Housing Specialist (Must Reside in Florida)

Job Description: Job Summary

Provides support for member housing and placement activities, including assisting members at risk of homelessness and members recently discharged from institutions with permanent housing options. Also promotes member self-sufficiency and integration into the community. Contributes to overarching strategy to provide quality and cost-effective member care.

• Essential Job Duties
• Works to identify appropriate residential options for members discharged from state/behavioral health institutions and members at risk of homelessness.
• Understands specific needs of the member needing resources, identifying available options that are the most cost-effective, most integrated and meet desired outcomes.
• Assists with advocacy efforts related to broad-based solutions to help reduce barriers for members to access affordable housing.
• Provides a variety of office and field activities to manage and monitor rapid re-housing/ transition-in-place programs for members.
• Conducts intake interviews and assesses housing barriers of members experiencing homelessness to determine member housing and service needs, goals and eligibility.
• Assists members with development of a strength-based, solution-focused individualized goal and action plan that promotes permanent housing and self-sufficiency.
• Develops an effective, timely referral network for members to ensure ongoing direction and support as needed (e.g., community agencies for assistance with budget counseling and education).
• Provides resources for mediation and advocacy with landlords on behalf of members to develop workable plans to obtain and/or maintain housing.
• Participates in housing collaborative and other housing outreach events with the purpose of expanding the resource base.
• Creates and maintains consistent communication channels, both verbal and written, between involved parties (e.g., tenant, landlord, referral source, collaborating agencies and public housing authorities).
• Participates in the interdisciplinary care team (ICT) for members needing supportive housing services.
• Provides information and referral assistance regarding available support from appropriate social service agencies and/or community programs by maintaining a housing resource guide.
• Conducts proactive follow-up home visits with members to ensure stability and further progress towards self-sufficiency, which may include support, advocacy, reducing isolation, listening, problem-solving and identification of resources to assist with reintegration into the community.