Housing Specialist (34034)

NEW NARRATIVE•Portland, OR

37d•$27

About The Position

The Housing Specialist is a member of the Motel Support Team that provide outreach and support to serve participants who are housed in emergency motel placements with the goal of connecting motel participants to housing opportunities. The goal of the Motel Support Team is to provide supplemental support and connection to motel program participants and aid consumers in accessing community based resources. The Housing Specialist will provide services which include: tenant education, linkage to housing opportunities (supported living, independent living, semi-independent, etc.), assisting in application process, submission of reasonable accommodations, community living/integration, Rent Well skills and curriculum. In addition, Housing Specialist will provide advocacy, crisis prevention and de-escalation, skills training, community navigation, case management, transportation and support for housing screenings/tours, community navigation skills training to tours/screenings, or facilitation of transportation (ie. Ensuring bus tickets/fare are accessible, directions/address provided, etc.), collaborative meetings with treatment teams and other external providers to ensure safe housing placement, and referring to community based supports or other resources as indicated to support the participant’s next step in housing. With additional peer and risk case management support the program aims to minimize participant hospitalizations (emergency department and psychiatric admissions), increase necessary contact between the participant and their respective mental health and substance use service providers, and aid linkage to transitional or permanent housing programs. In alignment with OARS, documented vaccination or exemption is required.

Requirements

Must be able to pass a criminal history check through the Department of Human Services.
Must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Must maintain current Oregon driver’s license and insurance. Must have own reliable vehicle to meet participants in the community, as the position requires a lot of driving.
Incumbents with a substance use disorder must be sober and free of substance use for 2 full years preceding date of hire, and must maintain this sobriety.

Nice To Haves

Qualified Mental Health Associate credential preferred but not required.
Prior housing experience preferred.
Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred
Persons of color and all genders encouraged to apply

Responsibilities

Meet consistently with participants to work toward housing stability and maintain waitlist status and coordination.
Provide skills training, advocacy, case management, community navigation to support caseload participants in working towards their identified goals
Educates other employees, agencies, and the community at large about Fair Housing for persons with disabilities and advocates for the highest possible level of integration of SPMI tenants into their community
Coordinate with housing resources for housing opportunities, access to resources to support housing stability and safety (ie. Home Forward, Coordinated Access, Northwest Pilot Project, property management, etc.)
Coordinate with Coordinated Access team and obtain/maintain certification to conduct MSST assessments and reporting
Maintain professionalism in encounters with participants and other providers.
Submit reasonable accommodations as indicated.
Provide additional support to Case Management team for participant connection to vital documentation.
Participate in participant care conferences for wrap around care.
Maintain clear and up to date records regarding housing waitlist, status, and communicate to treatment teams and motel support team.
Ability to work in collaboration with acute care settings if necessary.
Ability to work in collaboration with emergency services (ie. police, Project Respond, Multnomah County Crisis, Behavioral Health Unit)
Obtain Rent Well certification and provide curriculum.
Providing direct support in one-on-one settings within the assigned motel or the community as needed
Provide individual and group skills training opportunities at motel as well as in the community, including but not limited to: ADLs, iADLs, coping, regulation, safety, etc. to support future housing opportunities and encourage retention.
Provide crisis response and de-escalation in a community based setting.
Use crisis prevention approach to decrease use of crisis services, Project Respond, EMS, police, hospitalization, etc.
Support harm reduction approach, linkage to resources such as, but not limited to: clean needle exchange, NARCAN, MAT, SUD services, education around harm reduction, etc.
Complete documentation and data entry as required by contract (ie. Electronic Health Record and HMIS/ServicePoint system, etc.) within 48 hrs or as designated per requirements.
Support Program Manager in housing retention tracking
Utilize centralized scheduling to account for client appointment, meetings, training, etc.
Utilize outcomes based care tools in order to provide outcome informed care.
Maintain a regular work schedule, including some evenings.
Work to increase level of cultural sensitivity, awareness and competency regarding Person-Centered Services.
Attend and positively participate in required team, agency, and interdisciplinary meetings.
Use trauma-informed, person centered approach and language and participate in ongoing training and education.
Provide crisis response in a community based setting.
Ensure timely completion of all required paperwork.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Complete all other assignments in a timely manner as requested by supervisor.
Participate in on-call after hours phone rotation