Resource Specialist

City of New York•New York, NY

About The Position

The New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is recruiting six Community Coordinators to work as Resource Specialists in the Division of Shelter Intake. DHS works to prevent homelessness, reduce street homelessness, provide temporary shelter, and connect individuals and families to stable housing. The Division oversees intake and assessment sites for single adults, adult families, and families with children, including directly operated sites and contracted providers. It is responsible for ensuring access to shelter according to eligibility criteria 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round. The Resource Specialist cultivates community relationships and identifies housing alternatives to shelter for clients and people experiencing homelessness. The role conducts outreach, interviews, recruitment, screening, and fieldwork; gathers and verifies applicant information; assesses housing options and other community resources; and makes initial recommendations about alternatives to shelter. The position also provides information and referrals to applicants, staff, and community partners, and coordinates with a Behavioral Health Specialist as needed. Schedules vary.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community-centered activities related to the duties described; or high school graduation or equivalent and six years of related community work or community-centered activity experience; or equivalent education and/or experience.
All candidates must have at least one year of experience in community work or community-centered activities related to the duties described.

Responsibilities

Cultivate relationships across diverse communities to identify housing alternatives to shelter and new opportunities for clients and community-based homeless populations.
Inform staff about available opportunities and support community partners in providing those opportunities to people experiencing homelessness.
Conduct outreach, interviews, recruitment, and screening related to housing alternatives, contacting primary tenants, landlords, building superintendents, neighbors, city agencies, institutional settings, private entities, and other collateral sources.
Canvas communities and engage with community-based homeless populations to provide DHS shelter referrals and educate people about community housing options and other resources through mediation, referrals, meetings, and other methods.
Gather applicant information, including housing history and income, and review and verify documents provided by applicants.
Conduct screening interviews for single adult applicants.
Follow up with applicants’ past housing resources to determine whether they can return to the community.
Make initial recommendations about alternatives to shelter based on an assessment of each applicant’s situation.
Conduct fieldwork, including interviews and meetings with primary tenants, landlords, building superintendents, and neighbors.
Conduct other necessary screenings of applicants who have housing options or other community resources available.
Provide an initial assessment of applicants’ psychiatric and substance abuse histories and work with a Behavioral Health Specialist as needed.