Housing Placement Specialist, MON-FRI, 8:30AM-5PM
Job Description
SCHEDULE: 40 hours; Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., with availability for early mornings, nights & weekends
JOB DESCRIPTION:
The Housing Placement Specialist (HPS) will work within a team of Housing Placement Specialists and Housing Stabilization Specialists to ensure that we develop and execute sustainable and expeditious housing plans for currently homeless guests. The Housing Placement Specialist will engage with shelter guests to reduce barriers to housing and develop individual housing plans that will rapidly lead to safe, affordable housing with the supports necessary to sustain achieved housing. The HPS and her/his team will work under tight timeframes for accurately entering guest information into the Pine Street Inn's approved Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Attention to detail and accuracy is critical in this position, The Housing Placement Specialist will provide exceptional customer service both internally and externally and will work in partnership with other PSI departments to provide integrated service delivery, which furthers our mission to eliminate homelessness.
The Housing Placement Specialist will work from the following principles:
All people experiencing homelessness, regardless of their housing history and duration of homelessness, can achieve housing stability in permanent housing.
Everyone is "housing ready." Sobriety, compliance in treatment, or even a clean criminal history is not necessary to succeed in housing. Rather, homelessness programs and housing providers must be "consumer ready". Leverage guests' strengths, assets, and connections to move quickly out of shelters and to any other housing.
Recognize the impact of violence and victimization on development and coping strategies
Employ an empowerment model
Maximize guest choices and control over her/his recovery based in a relational collaboration
Create an atmosphere that is respectful of the guests' need for safety, respect, and acceptance
Emphasize the guests' strengths, highlighting adaptations over symptoms and resilience over pathology Minimize the possibilities of re-traumatization
Strive to be culturally competent and to understand each person in the context of his or her life experiences and cultural background
Solicit guest input and involve guests in designing and evaluating services
REQUIREMENTS:
BSW, BA or BS in a human services related field [can be substituted for High School Diploma and at least three (3) years of equivalent experience in a social service setting]
Certification, training, or formal education in counseling and/or case management
Valid Massachusetts Driver’s License
A minimum of two (2) years of experience delivering services to a challenged population often struggling with addiction and untreated or under-treated mental health concerns
Strong computer and math skills - including familiarity with MS Word and Excel Experience
Practical experience in working collaboratively with homeless individuals creating housing plans and individual service plans
Experience with helping individuals with budgeting
Experience accessing housing opportunities and subsidy programs for homeless individuals
Knowledge of the issues related to homelessness and housing
Experience navigating systems of housing and care for homeless individuals
Knowledge and experience utilizing Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Informed Care, Harm Reduction, Housing First, and Change Theory in practice
Ability to stand for moderate periods of time, stretch, bend, lift and assist guests up and down stairs during difficult and/or emergency situations.
Ability to respond safely and quickly in case of emergency situations
Ability to travel to and access multiple sites on the streets and within the community
Ability to work independently, make sound judgments and respond appropriately in an emergency
Ability to walk up to 2 miles at time on city streets
Ability to access public transportation
Ability to sit for moderate periods of time at a desk in an office while interacting with clients and/or managing documentation and completing data entry
Must be able to drive a PSI vehicle for work use
Excellent writing, documentation, math and computer skills
Ability to assess clients and make appropriate referrals
Ability to establish good working relationships with internal and external program staff
Strong decision-making and communication skills
Exceptional customer service
Ability to perform an array of difficult tasks at the same time
Patience in working with guests with untreated emotional and/or physical health needs and active substance use/abuse/dependency behaviors
Ability to work in intense emotionally charged situations
Ability to help provide critical incident de-briefing
PREFERRED:
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
DOCUMENTATION AND CONFIDENTIALITY:
*PLEASE NOTE - All credentials and licensures will be reviewed annually as part of the PSI credentialing process. Additionally an annual CORI review and OIG Medicaid Fraud checks will be conducted for the Housing Placement Specialist. Acceptable results of annual credentialing and CORI reviews and OIG Medicaid Fraud checks will be required of the Housing Placement Specialist.
PAY RATE:$20.00 PER HOUR