What are the responsibilities and job description for the Housing Navigator position at Hope The Mission?
Position Summary
The mission of Hope the Mission is to prevent, reduce, and eliminate poverty, hunger, and homelessness by offering immediate assistance and long-term solutions. Our mission is to meet our participants' needs through an individualized and non-judgmental approach that will ultimately lead to long term housing stability.
The Housing Navigator - The Housing Navigator is responsible to provide assistance and support to homeless individuals in the following areas: housing focused case management, housing readiness, accessing housing assistance programs (such as Time Limited Subsidy) and permanent housing placement. Duties include securing income documentation, creating a budget/savings plan, coordinating service referrals and crisis intervention. Working within the Coordinated Entry System and maintaining thorough and accurate records in both written form (hard copies) and through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is required and are key components of this position. The goal will be to work with Help Center clients seeking housing services by developing a Housing Stability Plan (HSP) to guide participants to permanent housing and other needed services.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Working under the supervision of the Inside Safe Program Manager, the primary role of the Housing Navigator is to:
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Conducts CES survey and housing assessment to determine appropriate housing intervention and service needs.
Navigates persons to various forms of housing that include (but are not limited to) interim housing, shared housing, and permanent housing placements.
Refers participants to agencies and programs that will assist with safe and stable housing, when appropriate.
Develops and implements an individual housing plan for each participant.
Follow-up with each participant weekly (at a minimum) to ensure they are making progress towards their housing placement goals.
Takes thorough notes in HMIS (in GIRP format), documenting each interaction with participants.
Connects program participants to community resources that will support the goal of permanent housing acquisition (i.e. benefits advocacy, food pantries, employment services).
Facilitates access to services required to foster housing readiness (credit repair, legal aid, housekeeping, money management, tenant rights and responsibilities, etc.).
Ensures participants have the necessary documentation to secure housing (e.g. valid identification, income verification, bank statements) and develops a personal budget with participants.
Assists participants with completing housing applications and securing housing of their choice. Transports participants to housing and job searches and occasional visits to relevant social service agencies.
Provides participant with listings from housing location team, housing authority, internet (e.g. Craigslist), and internal database of landlords/management firms/owners.
Provides advocacy to help address issues and barriers between landlord and participants that may prevent move in. Assists with referrals to Fair Housing as needed.
Provides information and instruction to participants regarding how to complete a housing application, housing search, tenant rights and responsibilities, including observation of rental agreement rules, and being a good neighbor.
Maintains accurate and complete participant files, exit files, timesheets, daily activity logs (if applicable), mileage logs, payment reimbursement, HMIS, and other reports as directed; all files are stored according to best practices and as defined by LAHSA (double locked).
Establishes and maintains a positive, productive working relationships with mental health programs, shelter programs, police, local neighborhood councils (and other local officials), and providers of services and resources to homeless persons.
Attends staff meetings, case conferences, training workshops and community meetings as needed.
Works with Problem Solving Specialist to resolve participant’s housing crisis through PSAF when appropriate.
Works collaboratively with HOTV CES Housing Navigation Team to stabilize and house participants effectively and efficiently.
Other Duties
Performs any other duties, projects and responsibilities as assigned by manager.
Works with outsourced security to maintain safety of participants, staff, volunteers, and visitors always diffusing potential disputes/confrontations.
Observes department guidelines to conduct personal business during breaks and lunch hour.
Projects a positive professional image and adheres to organizational dress code.
Self-identifies potentially unsafe systems/processes/situations and takes initiative to report to manager/supervisor.
Observes department guidelines concerning absences and reports such absences in accordance with departmental procedures.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge surrounding poverty, homelessness and social factors involved.
Understanding of modalities of treatment.
Understanding of recovery model principles and practices.
Ability to understand the needs of formerly homeless people with disabilities and to develop collaborative goals towards greater self-sufficiency and independence in the greater community.
Ability to work autonomously with a minimal amount of supervision.
Ability to educate and empower clients in a variety of personal finance topics such as budgeting and responsible money management.
Knowledgeable about services for homeless and low-income individuals throughout Los Angeles County.
Knowledge of the dynamics of chemical dependency, mental health issues and the effects of homelessness.
Ability to speak Spanish fluently may be required, depending on specific assignment.
Skilled in use of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and HMIS Homeless Management Information System.
Must demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Required to have at least one year of experience working with homeless individuals AND have a social work/mental health related bachelor’s degree or have a minimum of two years of experience providing direct mental health or intensive case management services.
Have experience working with clients with employment barriers and/or mental illness, chronic health issues, and substance use disorders.
Have expertise in the following areas: homelessness, outreach and engagement strategies, intensive case management services, best practice models, mental health and substance abuse disorder services, crisis intervention, suicide assessment and prevention, affordable housing and public benefits applications, housing and landlord/tenant rights, eviction prevention, etc.
Must be able to work effectively with people from all walks of life with compassion
Able to develop relationships with program participants, their families, and landlords, as well as a variety of service stakeholders (schools, health and public benefit agencies).
Strong public speaking ability, able to represent program and participants as an advocate
Strong written and oral skills in the English language, able to accurately complete required reports and data entry.
Able to perform basic mathematic calculations (rent, security deposits, et cetera).
Able to perform under circumstances of possible emotional stress and conflict, including dealing with un-cooperative clients.
Able to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA, and other federal, state, and local standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, including meeting qualitative and quantitative productivity standards.
Able to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with ADA, FMLA, and other federal, state, and local standards.
Must be willing to travel/drive company vehicle through Los Angeles County.
Other Requirements
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
Ability to walk, stand, bend, squat, climb, kneel, and twist on an intermittent or sometimes continuous basis
Ability to grasp, push, pull objects such as files, file cabinet drawers, and reach overhead
Occasionally lift and/or move, push and pull up to 25 pounds
Bilingual (Spanish)
Physical, Demands, Environmental Conditions, Equipment
Work indoors in temperature-controlled environment with occasional exposure to outdoor weather and driving conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Stand and sit for long periods of time; move and walk to various locations; climb stairs, stoop, kneel, reach, pull, push, bend, twist, and occasionally lift and or move objects. Use hands to finger, handle or feel.
See, hear and speak clearly in order to give and receive information and instructions, perform administrative work, and drive motor vehicles including passenger vans.
Ability to interact with other employees, clients, customers and members of the public.
Ability to work effectively under time constraints, prioritize work, multi-task, and adapt to changing work demands.
Gather, analyze, synthesize, and classify information.
Transcribe, enter, and post data.
Ability to respond effectively to sensitive inquiries or complaints.
May require exposure to blood borne pathogens and infectious agents.
Requires use of a computer keyboard for substantial periods of time.
Able to travel to off-site meetings or other activities.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Employee is required to: Routinely required to sit; walk; climb stairs; engage in verbal, written, and email communication; hear; use hands to keyboard, finger, handle, and feel; stoop, kneel, crouch, twist, reach, and stretch. Occasionally required to move around the Administration office. Can observe and respond to people and situations and interact with others encountered in the course of work.
Handle, fingers, grasp and feel objects and equipment; Reach with hands and arms; Communicate, receive and exchange ideas, information by means of the spoken and written word; Be mobile by moving oneself from place to
place quickly and easily; Repeat various motions with the wrists, hands, and fingers; Be able to have visual activity for (including, but not limited to) administrative and clerical tasks; Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Drive vehicle in and around Los Angeles County, as needed; be able to enter buildings that may require climbing stairs. Be periodically subjected to outside environmental conditions. Use a desktop and/or laptop computer, copy, postage, and fax machines. Complete all required forms in personal writing. Employee may work in proximity to service animals and emotional support animals.
EEO: HTM (Hope the Mission) provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, HOTV complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, placement, promotion, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
HTM will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if HOTV is concerned about a conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing’s Fair Chance Act webpage.
