Housing Success Manager - Covenant House Alaska

Position Summary

All Covenant House Alaska program staff work as advocates and allies for youth experiencing homelessness and human trafficking.

The Housing Success Manager (HSM) is responsible for building relationship and providing individual case management for youth experiencing homelessness and highly vulnerable youth including survivors of human trafficking, within the CHA Rapid Re-Housing Program. Essential functions of the position are to provide support in program development, housing navigation and client case management. The Housing Success Manager will work in partnership and collaboration with multiple agencies to help rapidly rehouse homeless youth who qualify through the Coordinated Entry System. The HSM will maintain a case load of 10-15 identified transitional age youth and/or trafficking survivors, who may have multiple barriers (i.e. Substance Use Disorders, Chronic Health Conditions, frequent contact with law enforcement, etc). The HSM will assist with housing searches and placement within the private market, and with youth’s consent rally supportive services that will assist the household in maintaining permanent housing. The position is responsible for providing these services within the framework of the Mission Statement, Five Principles, and the Policies and Procedures of Covenant House Alaska

The Housing Success Manager will work in partnership and collaboration with multiple agencies or programs and provide systems’ advocacy to help youth reach their identified goals.

Essential Functions

• Provide case management services in multiple settings and coordinate services with other agencies. Make appropriate referrals for services within CHA and to community agencies.
• Meet all minimum case management and documentation standards, including, but not limited to:
  • Perform intakes and discharge planning in line with CHA timeline and program model requirements.
  • Have bi-weekly meetings with assigned youth to collaborate on their Success Plans and assist in goal attainment. Revise and update the success plan as necessary.
  • Keep youth success plans, case management efforts, and all other required data points current while working with youth in our services in accordance with CHA Data Quality Standards.
  • Ensure Coordinated Entry Assessment is current, updating as necessary.
  • Complete data entry in all required data systems in accordance with CHA data quality standards, including ETO, AKHMIS, and any other required databases.
  • Perform trafficking screenings (Quick Youth Indicators for Trafficking). Assist youth in safety planning around a variety of vulnerabilities; coordinate with the criminal justice and youth protection systems as required by law due to youth age (under 18), youth vulnerability (APS standards) or at the request of the youth (ages 18-24).
  • Complete Social Emotional Wellbeing, Resiliency, and other identified assessments.
• Participate in Coordinated Entry meetings and collaborate with other providers to identify, refer and place youth into appropriate housing placements and resource linkages. Provide case management services and coordinate services with other agencies. Duties may include conducting assessments, developing a Success Plan, monitoring client progress, group facilitation, and resource referrals.
• Apply the Housing First approach to locate and secure housing for youth without service requirements while meeting youth needs, promoting youth choice, and linking to proper supports.
• Provide progressive engagement with youth throughout the process of locating housing, reviewing and understanding the requirements of the lease, developing a household budget, assisting with finding employment and/or income source, and collaborating with community partners to provide resources the youth needs.
• Maintain a positive and professional working relationship with the general public, including other agencies and families of the youth we serve. Develop and maintain knowledge of and connection to community resources.
• Utilizing a personal vehicle, transport clients to appointments and agencies to receive services, as needed.
• Create and maintain consistent communication between several agencies (i.e. housing agency, landlord, mental health case manager, OCS caseworker, substance abuse counselor, creditors).
• Coordinate with Success Managers throughout the CHA continuum to ensure smooth transition in case management services.
• Liaise with landlords to identify suitable units for youth and engage in landlord and neighbor mediation to help youth foresee and mitigate issues that may jeopardize their tenancy.
• Effectively manage crisis situations through assessing, deciding, and acting in accordance with standards and laws in emergency situations involving the health and safety of youth being compromised.
• Following all data P&P’s and policies around protecting client data.
• Maintain a high level of ethical standards.
• Demonstrate an enthusiastic commitment to the job and the Agency.
• Maintain consistent communication with leadership and success team members.
• Cultivate relationships with youth, community partner agencies, and landlords in the community.
• Communications must reflect a strength-based, trauma-informed, positive youth development approach. Bilingual preferred.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education

High school diploma required. Bachelor’s degree in human services, social work, psychology, or a related field is highly preferred. Experience can substitute for post-secondary experience on a year-for-year basis.

Experience

Experience working with adolescent or disadvantaged populations preferred; life, volunteer, and internship experience will be considered. Lived experience considered an asset. Experience providing case management or closely related service provision is required.

Demonstrated familiarity with homeless systems and resources for housing, education, and employment and methods of access is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

• Understand and comply with all Agency policies and procedures, including Child Protection Policies.
• Understand and comply with all principles of Trauma-Informed Care. Willingness to acquire basic concepts in care coordination for adolescents and young adults and incorporate into service-provision.
• Understand the intersectionality of youth homelessness, mental health, substance misuse, human trafficking, and poverty.
• Strong knowledge of the factors that contribute to youth vulnerability to trafficking and demonstrate experience working with victims and awareness of their specific needs; ability to work with partner services and law enforcement to meet the needs of victims of trafficking.
• Knowledge of community and social service resources to assist youth with needs related to housing, employment, education, and social-emotional well-being.
• Knowledge of crisis intervention techniques and can address conflict between youth exhibiting challenging behaviors; able to respond quickly and safely while continuing to be a settling influence in crisis situations and emergencies.
• Is approachable, relatable, and practices active listening with individuals of varied cultural backgrounds, embracing differences in behavior and lifestyle choices.
• Willingness to passionately advocate for the right of all youth to be valued, supported, and housed, regardless of abilities, barriers, and challenges.
• Can maintain confidentiality while understanding and complying with requirements of mandated reporting, duty to warn, HIPAA, and other limits to confidentiality.
• High degree of sensitivity to and respect for diversity and cultural issues involved in working with individuals of varying ethnicities and income.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fluid environment. High level of time management skills
• Well-developed verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficient with standard computer operating systems. Ability to navigate Microsoft Office Suite, online databases, and other programs and websites as required.
• Willingness and ability to work outside normal business hours, holidays and weekends as needed.
• Willingness and ability to attain a CPR/First Aid Certification.
• Possess a current and valid Driver’s License.
• Acceptable driving record assessed through CHA’s Drivers Acceptability Matrix.
• Pass federal, state, and local background check investigations.
• This position does not perform supervisory duties.

Working Conditions 

• Position will work in a variety of settings, both inside and outside, and at times in inclement weather (Snow, Rain, etc.). Position will be based out of the Navigation Center but will also provide mobile case management using Agency vehicles and personal vehicles.
• Noise level is mild to moderate, consistent with office and residential environments.
• Must have the ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• Must have the ability to observe details within close range.
• Must be able to remain in stationary position for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to move within the office to access files and office equipment.
• Consistently operates a computer and related office machinery.
• Must be able to ascend/descend stairways within a wide variety of facilities both commercial and residential, with and possibly without the assistance of an elevator.
• Must be able to manage traversing a wide variety of different terrains and gradient levels in order to meet youth within a wide variety of settings.
• Occasionally moves items up to 40 pounds while ascending/descending stairways to assist youth moving in and out.

Covenant House is an Equal Opportunity Employer