CASE MANAGER, HOUSING SPECIALIST (HOMELESS SERVICES) – MICHAEL'S HOUSE

Location: Albany, NY 

Program: Homeless Services – Michael's House

Type: Full-time (Non-exempt) / Hybrid position - travel required)

Pay Range: $22.06 - $25.69 per hour

Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8am-4pm (or 9am-5pm)  

Notes: Local travel; NYS Driver’s License and personal vehicle (fully-insured) is required.

Job Ref. #: 0541

Our Mission

St. Catherine's Center for Children provides a comprehensive range of human services designed to offer hope, foster growth, and improve the lives of the children, families and adults we serve.

Our Vision

St. Catherine’s willingness to embrace change and develop new services is, and will remain, our guiding philosophy as we support the human service needs of children, families, and adults throughout the region.

Position Overview

The Case Manager, Housing Specialist (“CMHS”) assists families and individuals with all facets of the intake process ultimately leading to successfully house homeless families. This includes performing assessments, service plan development and coordinating housing activity with families. The CMHS will also coordinate service provisions with the Family Care Coordination Program.

Responsible for supporting and facilitating families' ability to participate in an active housing search. The CMHS will coordinate service delivery to families through a large network of area service providers to help them secure permanent housing. They will also conduct housing groups and collaborate with the Employment Specialists to assist families in increasing their income. 

The CMHS is responsible for assisting families/singles who are referred through Coordinated Entry to secure permanent supportive housing units and provide support services to maintain housing, increase income and work toward self-sufficiency. The CMHS performs an assessment of the client's service needs as they relate to the problem of homelessness. In consultation with the family members, the CMHS formalizes and develops a Service Plan. These issues may include areas of finance management, referrals for substance abuse, mental health counseling, parent support assistance, employment assistance, etc. The CMHS is also responsible for completing all documentation required by HUD, including unit inspections.

Position Requirements & Specifications

• BSW or Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services field, with at least one year of relevant experience.
• Associates degree in related field and at least two years relevant experience may be considered.
• Clean and valid NYS driver’s license; actively licensed for at least one year is required*
• Have a reliable (fully insured) vehicle for transporting clients (to community resources, meetings, etc.) - with proof of 100/300 liability insurance coverage.
• Familiarity with public assistance and other local resources.
• Previous experience working in a human services agency is a plus!
• Excellent organization, planning and time management skills.
• Professional record of integrity, reliability and dependability, and have strong advocacy for homeless families.
• Proficiency in various computer applications: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Business Workspace Suite (Gmail, Google Docs, Meet, Sheets, etc.); and use secure Internet practices.
• Excellent communication skills (written/verbal); Outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong working relationships with other agency staff and outside service providers and professionals, and other regulatory bodies.

• Self-motivated and engaged, with a strong attention to detail; Excellent writing aptitude. 
• A kind, warm and caring mindset; capable of exhibiting empathy for those in need.
• Qualities of positivity, flexibility and adaptability to day-to-day changes with client needs and functioning.
• Capable of exercising ethical, independent judgment and discretion; handle sensitive family and individual data with strict confidentiality.

*Staff in driving positions must be able to meet the agency’s minimum requirements of our insurance policy for authorized drivers; including, but not limited to the minimum age of 21 at time of hire, and the ability to maintain insurability throughout employment.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities include:

• Develop and coordinate service plan delivery to families/singles through a large network of area service providers including Health Homes and school districts.
• Conduct case management activities such as meeting with families to assist them with service.
• Plan goals; follow up with families/singles and/or service providers as needed to ensure service plan goals are being accomplished, or account for the lack there of, and behave in a professionally responsible manner in communicating information specific to the assessment and ongoing case activities.
• Engage with families and single individuals to develop a collaborative and mutually agreed on service plan.
• Conduct and document regular service plan reviews, inviting all relevant DSS and community support resources for all active cases.
• Conduct and complete documentation for intake/assessment process, initial services plan, quarterly/biweekly service plan reviews, coordination of service plan delivery through a large network of area service providers.
• Support and facilitate the individual’s ability to participate in mental health services, in particular, trauma services.
• Meet independently with families and individuals to assess needs and strengths.
• Develop service plan goals for families and individuals. Empower residents to identify choices in their daily life by providing necessary information. Ensure they participate in necessary services.
• Establish and maintain professional working relationships with families and agency staff.
• Advocate for families and individuals; assist in obtaining necessary services to retain permanent housing and assist in identifying and resolving barriers to housing retention.
• Act as liaison for families and individuals when communicating with public assistance and other resource providers.
• Provide intensive case management services in the following areas to settle families in permanent housing and stabilize conditions that led to homelessness:
  •  self sufficiency
  •  home maintenance
  •  budgeting
  •  meal preparation and nutrition
  •  time management
  •  parenting skills
  •  utilization of community services
  •  tenant responsibilities/rights 
• Document interactions with families through critical incident reports, assessment forms, progress notes, logs and service plans.
• Complete outcome measures for Quality Improvement; Perform and maintain record keeping statistics as required.
• Intervene in crisis situations and assist with conflict resolution as needed by providing mediation and facilitating communication, especially between landlord and tenant.
• Participate in professional development programming on a regular basis.
• Additional position-related duties and responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor/director.

What We Offer You**

• Competitive Pay with an Excellent Benefits Package
• Health Insurance options: Medical, Dental and Vision
• $600 Well-being Reimbursement Benefit
• Generous Combined Leave Time (CLT) and Paid Holidays! 
• We are a 501(c) (3) agency, which is a qualifying employer for eligible staff under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Pension Plan with Generous Agency Contribution
• 403b Retirement Savings Plan
• Life Insurance – Automatic Benefit at no cost to employee
• Paid Training, including TCI and CPR/AED/First Aid Certification & Update courses, if role appropriate
• Tuition Reimbursement & Travel/ Mileage Reimbursement
• Professional Development & Career Growth Opportunities
• The Comfort of a Business Casual Environment
• Our Commitment to Embrace & Foster Mindfulness, Relevance, Respect and Solidarity.

**To qualify, certain conditions may apply

About Us

St. Catherine’s Center for Children is a non-profit organization located in the Greater Capital Region of New York. We offer a wide array of human services designed to meet the needs of vulnerable children, families and adults, including residential and therapeutic foster care programs for children and youth, Kinship support, homeless and community-based services for adults and families, a special education elementary school for ages 5-13, and so much more. 

St. Catherine’s is committed to cultivating a culture where all employees feel safe to bring their authentic and best selves to the workplace. We are invested in fostering an equitable, inclusive and diversified workplace; collaboratively embracing mindfulness, relevance, respect and solidarity. 

EEO Statement

St. Catherine’s Center for Children is committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, reproductive health and pregnancy, family history and genetics, disability, age, military status, veteran status, politics, or other beliefs, and any other characteristics protected by law.

If you would like to learn more about our agency or one of our many programs, please visit our website at: www.st-cath.org