Case Manager - Bud Bailey Apts - Housing Connect

The Mission of Housing Connect
At Housing Connect, we believe that a home is a space that offers safety and comfort. Our homes ground us, remind us of our deepest values and hopes, and provide inspiration and motivation to succeed and strive to better our lives and those of our families. The mission of Housing Connect is to connect people and communities to quality affordable housing opportunities while promoting self-sufficiency and neighborhood revitalization.
The Case Manager supports the mission of Housing Connect by assisting with the development and implementation of supportive services at the Bud Bailey Apartment Community. The Case Manager will work with refugee households, supportive services staff, property management, and community partners to identify needs and coordinate resources that promote self-sufficiency, housing retention and a healthy community.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Tenant Support and Advocacy
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive network of education, training, mental health, substance abuse, employment, economic development and other supportive services for refugee households.
• Conduct home visits and outreach to refugee households living at Bud Bailey Apartments.
• Assess employment status among refugee households and work to support their efforts towards self-sufficiency by co-creating goals that are clear, measurable and have a reasonable time frame.
• Connect work-ready adults to Department of Workforce Services and other employment programs and document outcomes.
• Build effective relationships with residents through regular contact in person, by telephone and in writing, using interpretation as needed.
• Provide education on common housing stability issues such as pest control, hygiene, and housekeeping.
• Attend and actively participate in case staffing and agency meetings, weekly and as requested.
• Coordinate regularly with property management, project-based voucher staff and other Housing Connect staff to proactively ensure effective communication and to resolve tenant issues.
• Assist residents with applying for, obtaining, and maintaining benefits.
• Support residents in creating and maintaining a forum in which they can provide feedback for improvement.
• Orient clients on the importance of timely communication with the case manager, the housing specialist and property management on issues affecting tenant housing.
• Act as an advocate for clients when appropriate.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supportive Services and Community Partnerships
• Proactively develop and promote self-reliance among refugee households by helping them access employment services and community resources.
• Coordinate supportive services (i.e. mental health, transportation, substance abuse, etc.) with appropriate community agencies.
• Provide referrals, when appropriate, to outside programming and community resources.
• Follow up on all referrals to ensure that adequate, appropriate services are being provided.
• Evaluate needs and gaps in services and work to identify solutions.
• Assist eligible household members to enroll in appropriate onsite programming such as job skills training, after-school programs and English skills learning classes.
• Assist with coordination and delivery of programming for refugee youth and adults, as directed by supervisor.
• Engage eligible and appropriate youth into onsite youth programming and provide referral information for offsite programs, as needed.
• Proactively work with parents to become engaged with their children’s education such as attending Parent-Teacher conferences, understanding attendance issues and monitoring school progress.
• In collaboration with residents, organize, promote and participate in activities within the refugee community that foster community, employment, healthy resident relationships and overall building stability.
• Support co-workers and work as a team to accomplish agency, department and program goals. Program

Tracking and Outcome Measurements
• Complete well organized case files that accurately reflect services provided.
• Complete paperwork, monthly reports, grant reports, case notes, and other paperwork as needed accurately and on a timely basis.
• Collect program data to track resident progress
• Complete an initial and biannual assessment with each refugee household
• Support program goals and objectives from specific grants or funding requirements by ensuring program, case management serves, and activities are in compliance and desired results are achieved. MINIMUM

REQUIREMENTS:
• Bachelor's degree in education, social work or related field.
• Minimum of two year's experience full-time paid related experience.
• Experience in case management.
• Experience working with refugees and or low-income individuals or families
• Computer literate.
• bilingual preferred (Swahili, Nepali, Farsi, Arabic, Pashto, or Tigrinya)
• Possession of a valid Driver’s License and good driving record to transport residents in agency vehicles, as needed.

Knowledge of:
• Issues impacting refugees and low-income households
• Methods and techniques of effective case management and assessment skills.
• Social service programs and community resources.

Ability to:
• Maintain a work schedule that accommodates refugee household’s needs, including the youth.
• Work evenings and weekends, as directed.
• Solve complex situations and diffuse explosive situations.
• Approach problems proactively with a solution focused method.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Establish working relationships with residents, co-workers, and other professionals.
• Work independently as well as collaboratively.
• Use personal vehicle, with mileage reimbursement, as needed.
• Maintain a good driving record to be able to transport residents in agency vehicles.