Youth Shelter Diversion Specialist

New Reach•New Haven, CT

57d

About The Position

The Youth Shelter Diversion Specialist is responsible for conducting phone and in-person assessments with youth, individuals, and families to prevent households experiencing literal or imminent homelessness from entering shelter. This position facilitates connections to community resources and supports that address identified needs, promoting housing stability and self-sufficiency. The Youth Shelter Diversion Specialist also collaborates with the local homeless services network to coordinate shelter placements when appropriate and available.

Requirements

Associate's degree plus 3 years human services experience; bachelor's degree preferred
Desire to promote equal access and opportunity for families experiencing homelessness
Highly motivated, creative with excellent interpersonal skills and crisis intervention abilities
Strong advocacy, documentation, and computer skills required
Ability to work with a team and independently with initiative
Access to reliable transportation

Nice To Haves

Bilingual English and Spanish preferred
Experience in housing, housing law, and other related areas preferred

Responsibilities

Perform assessments to homeless and unstably housed populations within Greater New Haven with the goal of diverting people from having to enter shelter
Provide services in different office locations as required.
Provide referrals and support to clients being diverted from shelter to help stabilize their households
Confirm eligibility criteria for any family entering the shelter system, provide client/ landlord mediation and/or family mediation interventions and diversion techniques as appropriate
Participate in daily community phone calls to advocate for prioritization
Creatively access, utilize, and monitor use of flexible funds for clients when available
Assist families receiving financial diversion with the leasing process, and perform housing inspections to ensure compliance with Housing Habitability Standards and Lead Visual Assessments
Ensure all documentation is entered into Homeless Management Information System Database (HMIS) and any other data database within 24-48 hours of incident/contact
Follow all mandated reporting requirements per Department of Children and Families when applicable
Develop a strong profile within the homeless services community to strengthen diversion referrals and increase accessibility for collaboration with partnering agencies
Attend required trainings programs and community meetings, and regularly scheduled supervision, staff and or other meetings as assigned
Other duties as assigned to ensure successful programmatic operations