Community Resource Specialist

Position Summary: 

The Community Resource Specialist will be responsible for facilitating peer groups and maintain relationships with a sufficient amount of community partners across employment, education, financial, social capital, health and well-being, childhood development, housing and other necessary areas that participants (Family Re-Housing Stabilization Program (FRSP) participants referred to Fedcap by the District of Columbia’s Department of Human Services) will benefit from to achieve their long-term earnings and family goals.

Career MAP Program Overview

The District of Columbia (District) Career Mobility Action Plan (Career MAP) is a groundbreaking program designed to remove barriers that families confront as they pursue employment that can sustain their families. The program will provide resources directly to families who have experienced homelessness, are committed to pursuing a career, and are at risk of losing cash, food, health care, childcare, and housing benefits more quickly than their income can cover these lost resources (also known as 'benefits cliffs').

Career MAP takes a holistic, two-generational approach to supporting families. As Ascend at the Aspen Institute models, a two-generational approach includes the foundational components of family well-being: career pathways, child development, financial assets, health and wellbeing, and social capital. Most importantly, Career MAP recognizes families as drivers of their own success and the program will tailor service connections to meet the needs of individual participants. Career MAP | dhs (dc.gov)

Essential Job Functions:

• Build relationships and coordinate robust schedule of rotating community presenters (schools, employers, resources), peer groups and other two-generational workshops.
• Help participants access family support resources using a two-generational approach that considers the full range of family needs. This includes support in accessing:
  • health and wellbeing services, including mental health and domestic violence services.
  • early childhood education and childcare services.
  • K-12 education support for children.
  • support networks and other forms of social capital (in addition to peer support groups detailed below); and
  • economic assets such as public benefits, tax credits, and student financial aid, including assistance in navigating these systems
• Maintain on-going documentation and professional records
• Follow up on application status and provide additional support to participants as needed Develop life skills and peer group curriculum by consulting with other staff regarding curriculum and training needs
• Plan and develop materials needed for each class using textbooks, handouts, workbook information, and other sources
• Facilitate life skills, peer groups, as well as partner with Work Readiness Instructor to coordinate and supervise hiring fairs, and more
• Screen participants for contractually offered emergency payments of up to $1,000 ensure participants leverage using community resources and budgeting to maximize these funds during current year and future years
• Enter payment requests into Electronic Case Management (ECM) systems after verifying qualifications, supporting documentation align with funder requirements
• Partner with DHS provided points of contact for additional Housing and Financial coaching resources for participants
• Observe all policies and procedures and attend all required training and certifications as scheduled
• Diligently verify and report all aspects of participants milestone achievements to DHS through structured reports as well as collection of success stories Document activities, participation, compliance, and employment progress in the (ECM) systems.
• Perform other related duties as assigned. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities.

Education and Experience:

• Associate degree in sociology, communications, business or another relatedfield of study preferred. And/or work experience determined to be acceptable to the agency
• One year of case management, training, outreach, engagement or relevantwork experience.
• Trained in Be Strong Families' Parent Café, or able to become trained in first 90-days of employment
• Engaging personality and detailed orientated skills are essential.
• Strong oral and written communication, time management and organizational skills are necessary.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and other standard business technology is required.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.