Department: Transitional Housing Services

Reports to: MC/FIT Family Lead Case Manager

Salary Range: $58,000-63,000, DOE.

Benefits: Medical, dental, 10 vacation days in the first four years, sick leave, 11 holidays.22

FLSA: Non-exempt

Location: Oakland, CA. This is an onsite position.

Start Date: Available immediately.

About EOCP: Founded in 1990, EOCP is a dynamic and growing organization that provides safety-net and rapid re-housing services to a diverse base of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Alameda County.

Position Summary: EOCP is looking for a strong advocate, with extensive experience in the provision of case management services for homeless families who are seeking to stabilize in the community through permanent housing. The Family Case Manager/Housing Specialist should be proactive and comprehensive in their approach to assisting families and their children.

The Family Case Manager/Housing Specialist is responsible for coordinating case management and program services for an assigned caseload of homeless families living at EOCP's Matilda Cleveland Transitional Housing and/or Families in Transition Program sites. The goal of case management is to stabilize families in the community through permanent housing and additional community resources that directly contribute to their self-sufficiency. Responsive, flexible individuals with strong communication skills and extensive background working with homeless families and youth and conducting outreach to private property owners are encouraged to apply.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

General Operations

• Attend and participate in all required staff meetings, weekly supervision meetings and in-service trainings
• Must be knowledgeable of program guidelines to ensure consistency of approach in holding clients accountable for case management and program-related activities
• Write progress reports and maintain statistics on client activities
• Coordinate with other staff to ensure adequate facility coverage
• Coordinate with other staff to identify facility and program issues and exercise problem-solving skills to resolve them
• Assist Housing Manager and the Director of Transitional Housing services in monitoring contractors entering MCTHP facility for assessment and repairs, delivery of goods and other supportive service functions
• Assist Housing Manager in providing follow-up support regarding income verifications, 3-day notices and eviction notices to stabilize residents who are non-compliant with program guidelines.

Case Management

• Maintain confidentiality in all matters pertaining to residents and their families
• Attend client Case Review Meetings/Case Conference
• Assist clients with identifying opportunities and completing applications for permanent housing
• Accompany clients to assess permanent housing opportunities
• Provide general orientation to new residents including the review of program guidelines and penalties for non-compliance with designated policies/procedures and setting up appointments with staff
• Set up and maintain well-organized case management files that include all the appropriate paperwork in designated sections
• Provide case management services to residents on-site at MCTHP and/or at each residence site in the FIT program
• Coordinate all assessment activities for in-coming residents to insure completion of all paperwork in the appropriate onboarding period
• Conduct intake and family assessments for new residents within the probationary time period
• Use Motivational Interviewing techniques and other problem-solving skills to assess resident issues, needs and progress
• Assist residents in identifying and prioritizing needs
• Produce a comprehensive individual service plan for every adult resident on caseload with realistic goals and objectives and an appropriate timeline
• Assess and provide appropriate individuals service plans for children over twelve years
• Maintain up-to-date case notes
• Coordinate information and services with the Employment Specialist and Housing Manager to ensure a comprehensive approach to family needs
• Provide follow-up of incident reports to address underlying behavioral issues that prevent the individual from adhering to program guidelines
• Escort residents to various appointments, as needed
• In conjunction with Housing Manager conduct regular inspections of the units/residences to monitor upkeep, safety and security of units/residences
• Respond to resident concerns, complaints and inquiries in a timely fashion
• Comply with EOCP policy regarding reporting incidents of child abuse, verbal and physical assault, suicide and homicide to the proper authorities
• Provide after-care services for families who have been in good standing subsequent to leaving the MCTHP or FIT program for up to 9 months. Any service support to clients beyond 9 months must be approved by the Director of Transitional Housing Services
• Perform other duties, as assigned.

Programmatic Activities

• Coordinate with other staff to implement a life skills curriculum for MCTHP that includes anger management, stress management, self-advocacy, parent education, employment, money management, housing search, relapse prevention, health and wellness, nutrition, and building healthy relationships, etc.
• Assist in implementation of tutorial and life skills program for children ages 5 yrs -11 years
• Assists in development and implementation of annual schedule of holiday activities for children and their families in both transitional programs

Community and Private Property Owner Outreach

• Conduct outreach and build ongoing relationships with private property owners
• Maintain and update private property owner information in database
• Assess habitability and affordability of permanent housing units accessed for families
• Identify key service providers and other community resources to expand services provided by transitional programs and successfully refer families to these programs/organizations and or setup on-site workshops and presentations. These providers include but are not limited to the following: substance abuse and mental health, employment agencies, health and social welfare governmental agencies; local educational resources, religious organizations, and social service agencies. The Case Manager is responsible for developing a network of support for families through these community resources that will support clients when they transition into the community
• Establish working relationships with teachers and administrators in the local public school system to monitor academic and social progress of children living at a FIT site or MCTHP
• Conduct presentations of MCTHP/FIT programs to other homeless or related organizations for client recruitment and development of possible collaboration/ partnerships
• Identify local childcare providers and after-school programs and maintain up-to-date resource list for residents to utilize.

Service Delivery

• Provide services and follow-up in a timely fashion to families
• Arrange and perform crisis intervention services and referrals
• Maintain up-to-date files of local public assistance programs and their most important policies that affect residents
• Identify resources for interpreters for those residents who are non-English speaking
• Maintain exhibit(s) of educational materials for residents including but not limited to such topics as health and wellness, finding childcare providers/afterschool programs, accessing services in public assistance programs, substance abuse issues, reproductive health, etc.
• Coordinate with Housing manager to maintain list of contacts and locations for housing referrals including shelters, transitional housing programs, subsidized low-income housing programs and other housing resources, etc.
• Assist in recruiting and supervising volunteers who provide tutoring, life skills program support and other related activities
• Perform other duties, as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor of Arts degree in social work, psychology or related field required
• 3-5 years of experience working as a case manager with high risk, low income families
• Experience working with individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds
• Knowledge of basic counseling and interviewing techniques
• Knowledge of basic mental health issues that impact low income families
• Knowledge of trauma informed care
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Demonstrated ability to maintain organized case management files
• Extensive experience conducting outreach in the community with both community resources and private property owners
• Ability to produce well-written reports, memos and other correspondence in a timely fashion
• Ability to work effectively with a team of other professionals and coordinate services/activities with each member, as needed
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a calm demeanor and communicate effectively with residents (verbal and written)
• Ability to use conflict-resolution skills to de-escalate volatile situations with residents

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Ability to speak clear, concise English
• Spanish or sign language as a second language is preferred

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

• Strong basic math skills required at least at the high school level
• Must be able to perform mathematical calculations with a high degree of accuracy

REASONING ABILITY

• Must be able to exercise good judgment while monitoring residents' adherence to program guidelines
• Must exhibit good critical thinking skills to be used to solve problems
• Ability to utilize multiple sources of information to create comprehensive individual service plans for residents
• Must be a flexible thinker and doer, must have a team work approach to working with families

COMPUTER SKILLS

• Proficiency in using computer software to carry out tasks. Ability to use Microsoft Word to perform key job duties is required. User knowledge of Excel, database programs, and the internet/e-mail is preferred

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Must have current CPR and Basic First Aid certificates
• Valid California driver's license, insurance and access to an automobile. Proof of insurance and auto registration required

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to dress neatly with a professional appearance when reporting to work
• This position requires an annual tuberculosis test
• Must be able to work under stressful conditions

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The position requires an ability to work in a diverse and stressful environment with families that have multiple issues. Work schedules are flexible according to facility and client needs and can include night and weekend hours.

To Apply:

• Send a resume and cover letter in PDF format to jobs@eocp.net.

• Use subject line: FName, LName for Family Case Manager/Housing Specialist (your first name and last name).

• In the cover letter, answer these questions:

  1. What experience, if any, do you have with case management serving families experiencing homelessness?
  2. What experience, if any, do you have obtaining permanent housing placements for families?