NRHA Navigator

UNITED WAY OF SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS

Housing Navigator, NRHA

Title: Housing Navigator (NRHA)

Department: Community Impact

Report To: Manager Financial Stability

Date Created: February 2025

Why Work for United Way:

Do you want to leave work every day knowing that you made an impact? At United Way of South

Hampton Roads (UWSHR), you’ll work in a fun and supportive environment where every day is a

new opportunity to make a difference. If you talk to our employees, the single trait we all have in

common is passion. We work hard because we love what we do, and we know how much our

community needs us. You’ll learn from some of the best in the business and be constantly

challenged in an ever-changing industry. Plus, we offer excellent benefits and opportunities for

advancement. If you want to be great while doing good, join the United Way team.

Objectives & Expectations:

United Way improves lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities to advance the common

good to help all residents thrive and live the best version of themselves. We all benefit when a

child succeeds in school, when someone finds a job that sustains a family, or when more people

get quality, affordable healthcare. As our community recovers from one of the deadliest pandemics

in our country’s history, the United Way will play a pivotal role in helping residents from under-

resourced communities and the ALICE population (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed)

move towards self-sufficiency.

Candidate must be customer focused, data-driven, organized, and results oriented. This position is

based in Norfolk, and the Intake Specialist must be able to work on a flexible schedule that may

include evenings and/or weekends to meet program needs. Must have your own vehicle,

acceptable driving record and ability to travel independently to locations across South Hampton

Roads.

Commitment to equity, diversity & inclusion

We take the broadest possible view of diversity.

We value the visible and invisible qualities that make you who you are.

We welcome that every person brings a unique perspective and experience to advance our mission and

progress our fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community.

We believe that each United Way community member, donor, volunteer, advocate, and employee must

have equal access to solving community problems.

We strive to include diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at the center of our daily work.

We commit to using these practices for our business and our communities.

Cultural Competence: The Intake Specialist adapts a lens of cultural competency that conveys

empathy, support, and an understanding of the people they work with both internally and externally,

engage with, and the people they serve. This competence helps to build trust and effective

engagement, build stronger relationships, expand our organization’s reach, and more effectively and

respectfully engage with people regardless of background.

Core Competencies are characteristics that all employees are expected to exhibit as a member of the

UWSHR team. For complete details that include attributes and behaviors please see the United Way

Core Competencies Checklist in the shared Human Resources Network Folder. These include:

• Mission Focused: The top priority is creating real social change that leads to better lives and healthier communities.

• Relationship Oriented: Understands that people come before process and is astute in cultivating and managing relationships toward a common goal.

• Collaborator: Understands the roles and contributions of all sectors of the community and can mobilize resources (financial and human) through meaningful engagement.

• Results Driven: Dedicated to shared and measurable goals for the common good; creating, resourcing, scaling and leveraging strategies and innovations for broad investment and impact.

• Brand Steward: Understands his/her role in growing and protecting the reputation and results of the organization, and thus, the greater network.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following

• Travel to meet with clients at their home, community partner offices, satellite offices, etc.; if necessary, to ensure at-risk client’s access to services

• If an emergency situation, determine the appropriate type of financial assistance necessary to stabilize the client’s emergency situation

• Maintain detailed case records, complete required program documentation, and input timely case data into Apricot database

• Ensure data integrity throughout the client tracking process to confirm service referrals within UWSHR; and outside to community partners, are completed and customers are receiving all the services they need

• Process payments in SPENDwise, to ensure client’s emergency financial needs are addressed in a timely manner

• Processes data for monthly and quarterly reports, and as needed

• Carries out Other Duties as Assigned

• Ability to properly handle and manage confidential data

• Serve as a key member of the NRHA team to maintain and implement core

program framework/changes, and strategies.

• Schedule and complete an in-depth intake assessment with all new referrals

• Ensure all participants have the most up to date acceptable forms of documentation submitted

• Thorough documentation of all completed appointments and communication

• Support Outreach and Engagement in the evenings and weekends as needed.

• With the program team, plan, organize and facilitate workshops and community groups

around educational topics and peer support

Outreach and Advocacy:

• Responsible for establishing trusting relationships with participants and their families while providing general support and encouragement.

• Provide ongoing follow-up, basic motivational interviewing, and goal setting with participant/families.

• Follow up with participants via phone calls, home visits and visits to other settings where participants can be found.

• Help participants set personal health related goals and attend appointments.

• Provide referrals for services to community agencies as appropriate.

• Help participants connect with transportation resources and provide appointment reminders

in special circumstances. Transport participants based on UWSHR transportation policy.

Community Collaboration:

• Effectively communicate UWSHR’s mission and vision.

• Work closely with NRHA staff and internal team to build trusting relationships with residents.

• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with community service providers to support participants with comprehensive and coordinated plans to achieve success.

• Knowledgeable about community resources appropriate to needs of participants/families.

• Participate in community conversations with internal and external stakeholders to break down complex problems and situations, develop strategies, and create solutions.

Data & Reporting

• Assist with the collection of client’s social, financial, and housing wellbeing status while enrolled to

support reporting requirements to funders and measuring client’s progress.

• Support outcomes and metrics to assess the performance of programs to gauge their effectiveness in uplifting the community. Utilize the support of data to help drive programmatic shifts when needed.

• Responsible for providing consistent communication to Lead Navigator to evaluate participant/family status, ensuring that provided information, and reports clearly describe progress.

Key Skills Requirements:

• Associate’s degree and/or equivalent experience

• HUD Certified Housing Counselor a plus but not required

• 1-2 years of experience in human services programs requiring direct client interactions required

• Knowledge of best practices in human services and of systems addressing the needs of Housing Choice Voucher Program participants and the ALICE population

• Ability to maintain respect for the confidentiality of information divulged by or on behalf of participants

• Possess the ability to relate to people of diverse educational, cultural, and economic backgrounds

• A consummate team player with an innovative, enthusiastic, and flexible approach

• Ability to build credible relationships with community members and partners

• Proven ability to collaborate and work in a team environment as well as work independently and make sound decisions

• Able to multi-task, meet deadlines, keep schedules, manage relationships, and perform in a high- paced environment

• Commitment to assisting ALICE population to achieve self-sufficiency

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Proficiency with MS Outlook, Word, and Excel, PowerPoint

• Strong detail orientation and self-organized

• Administrative experience preferred

Work Demands & Environment:

• Ability to stoop, lift, finger – for example, pick, pinch, or type and grasp

• Ability to clearly and concisely express and exchange detailed information and ideas to others accurately via spoken word

• Exerting up to 20 of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects

• Ability to inspect and analyze figures, accounting items, written materials, newsprint, computer terminal characters, transcription, and other similar objects at distances generally close to the eyes.

• The worker is subject to a variety of environmental conditions that may occur in an office, a private home, or elsewhere in the community including temperature variations, unpleasant

odors, and potential allergens

• Although inside work is the rule, it is required that the individual be able to travel and may be exposed to a variety of weather conditions

• Driver’s License required with current valid auto insurance, and acceptable driving record

Interested? Please send your cover letter and resume to humanresources@unitedwayshr.org. We will continue accepting applications until the position is filled. United Way of South Hampton Roads is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at UWSHR will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. UWSHR does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or genetics. Please Note: Requirements, skills, and abilities described above are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation. In no instance, however, should the duties, responsibilities, and requirements be interpreted as all- inclusive.