Housing Specialist

Description

Cornerstone Family Healthcare is actively recruiting for a Housing Specialist to join our growing team in Newburgh.

RATE OF PAY/SALARY: $24.73 per hour

WORK LOCATION(S): 280 Broadway, Newburgh, NY 12550

STATUS: Full-Time

CORNERSTONE BENEFITS:

Competitive salaries I Health Benefits I Retirement plan I Paid Time Off I Sick Time I Flexible Spending I Dependent Care I Paid Holidays

CORNERSTONE’S MISSION:

Cornerstone Family Healthcare is a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center with a mission to provide high quality, comprehensive, primary and preventative health care services in an environment of caring, dignity and respect to all people regardless of their ability to pay. For more than fifty years, Cornerstone has been responsive to meeting the needs of the communities in which we serve with a continued emphasis on the underserved and those without access to health care regardless of race, economic status, age, sex, sexual orientation or disability.

General Purpose:

Under the supervision of the Senior Program Supervisor, the Housing Specialist (HS) works with clients to develop a housing plan based on the housing retention service needs and the tasks required to address them. The HS will complete rental assistance applications, screens for eligibility, performs housing assessments/ reassessments, coordinates/case conferences. The program will provide emergency rental and utility assistance, short term rental assistance, security deposits, moving expenses, brokers fees, housing retention and Peer delivered services to clients. 

Key Competencies: 

• Conduct outreach to various providers and community members, through structured education to promote the program services. 
• Complete rental assistance applications, screen for eligibility, perform housing assessments/ reassessments to assess needs/ongoing services.
• Coordinates case conferences with program staff to ensure service needs are met. 
• Inspects properties and conducts home visits for clients receiving program services.  
• Interfaces (with the support of the Senior Program Supervisor) with the Finance Department and grants department monthly to ensure spending, budgets, program is on track and any issues are being addressed and follow up with the funders as appropriate.
• Work with clients on the importance of budgeting and within 30 days of enrollment will create/maintain a household budget together with the client. 
• Provide systems navigation and address barriers to care by coordinating with medical providers, CBOs, internal/external providers, as well as working with the program Peer to follow up on referrals to treatment and other services. 
• Provide individual and group health education sessions on topics related to treatment adherence and overcoming barriers to encourage engagement into appropriate treatment.  
• Completes documentation in a clear and comprehensive manner which follows agency/funder standards and requirements. 

Description of Duties:

• Conduct outreach to promote program services to PLWH and to community providers. 
• Screen referred clients for eligibility and assess needs; provide appropriate referrals. 
• Meets client needs through person-centered centralized intake, assessment/reassessments, service plans and interdisciplinary team care conferencing. 
• Track the status of services to ensure proper service delivery and appropriate follow-up, as needed.
• Conduct multidisciplinary case conferences and coordinate services and referrals with service and clinical providers that facilitate a client's engagement and retention in care.
• Address and remove barriers to enable clients’ access to all necessary components of housing to include address social determinants of health. 
• Coordinate services with community agencies and provide information and referrals for clients and community service providers.
• Negotiate and advocate on behalf of clients for services that support self-sufficiency and self-management; Provide home/field visits. 
• Attend and participate in monthly department, team, All Staff and other required meetings. 
• Be familiar with Cornerstone policies and procedures and the Employee Handbook.
• Maintain confidentiality of all aspects of Cornerstone including, but not limited to, patient confidentiality, financials, and employee relations. 
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Associates Degree in Human Services related field, with 2 years experience working in the field of HIV/AIDS, behavioral health, substance use or other chronic illnesses.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services  related field, with 1 year experience working in the field of HIV/AIDS, behavioral health, substance use or other chronic illnesses.