Resource and Housing Specialist - Compass Family Services

About the organization: Compass Family Services is a 100+ year old nonprofit working on the front lines of San Francisco's homeless crisis. We provide families experiencing or at risk of homelessness with comprehensive support to address immediate needs and ensure long-term success.

About the program: Compass Family Shelter provides families experiencing homelessness with a safe place to stay. Each family has their own room and access to a kitchen, children's play area, and other communal spaces. While families are at shelter, they receive intensive support from our team. We help them stabilize, find housing, and address challenges and barriers.

Compensation: $28 - $31 hourly

Schedule: Full time, including one weekend day every week. Hours are 9:30am - 5:30pm except on Wednesdays, when they are 10a - 6pm. Schedules are EITHER Sun-Thurs (Fri/Sat off) OR Tues-Sat (Sun/Mon off).

Location: 626 Polk Street, San Francisco. Fully on-site for first 3 months, then possibility to work one day per week remotely

Organizational Core Competencies: Accountable  I  Adaptable  I  Client-centered  I  Collaborative  I  Committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging  I  Resourceful 

Responsibilities: The Resource and Housing Specialist works directly with families in the shelter to successfully resolve their housing crisis. The Specialist role works within the Family Coordinated Entry System and requires a thorough understanding of the San Francisco Homeless Response System. The Specialist will intake families into the Shelter Program, assess family needs, explore available housing options using case management/problem-solving strategies, support with housing location, and provide resources and referrals to relevant agencies. The Specialist will also support families with general residential needs during their shelter stay.

General Duties: 

• Build supportive relationships with assigned client families and provide services from a trauma informed and harm reduction perspective.
• Monitor assigned client families' compliance with shelter and program rules, and administer warnings and denials of services as needed.
• Work collaboratively with staff to resolve and report problems that arise.
• Support the community with safety and cleanliness of common areas, pantry, and community space.  
• Participate in food distribution days, including supporting setting up the space, unpacking the food deliveries, and informing residents of the food's arrival. 
• In partnership with the Assistant Program Director and Children's Activity Coordinator, plan and execute community meetings, including facilitation, outreach to speakers, and attending the entire meeting. Ensuring family participation during the meetings. 
• Ensure safety and parental supervision of children at all times.

Case Management: 

• Assess families at intake to determine barriers and needs and, in partnership with client families, create a service plan for shelter stay, prioritizing housing search and addressing barriers to stability and healthy functioning. 
• Provide case management services to a caseload of up to 10 shelter families. Case management services include counseling, crisis intervention and assessment, as well as referrals and linkages to services, including substance abuse and mental health treatment, childcare, parenting education, support groups, money management, living skills and more.
• Ensure compliance with San Francisco's Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing Case Management standards and complete all necessary documentation within the deadlines. 
• Refer exited families to aftercare and ensure a warm hand-off.
• Maintain up-to-date case files, case notes and family assessments in CoDa and complete paper files on each shelter family.
• Work in collaboration with other Compass programs and make appropriate referrals to Compass programs as well to external providers and resources. 
• Maintain ongoing communication with shelter staff and other Compass programs regarding shelter clients.

Problem-Solving: 

• Understand families' eligibility for San Francisco's Homelessness Response System, which includes shelter, rental subsidies, and permanent supportive housing. Help families understand how the system works, and whether and how they can access it.
• Perform problem-solving eligibility screenings and assessments, entering all information in the ONE system and CoDA. 
• Offer problem-solving support to families so they can identify readily available housing resolutions. Problem-solving strategies include mapping of personal networks and resources, motivational interviewing, conflict resolution and mediation.
• Once a family has identified a problem-solving resolution, support in completing the appropriate paperwork, and gathering all necessary information, such as lease agreements, income documentation, and researching moving costs. 
• Communicate with landlords and property managers to ensure a smooth move-in process.  
• Work with the Program Management and Finance Department to issue any promissory notes, if needed. 

Housing Location: 

• Work with families identified as Housing Referral Status and referred to a Rapid Rehousing Program to secure stable housing and address barriers to housing.
• Support families in housing navigation by providing education around conducting housing searches, completing applications, and collaborating with Housing Locators/Navigators in outside agencies to quickly secure housing. 
• Ensure families are completing weekly housing search logs, and direct all communication around viable units to Housing Locators/Navigator. 
• Collaborate with Access Point providers for families who have been matched with Permanent Supportive Housing opportunities to ensure all vital documents are uploaded into the One System and the family completes their application in a timely manner.

Qualifications:

• Relevant experience in a social services setting (counseling, crisis intervention). Residential experience especially helpful.
• Understanding of challenges facing homeless and immigrant families.
• Understanding of trauma informed care.
• Knowledge of Bay Area housing and social service resources
• Outstanding work habits: punctual, reliable, cooperative, team-oriented.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging work
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel). Experience with Salesforce is a plus!
• Candidates who speak fluent Spanish are especially encouraged to apply.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Salary: $28-$31 per hour
• Paid time off: 4 weeks of vacation your first year, 5 in your second. Also paid holidays, sick time, family leave, time off for education.
• Insurance: health, dental and vision insurance are fully covered by Compass for employees and dependent children. We also provide long term disability and life insurance.
• Retirement: after one year of work, Compass contributes an amount equal to 5% of your salary into a retirement account; this vests during years 2-5.
• Membership in OPEIU/Local 29 union.

Location & Covid Considerations:

• Work location: 626 Polk St., in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco
• After their first 90 days, staff can work from home one day per week
• Covid vaccination required for all staff

To Apply:

Please apply through our online application. No phone calls, please.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively seek to recruit a diverse workforce. Employees must embrace the idea that Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging contribute to the success of our underserved communities, and therefore to shared prosperity in our city and region. Compass Family Services is committed to the continuous work of implementing specific actions that will disrupt systemic prejudice and improve equity across programs and departments, to become an example to partners who also believe in a culture of inclusion that leverages diversity.

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and California civil rights law, Compass Family Services will provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or candidate with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship for the agency. Requests for reasonable accommodation apply to all aspects of the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please use the answer box for the final question of the job application to let us know.