Job Title: Family Advocate Rent Assistance – Temporary (90 Days)

Reports to: Supportive Community Programs Manager

Hours: Full time, Non-Exempt, generally 8-5 M-F

Location: Rockwood Building

Compensation: $21.02 - $24.95 DOE

Want to help make a difference? For more than 30 years, Our Just Future has been working to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by empowering families and helping them build pathways out of poverty. Our comprehensive programs give people the skills and resources they need to be successful. Our programs include services for homeless families, eviction prevention, supportive services, employment services, energy assistance, and the development and operation of affordable housing.

Diversity, inclusion and equity are fundamental values for Our Just Future, both internally and externally. HSI has a Diversity Committee, which serves as a sounding board for new internal policies and procedures to make sure that we’re taking into account diversity and inclusion. It also helps with diversity-related projects, such as staff diversity trainings, assessing our equity as an organization and developing an equity lens for our work.

Our Just Future is working to end homelessness and poverty in our community because everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

What Our Just Future Can Offer You: We offer benefits in support of your physical, emotional and financial well-being. A few highlights:

10 paid holidays, a floating birthday holiday and the ability to maintain a great work/life balance.
Professional development opportunities, including employee driven committees and monthly optional staff workshops.
Access to wellness initiatives and resources including things such as walking groups, yoga classes at two office locations and workshops on stress management, self-care and healthy living.

SUMMARY

Provide strengths-based family advocacy with families and individuals who may be homeless, at risk of becoming homeless or in need of other supportive services. Many participants have aspirations for them and their family and face multiple challenging issues that may be barriers for them. Deliver services within the framework of Assertive Engagement and Trauma Informed Care to help them achieve their aspirations. Work in collaboration with family members to develop and maintain the implementation of a holistic goal plan aimed at addressing six life domains – Housing, Income, Education, Positive Child Development, Wellness & Health, and Social Capital. Provide telephone and in person screening and perform intakes for program eligibility. This position will have a focused component with our partnership with WorkSource Inc and aligned partnership systems to increase financial stability for households through the EOP Rent Assistance Program. Part of an expansion of the EOP RA program, there will be targeted efforts to serve African Americans and/or Native Americans who have been justice involved to provide them with housing supports as they make changes in their lives.

Provide rent assistance coordination for referred participants. The Rent Assistance Advocate will be responsible for training and coordinating partner organizations of the rent assistance process, ensuring program quality, and reporting. They will work closely with network of partnering agencies. They will be responsible for all aspects of rent payment or housing placement, including but not limited to the following: all contact with landlords, Home Forward program application approval process, apartment inspection, determination of rent reasonableness, identifying possible units, assisting with lease agreement, and helping participant navigate Landlord/tenant laws.

DUTIES & RESPONSBILITIES

Essential

Conduct an in-depth eligibility and assessment with applicants for service including but not limited to: demographics, income verification, housing status and short and long term needs and goals.
Collaborate with household members to develop and implement an individualized and flexible action plan with specific goals, which systematically addresses the six life domains - Housing, Income, Education, Positive Child Development, Wellness & Health, and Social Capital.
Apply program funds appropriately to each household based on their goal plan and assess the duration of participation in program based on the identified needs of the household.
Utilize Assertive Engagement and Trauma Informed Care skills in a culturally responsive approach to effectively move families forward with the goals they set for themselves.
Perform housing quality inspections as required by funders prior to completing rent assistance process.
Engage with households at least once a month to update progress, address other needs, and provide any other ongoing supportive services.
Use creativity and resourcefulness to ensure that families are aware of all community resources available for them and advocate with other service providers for the needs of families as appropriate, which may include, but are not limited to, housing stability, counseling services, and legal services.
Organize and maintain files up to standards required by the funders. This includes, but is not limited to, current case notes and goal plans for each household and make regular entries regarding the status of their situation and their activities to achieve goals. Proper eligibility documentation.
Maintain accurate, complete, up-to-date documentation of service activities using Our Just Future procedures, forms and data reporting systems. Submit paperwork in a timely manner.

Secondary

Conduct telephone or written follow ups with each household in accordance with requirements of funding sources.
Participate in regular supervision check-ins, monthly department staff meetings and all staff trainings.
Participate in community meetings/outreach events as appropriate, including but not limited to information and referral and interagency partnerships.
Other duties as assigned. It is impossible to predict the many requests and assignments that can and will be made in this position. Flexibility and a cooperative spirit are important for the successful operation of Our Just Future.

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge and abilities required.

Knowledge of:

Social, economic, and systemic issues creating poverty, working successfully with practices and techniques related to people with low income to achieve greater housing stability.
Community resources and agencies providing social services needed by homeless and low income population.
The effects of trauma and how trauma can impact families experiencing homelessness and poverty.

Ability to:

Partner with participants to identify their strengths, needs, options and effective solutions.
Non-judgmentally elicit information and help problem solve around sensitive issues including, but not limited to, alcohol and drug use, domestic violence, child abuse and mental health, and criminal background.
Plan and collaborate delivery of services.
Empower and support homeless and low income persons in life choices and change.
Knowledge of, and/or willingness to learn and apply an Assertive Engagement model of providing services and incorporating Trauma-Informed principles to services rendered.
Work cooperatively with all volunteers and staff.
Develop and maintain productive working relationships within Our Just Future, with public and private agencies, the general public and participants.
Be culturally sensitive and competent when working with diverse populations.
Prepare and maintain clear, accurate, complete and timely records and reports.
Maintain strict confidentiality and professional boundaries with all households served.
Understand and follow complex written and oral instructions, rules and procedures.
Work independently and be a vital and contributing part of a team.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's Degree in social service/social sciences field with at least six (6) months case management experience; or any combination of education and work experience in social services and case management totaling four years.
Experience with crisis intervention, community networking and resource development.
Experience delivering services in a culturally responsive approach using Assertive Engagement techniques (i.e. Strength Based Case Management, Motivational Interviewing, Assertive Community Treatment).
Experience in providing culturally specific services to African American and/or Native American populations.
Experience in providing services to justice involved populations.
Bi-Lingual/Bi-Cultural preferred but not required.
English fluency required, written and spoken.
General computer and word processing skills and willingness to advance computer skills.
Experience and intermediate skills with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

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

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; sit; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and distance vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

TRANSPORTATION

Possession of a valid driver’s license, clean driving record and reliable transportation required. Vehicle insurance coverage limits must be $100,000 bodily injury liability for one person, $300,000 bodily injury liability for all people in an accident and $100,000 property damage liability.

TO APPLYPlease have resume with cover letter and contact information (Name, phone and email) for three professional references upon applying. Letters of reference are not necessary, simply the names and contact information of people who can provide a professional reference.

OUR JUST FUTURE

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Family Advocate Rent Assistance - Temporary (90 Days)