Temporary Housing Retention Specialist - UCRT

Downtown Emergency Service Center•Seattle, WA

About The Position

The Housing Retention Specialist (HRS) is a temporary, 12-month position on DESC’s Unit Condition Response Team (UCRT). The HRS is a mobile, zone-deployed specialist who works alongside site-based Clinical Support Specialists and Housing Stabilization Specialists during critical housing stability situations. Rather than managing an individual caseload, the HRS provides intensive, short-term, side-by-side coaching and practical support to residents facing complex tenancy barriers, including behavioral health challenges, hoarding, benefit issues, and risk of eviction. As part of an integrated care team, the HRS supports residents and housing staff with improving apartment conditions, strengthening housing retention and tenant engagement, preparing for inspections, building independent living skills, and navigating benefits and entitlements. The role uses trauma-informed, harm-reduction, and de-escalation approaches to address housing barriers and immediate safety risks. The position also involves documentation, care coordination, meetings, and agency training. DESC is hiring two Housing Retention Specialists.

Requirements

Meet Washington Department of Health requirements for registration as a Registered Agency Affiliated Counselor (AAC) or hold any superseding credential.
Have a relevant bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, or a related behavioral science; alternatively, have a combination of one year of relevant paid work experience and demonstrated ability to perform the required duties. Internal applicants in direct, client-facing positions may substitute six months of experience for one year.
Experience working with formerly homeless adults disabled by co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Knowledge of local homeless, mental health, and substance use disorder service systems.
Knowledge of Washington State public benefit programs, including ABD, SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare, and other income-support resources.
Ability to communicate and work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant, intense, and/or bizarre behavior.
Commitment to cooperation and continuity across agency programs and to consideration and respect for clients.

Nice To Haves

Two years of experience working with homeless or formerly homeless adults disabled by severe and persistent mental health and substance use challenges.
Professional, volunteer, or lived experience with hoarding mitigation, clutter management, or intensive independent living skills coaching.
Ability to drive an agency vehicle for agency-related business, requiring a current Washington State driver’s license and an insurable driving record.
Experience assisting individuals with benefit and entitlement navigation, including Medicaid, SSI/SSDI, ABD, food assistance, or other income and healthcare supports.
Knowledge of household pests and proper mitigation strategies.

Responsibilities

Serve as a mobile, cross-site specialist in an integrated care team, partnering with onsite Housing Stabilization Specialist and Clinical Support Specialist staff to address high-acuity housing challenges.
Co-deploy with onsite staff into high-acuity residential units to provide support with safety, pacing, and intensive remediation involving severe clutter, hoarding, biohazards, or other housing retention crises.
Provide short-term, in-unit independent living skills coaching, including modeling organization, routine tracking, safe household practices, and clutter-mitigation techniques.
Use trauma-informed, harm-reduction, and de-escalation approaches to support tenants with clutter, hoarding, and other barriers to housing retention while reducing immediate fire, life, and safety risks.
Collaborate with residents and their site-based teams to implement goals in Integrated Service Plans and, when applicable, Housing Retention and Stability Plans.
Assist with public benefits acquisition, retention, and troubleshooting, including Medicaid enrollment and renewal, ABD applications and recertifications, SSI/SSDI applications and appeals, document gathering, and coordination with benefit specialists and community partners.
Help tenants address benefit interruptions, access income supports, and navigate service systems relevant to housing stability.
Support budgeting, income stabilization planning, document management, and housing transition planning.
Identify barriers to income and healthcare access and provide hands-on assistance obtaining and maintaining benefits, healthcare coverage, and other entitlement programs.
Design and facilitate voluntary activities, skill-building workshops, tenant meetings, and neighborhood outings in partnership with onsite staff.
Complete timely documentation of client interactions, assessments, and interventions in accordance with agency standards.
Participate in UCRT staff meetings, permanent supportive housing site care coordination meetings, and agency trainings.
Perform other duties as assigned.