Housing Resource Coordinator

Housing Resource Coordinator

Working at Evergreen Treatment Services makes a big difference in our community! ETS has been working to transform the lives of individuals and their communities through innovative and effective addiction and social services in Western Washington for over 50 years. Learn more about our mission and values. Change begins within. We strive to foster and sustain a diverse and inclusive community within our organization. Find out how we are working to achieve racial equity, health equity, and community justice. Our Clinic Services and REACH teams bring critical professional expertise and heartfelt compassion to the work they do every day to serve our most vulnerable community members. Check out the compelling stories told by our patients, clients, and staff members that provide more information and a clear picture regarding our organization's essential work.

The REACH Program of Evergreen Treatment Services works with individuals experiencing homelessness and behavioral health conditions to help them achieve stability and improved quality of life. The REACH mission is to foster community health and safety through outreach, relationship, healing interventions and systems advocacy for people who use drugs. REACH provides outreach-based-care coordination, multidisciplinary clinical services, and support to access and maintain housing. All services are based on principles of harm reduction that offer respect and dignity to individuals moving through stages of change in their lives. REACH incorporates a racial equity lens that includes naming the impact and actively dismantling systems of oppression rooted in White Supremacy, while addressing the root causes perpetuating historical trauma and immense suffering in individuals' lives. We are committed to building a robust behavioral health response that diverts people away from jail by rebuilding community and providing services to ensure those presently marginalized aren't just surviving, but able to thrive. REACH offers an array of services ranging from survival support provided where folks are living outside to linkages to essential resources such as housing, assistance to resolve legal issues, health care, entitlements and easily accessible treatment for substance use disorders and mental health conditions. The REACH team is passionate about creating a hospitable and welcoming environment for all people while providing quality services on an individually tailored basis to our clientele. REACH values diversity of lived experience is committed to racial equity and social justice, and appreciates hard work, creativity, and a good sense of humor. People who have been impacted by the criminal legal system are encouraged to apply. This dynamic position plays an important role in helping ETS accomplish our mission!

The Housing Resource Coordinator role is part of the Housing team that supports ETS' mission through housing navigation, resource coordination, landlord engagement, and collaboration with care teams to advance housing stability for clients. This role makes a critical difference at ETS by serving as a housing subject matter expert, building housing access pathways, and supporting care teams in achieving positive housing outcomes for clients.

What you contribute to this role Responsibilities:

• Help ETS succeed in carrying out our mission through working together with other staff to transform systems of harm and inequity to create different approaches to improving community health and safety through addressing substance use and homelessness.
• Assist with the organization-wide initiative to reimagine our interconnectedness within our community to overcome the aspects of our society and organizational culture shaped by white supremacy and settler colonialism.

Housing Navigation and Landlord Engagement (35% of duties)

• Develop and maintain a portfolio of permanent and temporary housing opportunities for REACH clients.
• Build and maintain partnerships with landlords, property managers, housing providers, motels, and referral partners.
• Coordinate access to housing resources and support housing placement and retention efforts.
• Maintain current knowledge of landlord-tenant issues, housing eligibility requirements, and local housing resources.
• Assess, prioritize, and coordinate responses to time-sensitive housing placement needs with internal and external partners.

Program Coordination and Administrative Support (30% of duties)

• Coordinate housing-related financial processes, including invoices, payment requests, receipts, and supporting documentation.
• Support implementation of housing prioritization processes, resource allocation, and access pathways.
• Provide administrative and coordination support to case managers as needed to facilitate client housing placement and service delivery.
• Maintain organized and up-to-date housing resource information, application materials, and related program documentation.
• Provide communication and coordination support to case managers, housing providers, and external partners.

Contract Compliance and Documentation (20% of duties)

• Serve as a point person for contract reporting, data tracking, and compliance-related activities.
• Complete documentation and maintain records in accordance with agency, contract, state, and federal requirements.
• Ensure services and activities are delivered consistently with ETS/REACH program policies and procedures.

Team Collaboration (15% of duties)

• Attend and participate in REACH team meetings, partner meetings, and other required organizational meetings.
• Contribute to collaborative problem-solving and ongoing program coordination efforts with internal and external stakeholders.
• Build the housing knowledge and capacity of care teams through training, coaching, and ongoing, consultation on housing resources, systems, and best practices.

Housing Resource Coordinators may be assigned a primary area of focus based on program needs and team structure. Focus areas may include temporary housing coordination, permanent supportive housing access, housing provider engagement, housing voucher administration, housing retention, housing-related financial coordination, internal housing trainings, or other housing-related functions.

General Requirements:

• Local travel on behalf of the Agency is a job requirement.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

What you bring to this role Qualifications:

Education and/or Relevant and Lived Experience (if applicable):

• High school diploma or equivalent required; bachelor's degree with coursework in the social service field preferred.
• Two years of prior work experience in work related to outreach or social work. Familiarity with services for individuals experiencing homelessness highly desirable.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Have an understanding of racial justice and social equity and a commitment to helping create an equitable environment for all ETS clients and patients as well as fellow staff.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, patients, and staff from a wide variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to prioritize workload and daily activities and complete tasks in a timely and efficient manner?
• Ability to set boundaries, resolve conflict and de-escalate issues?
• Must be able to pass a Washington State Patrol criminal background check?
• Strong interpersonal skills and verbal/ written communication skills.
• Flexible team player, with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion when handling highly sensitive information.
• Computer literate, with basic knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (or equivalent suites such as Google Workspace), as well as a high level of initiative in keeping current with technological changes.? Skills needed include basic functions such as utilizing MS Outlook email and calendaring programs (or equivalent) and sending attachments, using MS Teams or equivalent chat, call, and videoconference features, and navigating search engines such as Edge or Google and carrying out browser searches and website benchmarking steps.
• Knowledge of housing resources, housing programs, and barriers impacting individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
• Ability to assess, prioritize, and coordinate responses to housing-related support needs in collaboration with care teams and external partners.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with landlords, property managers, housing providers, and community partners.

Additional Essential Information:

Physical Conditions and Requirements:

• The employee may be exposed to illicit drug residues and fumes or other bio-hazardous materials when carrying out job functions. There is also potential for exposure to bloodborne pathogens.?ETS will provide employees with appropriate training to limit the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Policies and procedures are in place addressing each item specifically.
• The employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear; frequently required to stand, walk, and kneel; occasionally to climb balance, or stoop; rarely to crouch or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, color, and peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate.

Equipment Used:

• Computer, photocopier, fax machine, and phone.
• Possible use of a program vehicle, for