Veterans Outreach and Housing Case Manager

Description

2 Positions

SCHEDULE: 40 hours, Monday - Friday, 8:00 - 4:30 PM, may include nights, mornings, and weekends as needed.

Pays $23.48 per hour DOE

This position carries a retention bonus of $5000.00, payable in equal installments of $1000 at 3 months, $1000 at 6 months, and $3000 at 1 year.

This bonus is only available to new, external hires to Pine Street Inn, including temporary staff who are thereafter converted to permanent employment status. This bonus is not available to Pine Street Inn staff or paid interns or paid co-op students who are seeking a transfer to this role. This bonus is only payable for work actually performed in this role. Employees who leave their position before they have worked all the time required for each bonus installment will not be eligible to collect further payment for their prior position, even if they stay at Pine Street Inn in another position.

LOCATION: Community Based work, office located at105 Chauncy Street, Boston MA

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION:

The Veterans Outreach Housing Case Manager works to provide outreach, housing search and placement, and case management for homeless veterans, and housing retention and homelessness prevention for housed veterans. The Veterans Outreach Housing Case Manager will work as part of the Veterans Outreach Team, and collaboratively with the Behavioral Health Outreach Team and the Overnight Van. Specific services include providing street outreach, case management, connection to legal services, financial stabilization, housing services, connection to benefits and employment, access to medical, behavioral health and/or substance use treatment, and referrals to other community agencies. Housing services will include assistance with housing application processes for permanent housing opportunities, referrals to transitional housing, and rental assistance. The Veterans Outreach Housing Case Manager will maintain client records in HMIS and will meet or exceed program outcomes related to housing and case management. The Veterans Outreach Housing Case Manager will meet homeless veterans in office settings, shelters, the streets, treatment programs, and medical respite programs. They will develop and maintain a solid knowledge base of veterans benefits and services, and develop relationships with veterans services partners throughout the city and state.

The Veterans Outreach Housing Case Manager will:

• Assertively advocate for veterans in getting access to housing, benefits, treatment, and services that will assist in self-sufficiency.
• Leverage client strengths, assets, and existing supports to move individuals quickly off the street, out of shelters to any other safer place or housing.
• Recognize the impact of violence and victimization on development and coping strategies
• Employ an empowerment model.
• Use a strengths-based, client-centered approach
• Maximize choices and control over recovery based in a relational collaboration.
• Create an atmosphere that prioritizes the individual's need for safety, respect and acceptance.
• Emphasize client strengths, highlighting adaptations over symptoms and resilience over pathology.
• Minimize the possibilities of re-traumatization.
• Strive to be culturally competent and to understand each person in the context of their life experiences and cultural background.
• Work within a harm reduction model
• Use a trauma-informed lens in serving clients and advocating within systems
• The Veterans Outreach Housing Case Manager will work from the following principles:
• Shelter is a temporary safety net, not a home.
• All individuals experiencing homelessness, regardless of their housing history and duration of homelessness, can achieve housing stability in permanent housing.
• Sobriety, compliance in treatment, or a clean criminal history is not necessary to succeed in housing. Rather, in a Housing First model, these things are better achieved once someone is stably housed.

Requirements

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

REQUIRED:

• Bachelor's Degree
• Computer literacy in Microsoft Office products
• Valid Massachusetts driver's license in good standing

KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

REQUIRED:

• Minimum of two (2) years' experience in human services or substance use or mental health counseling
• Expansive fund of knowledge relating to veterans, and veterans services
• Knowledge and understanding of veterans challenges
• Knowledge and understanding of veterans systems
• Experience in the utilization of Motivational Interviewing, Harm Reduction, Trauma-Informed Care and Stages of Change
• Knowledge and experience providing case management services to a complex and vulnerable population
• Ability to effectively work with area crisis programs and homeless persons struggling with the challenges of trauma and a psychiatric crisis
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• knowledge, sensitivity and cultural competency around issues related to homelessness, trauma, mental illness, addiction, and diverse vulnerable populations

PREFERRED:

• Military experience
• Knowledge and understanding of veterans, veterans systems, and veterans benefits
• Familiarity with Clarity or HMIS systems
• LADC
• Bilingual (English/Spanish)

PHYSICAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

REQUIRED:

• Ability to stand and/or walk for extended periods of time
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds (assisting in physically lifting clients/containers)
• Ability to stretch and bend
• Ability to respond safely and quickly in case of emergency situations
• Ability to travel to and access multiple sites on the streets and within the community
• Ability to work at a computer for extended periods of time and communicate by telephone
• Ability to operate 15 passenger van