to homeless individuals. NYS Driver’s license a plus. Veteran preferred for Veteran’s Shelter positions.

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