Housing Intake Specialist

Purpose of Position

Under the direction of the Client Services Supervisor, the Housing Specialist is a client-focused position serving English- and/or Spanish-speaking individuals in Orange County, and is primarily responsible for providing information, resources, and crises assistance to clients contacting 211OC through the helpline, email, texting, outreach events, or any other means identified by 211OC management. We are a high volume call center and the front line to providing assistance to those in need. We are looking for articulate, caring, good communicators, who are able to maintain a calm and professional demeanor, think on their feet, yet able to handle the call volume we receive from routine questions to more complex issues. We put our callers’ needs first, as we are here to serve our community.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide social service navigation to clients contacting our contact center at 211OC through the helpline, email, texting methods, outreach events.
• Assess clients’ need and readiness for services and their current barriers to stable housing
• Identify and confirm clients’ existing service connections at time of intake, including but not limited to the services clients report having contacted and the services—including assessments (i.e. Housing Assessment)—clients appear to have accessed according to HMIS
• Help clients establish concrete, attainable housing stability goals and develop action plans for achieving those goals; track clients’ progress toward achieving their housing stability goals, adjusting action plans as needed to overcome barriers
• Connect clients to community resources tailored to their unique housing needs, strengths, and obstacles; connections may include—but are not limited to—referrals, “warm” hand-offs between clients and partner organizations, and direct enrollment in services, when applicable
• Continuously assess clients’ interest in following and capacity to follow their action plans; refer clients with low interest to lower-level services; connect clients with low capacity to higher-level services
• Follow clients throughout their action plans until one of the following conditions is met: 1) stable permanent housing is achieved, 2) lower interest level results in a referral to lower-level services, or 3) service limitations or unavailability have resulted in an impassable barrier to stable permanent housing; consult with organizational leadership before terminating a client case due to impassable barrier
• Maintain accurate records on all clients, meeting the deadline and thoroughness standards established by your department in HMIS and 211OC’s Information & Referral Database.
• Directly provide clients—or connect them to—appropriate and relevant information, education, and training on diversion, prevention, and housing services, renters’ and landlords’ rights and responsibilities, and other topics that would assist them in remaining or becoming housed
• For clients identified as needing wraparound support from multiple community organizations, plan, coordinate, and manage the provision of wraparound services department
• Serve as liaison between partner organizations’ outreach workers and their clients when the clients contact the helpline requesting updates
• Advocate for clients with housing providers when clients run into barriers
• Meet or exceed all efficiency, deadline, accuracy, and compliance standards established by HUD and/or your
• Learn and develop expert working knowledge of our resource database and its management software.
• Active listening, with ability to assess clients’ stated and unstated needs during interactions.
• Educate clients on available services/resources and ensure client eligibility and support.
• Empower clients to choose the services they feel are most appropriate for their situations by discussing the options and needs assessed.
• Deescalate clients if upset and intervene during crises and/or situations of abuse.
• Troubleshoot services and their availability utilizing expert knowledge and navigation of the 211OC resource database and through teamwork with other I&R Specialists in the Dept.
• Be an advocate and assist clients in problem-solving when no services are available which can meet their needs.
• Perform thorough intakes on clients and accurately report data.
• Follow-up with clients and close the loop to ensure they received needed services. Track this information on service provision in Orange County.
• Other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies

All employees, in performing their respective tasks and duties, are to perform quality work within deadlines, with or without direct supervision; interact professionally with other employees, customers, and suppliers; work effectively as a team contributor on all assignments; and work independently while understanding the necessity for communicating and coordinating work efforts with other employees and organizations.

Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; responds promptly to customer needs; solicits customer feedback to improve service; responds to requests for service and assistance; meets commitments.

Interpersonal Skills - Maintains confidentiality; listens to others without interrupting; remains neutral and unbiased; remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.

Oral Communication - Speaks clearly; listens and obtains clarification; responds well to questions; participates in meetings.

Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar; able to read and interpret written information.

Language Skills - Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals; ability to write routine reports and correspondence; ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Job Requirements /Technical Knowledge

• High School Diploma or BA/BS Degree in the Human Service Field
• Prior experience providing information and referral services or related experience in the human service field is desirable
• Must be Bilingual (English and Spanish– verbal and written)
• One year of experience working directly with individuals and families in crisis from the community

Compensation

• $21.00 per Hour. Competitive benefits.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is frequently required to be able to remain in a stationary position 75% of the time.  The person in this position needs to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, records, and office machinery.  Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine and computer printer. Occasionally ascends/descends stairs, and constantly positions self to maintain computers in the office, including under the desks.  The person in this position frequently communicates with coworkers and customers who have inquiries about our business operations and the community we service; therefore, the person must be able to exchange accurate information. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

Send Resumes To:

recruiting@unitedwayoc.org

Orange County United Way

18012 Mitchell South, Irvine, CA 92614

www.unitedwayoc.org