Employment & Housing Specialist (Hybrid)

HeartShare is looking for an Employment and Housing Specialist

Employment and Housing Specialist, under the supervision of the Program Supervisor will act as an additional resource and support to the tenant in addition to their Coach. This person will be responsible for cultivating a network of job placement and internship opportunities for young adults through workforce development service providers, as well as partnerships with businesses who can offer a supportive and educational job opportunity for young people. The Employment and Housing Specialist will build an engaging and comfortable relationship with our tenants to help them identify preferences and goals for their housing and employment opportunities, alongside their coaches, and will connect them with opportunities to help them meet their goals. This person will develop a deep knowledge of the New York City affordable real estate market, including a network of landlords and brokers to assist tenants with identifying non-programmatic permanent housing and programmatic long-term housing, where appropriate. They will do so by working alongside the Residence Engagement Liaison to build the HSVS network of available apartments for supportive housing, as a way to establish initial landlord relationships. They will also attend housing fairs, conferences, and networking opportunities as appropriate to continue to deepen and grow their housing network. The Employment and Housing Specialists will take a compassionate, nonjudgmental, and strengths-based approach to working with our young people.

The Employment and Housing Specialist will be trained in and implement evidence-based models, including but not limited to:

• Motivational Interviewing;
• Intensive Trauma Services;
• Recovery Oriented and Trauma Informed Case Management;
• Critical Time Intervention;

Responsibilities:

• Meet with up to 60 tenants quarterly alongside their coaches to review employment plans and complete job applications with tenants.
• Conduct monthly workshops that provide information and training about housing stability, rent, entitlements, money management, professional development, resume writing, hard and soft skills, and other areas related to housing and employment stability.
• Provide resources for tenants that promote independent living, and educate tenants on banking, credit, culinary skills, healthy relationships, and conflict resolution;
• Provide monthly resources for jobs opportunities and monitor outcomes.
• Accompany tenants to HRA and SSI office in support of maintaining entitlements.
• Assist tenants in creating online accounts used to access entitlements.
• Follow up on job application status for tenants and provide resources for housing subsidies.
• Educate tenants on housing options and assist with completing housing applications.
• Ensure tenants maintain their benefits in order to maintain stable housing.
• In collaboration with the youth, complete semi-annual vocational assessments to determine prioritized needs and identify tenant strengths.
• Spearhead the development and operation of young adult advisory board;
• Identify youths who are planning to attend college and help them apply to the HSVS American Dream Program where applicable.
• Collect and input relevant data for supportive housing database.
• Maintain employment and educational data used to measure tenant outcomes.
• Perform other duties deemed necessary to support the needs of the youths and program.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or related field; experience working with the young adult population, especially those with mental health and substance abuse challenges.
• Two (2+) years of experience working in workforce development and housing services
• Interest or experience in adopting evidence-based practices, and willingness to use data to inform work.
• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred
• Valid New York State Driver’s License to provide transportation when required and handle certain crisis.
• Previous experience as a client in supportive housing or other system involvement is preferred.
• Cross Cultural Studies or experiences which ensure a sensitive approach to working with a diverse client population is preferred.
• Commitment to taking a compassionate, nonjudgmental, and strengths-based approach to working with young people that is steeped in the principles of positive youth development.
• Experience or interest in implementing evidence-based practices, and openness to learning how to interpret data to inform one’s practice.
• Experience assisting with obtaining and maintaining government benefits, accessing services, managing medication, and comfort running group meetings when necessary. Knowledge of group dynamics and interaction, especially with the young adult populations, is preferred.
• Ability to act responsibly in stressful situations.
• Written and verbal communication skills sufficient to effectively provide direction and counseling to clients and maintain required documentation.
• Must be capable of and willing to make home visits unassisted throughout the greater New York area, and to ensure a realistic and secure approach to such visits.
• Must be capable of independently and professionally assessing the physical and emotional well-being of the client and ascertaining the adequacy of the physical environment and treatment/educational/vocational programs.
• Ability to independently organize time and prioritize responsibilities in order to plan and carry out a demanding schedule.

Benefits:

• Rewarding Work in a team environment;
• Paid vacation, sick, personal days and holidays;
• 403(B) retirement plan with employer contribution;
• Health, dental, vision and life insurance;
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP);
• Flexible spending account (Dependent Care, Medical, Parking, and Transit);
• Employee Appreciation Programs and Events;
• Tuition Assistance Program;
• Professional Development opportunities;
• Gympass Discount
• Verizon Wireless Discount;
• BJs Membership discount;
• Discounts on Broadway tickets, movie tickets, theme parks, sporting events, gift certificates & more.