What are the responsibilities and job description for the Housing Specialist position at MercyFirst?
LOCATION : NYC, NY
REPORTS TO : Supervisor of Special Services
DEPARTMENT : Bridges to the Future
SCHEDULE : Full Time / Hybrid
1,000 Hiring Bonus
AGENCY BACKGROUND :
MercyFirst is a not-for-profit human and social service agency that has been serving children and families in need since we were founded by the Sisters of Mercy / Hermanas de las Misericordia in 1894. Today our agency continues to address the emotional and physical needs of children and families in Brooklyn, Queens and across Long Island through innovative treatments and life-changing interventions. We provide community-based prevention and family foster care services, group homes in the community for struggling children and families within the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and short-term residential services for unaccompanied migrant children. Each year, MercyFirst serves more than 3,000 children, teenagers and families overcome enormous obstacles, re-imagine their futures and develop their full potential.
PROGRAM BACKGROUND :
The bridges to the future program supports our foster care youth as they prepare for the future. The program provides teens and young adults with skills and testing to secure viable jobs, scholarship assistance to attend college or vocational school, obtain and maintain affordable housing in the community, and life skills coaches to guide them during the challenging transition from foster care to adulthood.
POSITION SUMMARY :
The Housing Specialist is responsible for working with birth parents and youth in our Family Foster Care and Residential programs. The Housing Specialist will help our clients secure and obtain a permanent place to live. The ideal candidate will have experience working with at risk youth and have a strong knowledge base of the following : NYCHA, Supportive Housing, Section 8, and other related programs.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS :
- Bachelor's degree in a related field (Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health)
- Related experience strongly preferred
- Excellent communication skills (verbal and written)
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Outlook, some knowledge of Excel
- Ability to file documentation accurately
- Ability to engage with clients
- Understanding and willingness to commit to the agency's Mission, core values, Sanctuary Commitments and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB).
RESPONSIBILITIES :
BENEFITS / PERKS :
Salary Range :
54,000 - $58,000 per year
Hiring bonus - $1,000 after 500 worked hours
MercyFirst is an inclusive, anti-racist, multicultural organization and an Equal Opportunity Employer who welcomes prospective employees from diverse backgrounds for all levels at the agency. We strive for a workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve, and do not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, religion or creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and / or expression, disability, age (18 and over), military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, marital status, partnership status, care giver status, pregnancy, genetic information or predisposition or genetic characteristic, unemployment status, status as a victim or witness of domestic violence, sex offenses or stalking, consumer credit history, or any other status protected by federal, state, and / or city law. This includes, but is not limited to, employment actions against and treatment of employees and applicants for employment.
Salary : $54,000 - $58,000
