Housing Placement and Stabilization Specialist

Boston, MA, United States

Housing Placement and Stabilization Specialist SCHEDULE: 40 hours, Monday – Friday, 8300 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., or as otherwise agreed, weekends, nights and early mornings as needed

Pays $23.48 per hour

This position carries a retention bonus of $4000.00, payable in instalments of: $500.00 at 1 month, $ 500.00 at 3 months, $1500.00 at 6 months, and $1500.00 at one year.

This bonus is only available to new, external hires to Pine Street Inn, including temporary staff who are thereafter converted to permanent employment status. This bonus is not available to Pine Street Inn staff or paid interns or paid co-op students who are seeking a transfer to this role. This bonus is only payable for work actually performed in this role. Employees who leave their position before they have worked all the time required for each bonus installment will not be eligible to collect further payment for their prior position, even if they stay at Pine Street Inn in another position.

LOCATION: 363 Albany St. Boston MA

JOB DESCRIPTION:

SUMMARY OF POSITION:

The Housing Placement and Stabilization Specialist (HPSS) will partner with shelter guests to reduce barriers to housing and housing supports utilizing actionable decisions and individual housing plans that will rapidly lead to safe, affordable housing with the supports necessary to sustain achieved housing. Once the guest is housed, the HPSS will provide stabilization services to ensure the guest does not return to shelter and can achieve independent living in the community. The HPSS will work within a team to execute sustainable and expeditious housing plans. At times, these tasks may be done in conjunction with community partners. Through all stages of the program, the HPSS will utilize progressive engagement; least amount of support needed to be successful. A key component of the work with guests is successfully connecting individuals to assets, which increase income and mainstream benefits, and supports which increases stability while in housing. The HPSS will facilitate on-going communication between the guest, housing authorities, property owners and community programs and partners. The HPSS will also develop Individual Service Plans (ISP) as part of the transition from transitional housing to permanent housing. The HPSS will also develop and help educate individuals with skills that better helps them manage money and be good neighbors and tenants. Attention to detail and accuracy is critical in this position. The HPSS will provide exceptional customer service both internally and externally and will work in partnership with other emergency services and housing department staff to provide integrated service delivery, which furthers our mission to eliminate homelessness. The HPSS and her/his team will work under tight timeframes for accurately entering guest information into the Pine Street Inn Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

The Housing Placement and Stabilization Specialist will work from the following principles:

Shelter is a temporary safety net, not a home. The Coordinated Housing Solutions program staff must assertively motivate guests and incentivize them to seek better alternatives using best practices.

All people experiencing homelessness, regardless of their housing history and duration of homelessness, can achieve housing stability in permanent housing.

Never warehouse or institutionalize our guests in our shelters.

Everyone is “housing ready.” Sobriety, compliance in treatment, or even a clean criminal history is not necessary to succeed in housing. Rather, homelessness programs and housing providers must be “consumer ready”.

Leverage guests’ strengths, assets, and connections to move quickly out of shelters and to any other housing.

Recognize the impact of violence and victimization on development and coping strategies

Employ an empowerment model

Maximize guest choices and control over her/his recovery based in a relational collaboration

Create an atmosphere that is respectful of the guests’ need for safety, respect, and acceptance

Emphasize the guests’ strengths, highlighting adaptations over symptoms and resilience over pathology

Minimize the possibilities of re-traumatization

Strive to be culturally competent and to understand each person in the context of his or her life experiences and cultural background

Solicit guest input and involve guests in designing and evaluating services

RQUIREMENTS:

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

REQUIRED:

BSW, BA or BS in a human services related field [can be substituted for High School Diploma and at least three (3) years of equivalent experience in a social service setting]

Valid Massachusetts Driver’s License

PREFERRED:

Certification, training, or formal education in counseling and/or case management

KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

REQUIRED:

A minimum of two (2) years of experience delivering services to a challenged population often struggling with addiction and untreated or under-treated mental health concerns

Strong computer and math skills - including familiarity with MS Word and Excel Experience

Practical experience in working collaboratively with homeless individuals creating housing plans and individual service plans

Experience with helping individuals with budgeting

Experience accessing housing opportunities and subsidy programs for homeless individuals

Knowledge of the issues related to homelessness and housing

Experience navigating systems of housing and care for homeless individuals

Knowledge and experience utilizing Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Informed Care, Harm Reduction, Housing First model.

PHYSICAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

REQUIRED:

Ability to stand for moderate periods of time, stretch, bend, lift and assist guests up and down stairs during difficult and/or emergency situations.

Ability to respond safely and quickly in case of emergency situations

Ability to sit for moderate periods of time at a desk in an office while interacting with clients and/or managing documentation and completing data entry

Must be able to drive a PSI vehicle for work use

MENTAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

REQUIRED:

Excellent writing, documentation, math and computer skills

Ability to assess clients and make appropriate referrals

Ability to establish good working relationships with internal and external program staff

Strong decision-making and communication skills

Exceptional customer service

Ability to perform an array of difficult tasks at the same time

Patience in working with guests with untreated emotional and/or physical health needs and active substance use/abuse/dependency behaviors

Ability to work in intense emotionally charged situations

Ability to work in a shared space

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

Meet or exceed established performance and program goals.

Meet or exceed established housing goals.

Work with guests to quickly and accurately complete housing and support documentation.

Work with guests to expeditiously obtain appropriate mainstream benefits

As needed, perform client intakes, assessments, and HMIS documentation.

Knowledge of the HMIS/Clarity systems

Maintain accurate and timely documentation.

Actively work with guests to motivate and incentivize the development and execution of actionable and sustainable individual housing plans using best practices.

Maintain thorough knowledge of human/social services networking opportunities available in Boston and surrounding areas.

Perform other additional assignments or projects as requested/directed by supervisor.

Perform other additional assignments or projects as requested/directed by Program Director, Supervisor and HMIS Manager.

Other duties as assigned in order to meet the needs of the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic or other public health or weather emergencies.

Documentation and Confidentiality:

Manages documentation and reporting requirements.

Maintains confidentiality specifically HIPAA, patient privacy and 42 CFR Part 2

INTERNAL CANDIDATES, IF INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION, PLEASE SUBMIT A PROMOTION/TRANSFER APPLICATION TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF POSTING.

Pine Street Inn is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

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