About Us:

Since 1896, Volunteers of America, a faith-based non-profit social service organization, has been committed to uplifting the lives of the most vulnerable in our community. At the heart of our mission is the delivery of essential services to address the individualized educational needs of young children, treatment for adults with substance use disorders, and housing solutions for homeless veterans, low income seniors, and the disenfranchised mentally ill. Volunteers of America Southwest continues this mission in Southern California. Visit us at https://www.voasw.org.

Job Opportunity:

Under the direct supervision of the Program Manager, the Housing Specialist will be responsible for the coordination and monitoring of a variety of services to meet the often complex and competing needs of homeless participants and their families. This includes completing initial and ongoing assessments, assisting clients to obtain and maintain housing, providing support and education, and working as part of a team to ensure client needs are met. The Housing Specialist will work closely with other staff and other providers to efficiently coordinate referrals and identify access to services.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Complete thorough intake and eligibility screening with referred clients.


• Coordinate referrals from multiple community sources to ensure contract goals are reached.


• Develop housing plans for every client in treatment upon entry and re-evaluate every 30 days to ensure it aligns with treatment plan and discharge plans.


• Assess every clients housing needs and strengths and supports available to client.


• Develop and maintain knowledge of community resources including but not limited to employment agencies, vocational training programs, and local employment agencies.


• Establish and maintain ongoing relationships with community service providers.


• Meet regularly with program team to coordinate services and ensure continuum of care.


• Provide Outreach services to social service providers and other community organizations who serve homeless individuals and families as needed.


• Educate homeless service providers on program criteria, build and maintain these relationships, and provide additional support as needed.


• Refer ineligible participants to appropriate community resources including service providers.


• Assist all out of county placements with housing plans and assistance referrals.


• Attend appropriate workshops and opportunities to continually improve knowledge and skills.


• Attend meetings as required by HUD and CoC.


• Maintains strict confidentiality at all times in communications.


• Other tasks as assigned.

REQUIRED CREDENTIALS, ABILITIES, AND EXPERIENCE

Must be a registered alcohol and drug counselor in compliance with all DHCS standards. Past experience should demonstrate at least two years of rapid rehousing with a specialized ability with special populations including homeless individuals with (substance abuse, mental health disorders); proven ability to work across multiple systems such as probation, criminal justice, etc.; and strong knowledge of and relationships with community resources. Skills include excellent written and verbal communication, ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment, strong documentation, and proven success as a team player. Must comply with all agency and contract requirements related to trainings, public health, certifications, reporting, etc. Must be able to pass a drug test, background clearance, and provide a negative TB test. Individuals with bilingual proficiency preferred.

• Must be approved by funding agencies for work with population.


• Must receive and maintain access to electronic client records to ensure that data is entered on all activities provided to clients


• Must obtain TB/Physical (w/in 7 days) of employment.


• Must obtain CPR/FIRST AID (w/in 3 months) of employment.


• Must be free from formal probation/parole status for a minimum of (1) year.


• Must have demonstrated ability to understand and articulate best practices around services for at-risk individuals and families.


• Must have demonstrated ability to build rapport and gain trust with diverse individuals.


• Must have working knowledge of community resources in San Diego County.


• Must have demonstrated ability to build and maintain partnerships with community providers.


• Must have demonstrated ability to work independently and as a team.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Applications are only accepted online.  This employer participates in e-Verify.