ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST

HOUSING FORWARD•Oak Park, IL

4h•Onsite

About The Position

The Engagement Specialist is responsible for welcoming clients into the program and completing the initial intake for emergency shelter services. This role serves as the "front door" to the agency’s homeless crisis-response. The Specialist will work with a team of volunteers to ensure that participants in the Emergency Overnight Shelter have a safe place to sleep and that their basic needs are met for the evening. This is a part-time position with hours from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

Requirements

Must have smartphone to utilize Agency communication and collaboration tools.
Strong interpersonal skills
Express ideas clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
Ability to problem-solve and make decisions in stressful situations.
Professional boundaries with clients.
Maturity in demeanor and positive attitude.
Aptitude for management data and information.
Crisis intervention skills
Enjoys managing different levels of responsibilities and tasks of the program.
Comfortable interacting with diverse groups of people (i.e. volunteers, shelter clients).
Ability to think ‘on-your-feet’.
Ability to work individually and as a member of a team.
Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Regularly required to use hands and talk or hear, stand; walk; sit; use stairs; reach with hands and arms balance, stoop, kneel or crouch.

Nice To Haves

A bachelor’s in social work or related field preferred; may be substituted by experience.

Responsibilities

Provide orientation to individuals, couples and families seeking shelter services to the Emergency Shelter Program.
Complete intakes on new clients, identify special needs (i.e. physical limitations, underlying medical conditions) and enter all assessments into the agency’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
Perform assessments to determine a person’s immediate housing and un-housed situation; determine underlying issues and offer short-term solutions that may resolve their immediate housing crisis.
Assist people seeking services in articulating their needs. Coordinate with the Supportive Services Specialists to secure appropriate documentation to get clients on the By Name List and on the path to housing.
Assist clients who may have alternatives to entering the shelter system, navigate their alternatives to divert households from entering the Emergency Shelter.
Triage and de-escalate persons in crisis and connect persons to appropriate emergency resources. Notify outreach specialists when clients missed shelter for more than three nights.
Serve as main contact with clients until clients are assigned a case manager.
Work with volunteers to ensure that shelter schedule is followed.
Read the shift log from the previous shift and complete a shift log at the end of the shift.
Complete incident report for unusual events that happened on the shift.
Ensure that clients do not loiter in front of shelter before shelter opens.
Provide a daily report to supervisor on calls received and recommendations for shelter and housing options.
Inform Shelter Manager of unusual events.
Have resources available to provide referrals to clients that are not admitted to shelter.