Rapid Rehousing Specialist

Services For The Underserved, Inc.•New York, NY

23h•$45,000 - $50,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Rapid Re-Housing Support Specialist plays a key direct service role in the S:US Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program. They support veteran families’ housing goals and their access to core supportive services, including housing planning, income and benefits maximization, legal aid, and deliver support with permanent housing applications, temporary financial assistance and specialized services. The RRH Specialist supports veteran families’ housing search, placement and stabilization in their apartments. The RRH Specialist will provide day-to-day support to veteran households, and assist with outreach, engagement and service delivery to veteran participants across the five boroughs of NYC and Long Island. The RRH Specialist will work directly with stakeholders and veterans to enroll and support access to SSVF services and Temporary Financial Assistance. They manage the program’s service delivery to veteran households referred directly by local VA Medical Centers’ HUD VASH programs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree required.
2 years of human services experience preferred
Effective written and oral communication skills.
Candidates must be able to work in an office setting and at sites across NYC five days a week

Nice To Haves

Basic computer skills (e.g. MS Office suite and Windows)
Self-motivated and resourceful
Strong verbal communication skills
Bilingual English/Spanish a plus
Must be able to work both as a team player and independently
Knowledge of local resources, Veteran entitlements or other benefits is a plus
Veterans strongly encouraged to apply

Responsibilities

Assist participants in the SSVF program to define, plan and achieve their goals related to SSVF such as homeless prevention/rapid rehousing, income and benefits maximization and other goals for their housing stability.
Meet with designated VA staff to review cases and enroll veterans referred by HUD VASH for SSVF Temporary Financial Assistance.
Collect, review and process all required paperwork to screen, enroll and serve Veterans with HUD VASH in the SSVF program.
Act as a close liaison between S:US and the local VA teams.
Process SSVF Temporary Financial Assistance and other services according to agency and VA standards.
Monitor and report on SSVF data as directed by program management.
Maintain a caseload of specialized SSVF cases, mostly comprised of HUD VASH referrals for TFA into the program.
Assist Veteran households with accessing needed community services, including but not limited to public benefits such as SNAP, WIC and TANF, clothing, legal & child care services, educational and training resources, transportation assistance, and other supports through the development of a referral network and close follow-up.
Complete the SOAR program training and certification, and use that system to process households’ SSA applications.
Seek out, foster and interface with representatives from referring agencies in order to facilitate the delivery of program services, tracking referrals as needed.
Develop, assess and monitor individualized housing stability plans in conjunction with SSVF staff.
Track program milestones, including HSP completion dates, re-certifications and retention data as directed by program management. Maintain detailed benefits and referral outcome records.
Work with the case management, employment and outreach teams to navigate participants to community resources.
Assist with administrative functions of the housing search and placement process (i.e. data entry, filing leases, W9 forms, organizing charts, delivering checks, setting up utilities, ordering household items, etc.).
Follow-up with households to assess their ongoing housing stability needs.
Assist program management in regular participant record reviews.
Coordinate referrals for internal and external housing, health navigation, employment and core services for the full veteran family.
Maintain a strong knowledge of VA and community resources and support participants in navigating through these services.
Coordinate referrals for SSVF legal services and specialized programming as needed.
Accompany Veterans to various appointments at: DSS, VA, SSA, court, shelter, GPD, etc.
Document all engagements with participants and applicants according to VA and S:US standards, including the writing of case notes and contact logs.
Maintain the highest levels of confidentiality and professional boundaries according to S:US and funder standards.
Attend and actively engage in all team meetings, supervisions and trainings.
Respond to veteran and program needs promptly, accurately and with courtesy and respect.
Support team members in the delivery of daily services, including providing positive modeling, peer counseling, support and encouragement to participants.
Screen and assess applicants applying for S:US Veterans Services.
Assist with the development of Housing Stability Plans and follow-up re-certifications with participants.
Willingness and ability to attend occasional events outside of normal business hours.
Represent the agency and programs and in a professional manner to funders, participants of the program, potential customers, referring agencies, network members, and other stakeholders.
Deliver high-quality customer service.
Perform other duties related to the program as defined by the Program Director and management team.