HomeMy WebLinkAboutFMCoC CES Job Descriptions (2)SUMMARY OF FMCOC CES
EXEMPLAR JOB DESCRIPTIONS
OVERVIEW
This document offers a quick, rough summary of all six positions in order to allow for easier
comparisons.
POSITIONS
Housing Locator – finds new units for clients to live in and preserves relationships with
landlords.
Housing Assessor – conducts intake and triage to find out about a client’s needs.
Housing Matcher – helps connect clients with a particular program or unit based on their
needs, and/or maintains a central database of clients and beds.
Housing Navigator – helps get clients document-ready and remove barriers to housing
Housing Case Manager – coaches particular clients as they search for and secure a unit and
move in
Outreach Worker – talks with unsheltered clients, addresses emergency needs, and encourages
clients to connect to the system of care
1
FMCoC Coordinated Entry Workgroup
Housing Related Staff – Core Duties and Skills
Housing Locator
Essential Job Duties
• Proactively network with landlords (including owners, property managers, real estate associations, and management firms) and conduct research to identify and nurture new and existing housing opportunities.
• Perform initial site visits at all prospective properties to ensure that they meet guidelines for habitability, including HUD Housing Quality Standards.
• Develop and maintain a database of landlords in the community and an active housing inventory list.
• Regularly communicate with Housing Navigators, the Coordinated Entry System, and other housing support staff regarding housing availability and participant housing needs.
• Review leases and negotiate with landlords regarding lease requirements.
• Educate prospective landlords regarding housing assistance, incentives and mitigation funds available and advocate on clients’ behalf with landlords to obtain identified housing.
• Apply knowledge of residential lease contracts and fair housing laws to educate clients of their rights and responsibilities.
• Maintain and nurture ongoing relationships with landlords to support housing stability, prevent evictions and develop direct links to open units.
• Collect and report program data such as the number and type of housing placements made in a given period, HMIS records, and other funder required data.
• Keep an eye on trends in the local rental housing market and bring forward recommendations to address any important market impacts.
Core Qualifications and Training
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of real estate, property management, or similar fields.
• Experience and knowledge of affordable and public housing programs and services.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, networking, and public speaking skills.
• Ability to work with diverse populations, including persons experiencing homelessness.
• Documentation skills, including maintenance of paper files and online data.
• Acceptance of principles and practices of Housing First such as trauma-informed care and safeguarding participant confidentiality.
• Knowledge and experience with housing laws is desirable.
• Excellent organizational skills and able to self-motivate; able to work under pressure, address multiple priorities and meet deadlines with a positive attitude and problem-solving approach.
1
FMCoC Coordinated Entry Workgroup
Housing Related Staff – Core Duties and Skills
Housing Assessor
Essential Job Duties
• Build rapport and develop relationships with clients experiencing homelessness.
• Learn about and document the needs, habits, and demographics of clients experiencing homelessness.
• Rapidly and accurately identify each client’s housing strengths and barriers to housing.
• Interview clients and conduct assessments using appropriate techniques to gather accurate information without unduly distressing clients.
• Apply agreed-upon policies and procedures to classify clients and recommend them for appropriate categories of housing interventions.
• Determine whether clients are likely to be eligible for particular programs and services.
• Discuss housing needs and wants with clients to identify unit size, amenities, and neighborhood(s) that could successfully house each client.
• Maintain good lines of communication with Housing Locators, the Coordinated Entry System, and other housing support staff.
• Ask clients to sign release of information forms, and, with their permission, collect and report program data in electronic databases such as HMIS.
Core Qualifications and Training
• Some knowledge of housing services, supportive services, and community resources for households with very low income.
• Some knowledge of mainstream benefits.
• Strong verbal communication skills, including cultural competency skills.
• Ability to work with diverse populations, including persons experiencing homelessness.
• Documentation skills, including maintenance of paper files and online data.
• Familiarity with and commitment to principles and practices of Housing First, trauma-informed and participant-centered care, harm reduction, motivational interviewing and safeguarding participant confidentiality.
• Interest in working on a team and being collaborative.
• Able to rapidly build trust with a wide variety of clients.
1
FMCoC Coordinated Entry Workgroup
Housing Related Staff – Core Duties and Skills
Housing Navigator
Essential Job Duties
• Identify and address barriers to housing faced by clients such as poor credit, criminal justice involvement, and pending evictions.
• Assist clients in securing documents needed to obtain housing, such as ID and proof of a history of homelessness.
• Confirm a client’s eligibility for particular programs and services.
• Discuss housing needs and wants with clients to identify unit size, amenities, and neighborhood(s) that could successfully house each client.
• Work with housing program staff to coordinate initial client meetings and discuss program expectations; support clients in preparing for housing interviews.
• Assist clients in getting on Public Housing Authority voucher waitlists, and in completion of supportive and subsidized housing paperwork.
• Assist clients with applying for and obtaining housing vacancies, including: working with clients, landlords and utility companies to complete and submit all required documents for the client; monitor the application process; follow up on housing inspections; and complete rent reasonableness documentation.
• Help clients request reasonable accommodations or housing rejection appeals when appropriate.
• Maintain good lines of communication with Housing Locators, the Coordinated Entry System, and other housing support staff.
• Collect and record all information and documentation in HMIS.
Core Qualifications and Training
• Case management experience, particularly with large caseloads.
• Strong knowledge of housing services, supportive services, and community resources for households with very low income.
• Strong knowledge of mainstream benefits.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, including cultural competency skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations, including persons experiencing homelessness.
• Documentation skills, including maintenance of paper files and online data.
• Familiarity with and commitment to principles and practices of Housing First, trauma-informed and participant-centered care, harm reduction, motivational interviewing and safeguarding participant confidentiality.
• Experience working on a team and being collaborative.
• Should be motivated to proactively troubleshoot barriers to housing until those barriers are removed, rather than giving up after encountering an obstacle.
1
FMCoC Coordinated Entry Workgroup
Housing Related Staff – Core Duties and Skills
Housing Matcher
Essential Job Duties
• Apply agreed-upon policies and procedures to classify clients and recommend them for appropriate categories of housing interventions.
• Determine whether clients are likely to be eligible for particular programs and services.
• Evaluate client files and make recommendations about where those clients can or should be housed.
• Evaluate client files and make recommendations about what additional resources (documents, assessments, subsidies, navigators, etc.), if any, are needed to successfully house those clients.
• Brainstorm solutions for clients who are challenging to connect with appropriate housing.
• Develop and maintain databases, lists, and other tracking tools that help build a picture of the overall housing needs and housing resources of the community.
• Train providers, staff, and volunteers on how to follow appropriate procedures when giving or receiving referrals for housing or services.
• Maintain good lines of communication with Housing Locators, the Coordinated Entry System, and other housing support staff.
• Prepare aggregate client data in electronic databases such as HMIS.
Core Qualifications and Training
• Excellent knowledge of housing services, supportive services, and community resources for households with very low income.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including skill at facilitation, training, and conflict resolution.
• Very strong documentation skills, including the ability to train others on proper maintenance of paper files and online data.
• Familiarity with and commitment to principles and practices of Housing First, trauma-informed and participant-centered care, harm reduction, motivational interviewing and safeguarding participant confidentiality.
• Demonstrated experience in leading or facilitating groups of diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational skills and able to self-motivate; able to work under pressure, address multiple priorities and meet deadlines with a positive attitude and problem-solving approach.
1
FMCoC Coordinated Entry Workgroup
Housing Related Staff – Core Duties and Skills
Housing Case Manager
Essential Job Duties
• Encourage clients to proactively search for housing through motivational interviewing and other forms of trauma-informed care.
• Help clients understand the relevant options in their housing search.
• Coach and counsel clients to help them resolve their barriers to housing and improve on their housing strengths by, e.g., improving their income or improving their conflict resolution skills.
• Guide and support clients through the steps required to secure housing, e.g. completing assessments, filling out applications, and signing a lease.
• Conduct or facilitate site visits to confirm that a client’s intended home meets the relevant guidelines for habitability, such as HUD Housing Quality Standards.
• Help connect landlords with appropriately skilled people who can make any repairs necessary to a client’s current or prospective home.
• Review the terms of leases to ensure that they meet program requirements and that they will be sustainable for particular clients.
• Help clients with the logistics, equipment, furniture, and emotional support needed for successfully moving into a new home.
• Counsel clients to assist them with any fears or concerns they have around moving into a new home to help them stabilize in their new housing.
• Work with clients to resolve any conflicts, difficulties, or problems that arise after move-in.
• Promote clients’ long-term housing stability by helping them make progress on life goals such as employment, reconciliation with family, and/or mainstream benefits.
• Regularly communicate with Housing Navigators, the Coordinated Entry System, and other housing support staff regarding housing availability and participant housing needs.
• Collect and report program data, including but not limited to tracking all housing placements and case notes in HMIS and other funder required data.
Core Qualifications and Training
• Excellent verbal and written communication, including cultural competency skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations, including persons experiencing homelessness.
• Documentation skills, including maintenance of paper files and online data.
• Familiarity with and commitment to principles and practices of Housing First, trauma-informed and participant-centered care, harm reduction, motivational interviewing and safeguarding participant confidentiality.
• Experience working on a team and being collaborative.
• Knowledge of community resources for households with very low incomes
1
FMCoC Coordinated Entry Workgroup
Housing Related Staff – Core Duties and Skills
Outreach Worker
Essential Job Duties
• Travel through neighborhoods and/or remote areas where people experiencing homelessness are believed to reside in order to identify and make contact with clients.
• Build rapport and develop relationships with clients experiencing homelessness.
• Learn about and document the needs, habits, and demographics of clients experiencing homelessness.
• Encourage clients to take advantage of housing programs, shelter, and related services through motivational interviewing and other forms of trauma-informed care.
• Help clients enroll in mainstream benefits such as health insurance and disability payments.
• Help clients understand the relevant options in their search for housing and/or shelter.
• Communicate regularly with other service providers and arrange for warm hand-offs of clients to providers that have relevant services.
• Arrange for transportation and scheduling of appointments for clients.
• Distribute emergency supplies such as food, clothing, toiletries, and communication equipment to clients.
• Regularly communicate with Housing Navigators, the Coordinated Entry System, and other housing support staff regarding housing availability and participant housing needs.
• Ask clients to sign release of information forms, and, with their permission, collect and report program data in electronic databases such as HMIS.
Core Qualifications and Training
• Excellent verbal communication skills, including cultural competency skills.
• Ability to safely travel to and through a wide variety of neighborhoods and/or remote areas in your region.
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations, including people experiencing unsheltered and/or chronic homelessness.
• Documentation skills, including maintenance of paper files and online data.
• Familiarity with and commitment to principles and practices of Housing First, trauma-informed and participant-centered care, harm reduction, motivational interviewing and safeguarding participant confidentiality.
• Experience working on a team and being collaborative.
• Knowledge of community resources for households with very low incomes