Housing Specialist

Tulsa County•Tulsa County Social Services, OK

12d•$5,208•Onsite

About The Position

Under general direction, and within the scope of department policies and guidelines, assess the eligibility and needs of potential residents in an effort to transition them from being homeless to transitional or permanent housing. All candidates conditionally offered transfer, promotion or initial hiring into a DOT/safety-sensitive position shall submit to testing for drugs and alcohol and test negative before performing any job functions that are safety-sensitive or require a CDL. External job applicants with a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test result shall be denied employment and shall be required to wait one year before applying for another position within Tulsa County.

Requirements

Skill in recognizing and addressing causes of social problems; in tactfully and respectfully eliciting pertinent personal information; and in working with a culturally and ethnically diverse population while maintaining professionalism; in crisis intervention, de-escalation and management; and in narrative style documentation.
Knowledge of local services and community resources.
Knowledge of principles and practices of human services applicable to case management; of county regulations pertaining to emergency; of services available to the needy through community-based agencies; of departmental policies and procedures; and of other service providers current services and eligibility policies and procedures.
Knowledge or understanding of tenant’s rights and responsibilities as well as “strengths based” case management.
Demonstrated knowledge of community resources, social service agencies, and landlords.
Knowledge of residential lease contracts to educate clients of their rights and responsibilities.
Ability to deal with others in a tactful and a non-judgmental manner; to express both orally and in writing, facts and opinions clearly and concisely; to work in an organized, timely manner to allow maximum production while meeting quality of work expectations; to deal with aggressive or hostile program participants; and to maintain the highest integrity and ethical standards that only reflect positively on Tulsa County.
The ability to establish and set appropriate limits with persons served to help them gain skills and confidence.
The ability to work collaboratively with other personnel and/or service providers or professionals.
Ability to work with and be sensitive to the needs of diverse, systemically disadvantaged populations.
Ability to listen with sensitivity to other people’s feelings, needs, and points of view; demonstrate tact and courtesy in expressing opinions or ideas and recognizing opportunities to enhance community relations.
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Experience with computer including HMIS programs and knowledge of Microsoft Office.
Valid Oklahoma Driver’s License

Nice To Haves

Education equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in human services, sociology, psychology, community counseling, or related field; and over three (3) years of satisfactory full time paid employment in casework or closely related work.

Responsibilities

Assess housing barriers of individuals and families experiencing homelessness to determine housing and service needs.
Develop a housing procurement, financial, and self-sufficiency case management plan with clients. This shall include intake interview to determine client’s needs, goals, and eligibility.
Provide mediation and advocacy with landlords on the client’s behalf to develop a workable plan to obtain and or maintain housing.
Assist participants in locating and securing housing of their choice.
Help clients obtain document collection; ID, driver’s license, social security, and birth certificates needed for housing.
Create and maintain consistent communication channels, both verbal and written, between several parties (i.e., tenant, landlord, referral source, collaborating agencies, debtors and creditors).
Serve as an ongoing liaison between property managers and participants as well as between participants and neighbors.
Provide information and referral assistance regarding available support from appropriate social service agencies and/or community programs.
Assist in development of and encourage adherence to a personal budget through pro-active housing and budget counseling sessions; provide budget counseling and education to assist clients in establishing payments plans for bills and past debts in an effort to assist clients in obtaining and maintaining their housing and decrease their chances of future homelessness.
Assist participants in development of a strength-based/solution-focused individualized goal and action plan that promotes permanent housing and self-sufficiency; develop an effective, timely referral network in order to ensure ongoing direction and support as needed.
Identify participant strengths and barriers to stability and assist participants to reducing barriers and linking to resources and services.
Maintain accurate daily logs and records, monthly outcome reports, and files for each client.
Travel with clients as deemed necessary. Transportation requirements should be limited to housing and job searches and occasional visit to relevant social service agencies.
Collect and report program data, including but not limited to HMIS reporting and funders’ required data.
Manage multiple cases efficiently and effectively while maintaining sound judgement.
Provide advocacy for clients when they encounter barriers.
Perform other duties as assigned.