Housing Specialist

Description

Housing Specialist

Department

Community Support Services (CSS)

Created

8/22/2023

Reports to

Housing Services Manager

Revised

8/26/2024

FLSA Status

Non-exempt

EEO - 1

Service Workers

Position Type

Full Time

Travel

Regular travel within Lyon & Chase Counties

Work Hours

Mon – Fri, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Positions Supervised

None

Summary

The Housing Specialist position assists with quick access to housing search and placement, building community/landlord partnerships, reducing housing barriers, and leveraging supportive services that will assist the individual household to maintain permanent housing. Provides a variety of office and community-based activities to manage and monitor housing and transitions for individuals and families, performs direct client services, and completes necessary documentation and collaborations.

Essential Functions

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

• Assures housing referrals are completed in a timely manner.
• Understands and appropriately uses Supported Housing funds when available.
• Understands and supports the Housing grant goals.
• Collects and reports program data.
• Works with homeless or housing-insecure population to obtain shelter, temporary, and/or permanent housing; provides proactive support for maintaining housing and preventing eviction.
• Collaborates with government agencies, community organizations, and property owners to build working partnerships and housing solutions.
• Provides mediation and advocacy with landlords on the participant’s behalf to develop a workable plan to obtain and maintain housing.
• Assesses housing barriers of individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or are at-risk of homelessness to determine housing and service needs.
• Assists individuals utilizing strengths-based practices in locating and securing housing.
• Transports individuals as deemed necessary. Transportation requirements should be limited to housing and relevant social service agencies.
• Ensures individuals understand their rights and responsibilities as tenants.
• Assists with crisis planning and provide crisis intervention services when appropriate.
• Meets or exceeds the billable hour standard of client contact hours set for position.
• Maintains accurate and complete records of all client services, as defined by state licensing agencies, funding agencies, and CrossWinds standards and requirements. Submits daily appointment sheets, progress notes, timesheets, and all work-related paperwork in a timely manner and in acceptable format as determined by agency requirements.
• Demonstrates a high level of initiative and creates a positive model for clients to emulate.
• Attends professional workshops and seminars in order to maintain and improve professional skills and meet licensure/certification requirements.

Work Environment

This job operates primarily in a professional office setting. This position works directly with clients, the treatment team, and outside agencies. This role regularly uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; handle objects; grasp and reach for items with hands and arms; manipulate hands and fingers; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, or crouch; and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds. The employee is required to become certified in Managing Aggressive Behaviors (MAB), which includes training in proper restraint/physical intervention techniques to be utilized as a last resort. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Language skills are required, including the ability to read, write, comprehend, and speak the English language. This position also requires the ability to interpret written materials, write reports and business correspondence, and effectively present and respond to questions. 

Important Information

This job description has been examined for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The agency has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee’s ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and the agency reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the agency may deem appropriate.

Requirements

Skills & Abilities

Education & Experience

Associate’s degree plus two years’ experience in the health and human services field OR four years’ experience in the health and human services field is required. Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, or counseling is preferred.

Certifications & Licenses

Must complete Case Management Training and provide certificate within 6 months of hire.

Computer Skills

Computer experience in Microsoft Office programs and basic computer fluency.

Additional Qualifications

Ability to work with persons with severe and persistent mental illness; ability to work independently and as a member of a therapeutic team; possess demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to react effectively in a variety of human service situations.