Homeless Services Specialist

The work involves performing intensive case management and providing supportive services specific to social services homeless unit. The incumbent will complete service recipient interviews and case assessments, formulates and carries out plans to meet the individual problems of cases assigned, provide a high level of support to refer and engage the recipients with all necessary services and may act as an intensive case manager individuals facing homelessness.. Intensive work will be performed to ensure that the clients receive safe and habitable housing funded through the Department. Work is performed under the direct supervision of a higher-ranking administrative or supervisory employee. Does related work as required.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:

Interviews applicants and refer for internal and external services and makes field investigations to verify intake information and to ascertain needs; Prepares case assessments, including recommendations as to services required to attain defined goals; Provides intensive case management services to the homeless population; Assesses risk/safety of families; Recommends referrals to other agencies; Continually engages with all ancillary service providers to ensure active participation; Makes plans for services and assistance to address barriers of the cases assigned and after approval, puts plans into effect; Conducts routine habitability inspections of temporary housing, including but not limited to homeless shelters and hotels, and follow up with deficiency corrections; Reviews assigned cases periodically to determine changes affecting client circumstances and need for service, including follow-up field investigations; Gives advice and counsel to applicants and clients to assist in solving personal, family, domestic and financial problems; Determines categorical eligibility to assure appropriate Federal reimbursement for services provided; Conducts inservice training to agency providers, as well as the homeless population; Dictates case records, composes letters and reports as required; Maintains case records on computer system; Attends in-service training programs and meetings; Convenes and/or participates in case conferences; Transports families as needed, utilizing personal vehicle; Conduct field visits as required;

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Good knowledge of modern principles and practices of case management; good knowledge of homeless services and concerns related to homelessness; good knowledge of Federal, State and local laws and programs relating to public welfare and the care of individuals and families; skill in interviewing; ability to apply knowledge in performance of duties; ability to establish and maintain successful relationships with others; tact; empathy; initiative; capable of performing the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Completion of 60 college credit hours* and three (3) years of experience** providing casework to homeless population or with the identification and securing of long-term housing.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Eligibility for a New York State driver license at the time of application. Possession of the license and use of a private automobile required at time of appointment. Homeless Services Specialists will be required to use their personal vehicle to routinely transport service recipients to appointments and/or on housing searches. Applicants for designated positions in the Department of Social Services that may have access to federal tax information to perform his/her job duties shall be subject to a suitability background check investigation, including FBI fingerprinting, local law enforcement check, and verification check of citizenship/residency. A criminal record does not necessarily disqualify applicants from employment, rather an individualized determination will be made. The cost of the background check will be assumed by the Department of Social Services. Applicants for designated positions in the Department of Social Services that may have regular and substantial unsupervised or unrestricted contact with children shall be subject to background checks according to the New York State Justice Center’s Staff Exclusion List (SEL) and New York State Office of Children and Family Services Statewide Central Register of Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). Inquiries on current employees shall be made annually and prior to promotion but no more often than once in any six month period (N.Y. Social Services Law 424-A.) Candidates/applicants with conditional offers of employment may be required to submit the necessary fee(s) for background screening and inquiries shall be completed prior to employment hiring/start date. Refusal to sign the necessary clearance forms, submit the required associated fees and/or participate in the review process shall be cause for an automatic non-selection. In addition, inquiry responses are subject to evaluation and may result in disqualification pursuant to Section 50 of the New York State Civil Service Law.

NOTE 1: *Your degree/credits must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee.

NOTE 2: **Possession of a Bachelor’s Degree may be substituted for one year of the required experience above.

NOTE 3: Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting full-time experience requirements

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $59,024.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Work Location: In person

Salary : $59,024