Housing Intake Specialist (Call Center)

Under the direction of the Client Services Supervisor, the Housing Specialist is a client-focused position serving English- and/or Spanish-speaking individuals in Orange County, and is primarily responsible for providing information, resources, and crises assistance to clients contacting 211OC through the helpline, email, texting, outreach events, or any other means identified by 211OC management. We are a high volume call center and the front line to providing assistance to those in need. We are looking for articulate, caring, good communicators, who are able to maintain a calm and professional demeanor, think on their feet, yet able to handle the call volume we receive from routine questions to more complex issues. We put our callers’ needs first, as we are here to serve our community.

Duties

• Provide social service navigation to clients contacting our contact center at 211OC through the helpline, email, texting methods, outreach events.
• Assess clients’ need and readiness for services and their current barriers to stable housing
• Identify and confirm clients’ existing service connections at time of intake, including but not limited to the services clients report having contacted and the services—including assessments (i.e. Housing Assessment)—clients appear to have accessed according to HMIS
• Help clients establish concrete, attainable housing stability goals and develop action plans for achieving those goals; track clients’ progress toward achieving their housing stability goals, adjusting action plans as needed to overcome barriers.
• Connect clients to community resources tailored to their unique housing needs, strengths, and obstacles; connections may include—but are not limited to—referrals, “warm” hand-offs between clients and partner organizations, and direct enrollment in services, when applicable
• Continuously assess clients’ interest in following and capacity to follow their action plans; refer clients with low interest to lower-level services; connect clients with low capacity to higher-level services
• Follow clients throughout their action plans until one of the following conditions is met: 1) stable permanent housing is achieved, 2) lower interest level results in a referral to lower-level services, or 3) service limitations or unavailability have resulted in an impassable barrier to stable permanent housing; consult with organizational leadership before terminating a client case due to impassable barrier
• Maintain accurate records on all clients, meeting the deadline and thoroughness standards established by your department in HMIS and 211OC’s Information & Referral Database.
• Directly provide clients—or connect them to—appropriate and relevant information, education, and training on diversion, prevention, and housing services, renters’ and landlords’ rights and responsibilities, and other topics that would assist them in remaining or becoming housed
• For clients identified as needing wraparound support from multiple community organizations, plan, coordinate, and manage the provision of wraparound services department
• Serve as liaison between partner organizations’ outreach workers and their clients when the clients contact the helpline requesting updates
• Advocate for clients with housing providers when clients run into barriers
• Meet or exceed all efficiency, deadline, accuracy, and compliance standards established by HUD and/or your
• Learn and develop expert working knowledge of our resource database and its management software.Skills
• Active listening and assessment skills
• Excellent customer service skills
• Computer competency with basic ability to troubleshoot technological failures
• Independent decision-making skills utilizing processes, systems and resources
• Professional communication skills (verbal and written)
• Possess skills in proper telephone etiquette which includes being present, patient, professional and proactive.
• Ability to maintain a calm and sensitive demeanor
• Ability to be part of a team, working internally and externally.

Job Requirements /Technical Knowledge

• High School Diploma or BA/BS Degree in the Human Service Field
• Prior experience providing information and referral services or related experience in the human service field is desirable
• Must be Bilingual (English and Spanish– verbal and written)
• One year of experience working directly with individuals and families in crisis from the community

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $20.00 - $22.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Shift:

• Evening shift
• Morning shift

Ability to Commute:

• Irvine, CA 92614 (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Irvine, CA 92614: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Irvine, CA 92614

Salary : $20 - $22