Housing Access Specialist

Housing Access Specialist

Are you genuinely passionate about connecting with a wide variety of people? Do you enjoy community engagement work? Are you eager to engage with and support our unhoused neighbors?

If so, we invite you to become a vital member of our Outreach Team as an Housing Access Specialist. Our Outreach Team operates within a dynamic, community-focused organization. We are in search of a compassionate individual who thrives on building genuine relationships and serves as a steadfast advocate for our community. As an Housing Access Specialist, you will navigate various sites, including encampments, the Community Kitchen, the Refresh Hygiene and Hope program, the Herrick Library, and other areas spanning across Ottawa County. This role requires adaptability, adept problem-solving abilities, and exceptional interpersonal skills. Your primary objective will be to utilize your expertise to connect individuals experiencing homelessness with vital resources, all with the overarching goal of finding stable housing solutions for our houseless neighbors.

Responsibilities & Essential Duties

• Locate and build relationships with clients experiencing homelessness throughout Ottawa county; identify their barriers and make appropriate referrals to local resources.
• Engage people experiencing homelessness in Holland at established "inreach" and "outreach" service locations such as the library, Community Kitchen, Refresh, and throughout the community.
• Operate agency vehicles to provide street outreach, transport supplies, and assist guests with access to services, appointments, shelter, and housing resources while maintaining safe driving practices and compliance with agency vehicle policies.
• Conduct street outreach and engagement activities in a variety of community settings, including encampments, wooded areas, shelters, and public spaces, requiring the ability to walk on uneven terrain, hike through outdoor environments, and work in varying weather conditions while building rapport with individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Provide long term case management services to clientele including: relationship building, assessment, engagement (goal setting in the areas of obtaining housing and other community resources), advocacy (collaboration with service providers and references for housing) and termination.
• Assist clients with a variety of tasks including applying for benefits from local, state, and federal agencies and locating appropriate resources.
• Carefully listening to client stories with the ability to both empathize as well as search for solutions to potentially ambiguous underlying issues.
• Create and maintain relationships with local service providers to obtain program referrals and to collaborate effectively when working with shared clientele.
• Support team members with data entry, case notes, and database management projects as assigned
• Maintain timely and accurate program and client records across multiple required platforms.
• Works collaboratively with a cross functional team to ensure highest client service and to ensure programming efficiently and effectively helps our guests build skills to achieve a stable and prosperous life.
• Update and learn about new community, local, state, and federal resources that may benefit our guests, as they become available.
• Analyze guest data to better understand service gaps and increase quality of service.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Work experience in a social work position or social services or related field.
• Previous experience with case management or casework strongly preferred.
• Ability to work independently and without direct supervision. Ability to handle a variety of constituencies, manage multiple tasks simultaneously and thrive in a complex environment with multiple priorities.
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people.
• Strong communication skills with a variety of guests, community members and collaborative agency team members.
• Strong active listening skills and ability to offer empathy.
• Integrity, positive attitude, strong work ethic, and self-directedness. Strong in critical thinking & problem solving.
• Suicide Prevention and Deescaltion techniques and skilled in conflict resolution and crisis management.
• A team player with a flexible and creative approach within a friendly, yet demanding, work environment.
• Creativity in developing new and innovative approaches to challenges with a strong commitment to continuous improvement.
• Comfort with technology and database entry and management with Experience in recording case notes and database management preferred. Working knowledge of Google applications and platforms.
• Self-reflective, humble, and able to compassionately engage and process with coworkers and diverse populations with a history of trauma.
• Knowledge of client systems and the greater Holland community and Ottawa county, particularly the culture of poverty and an understanding of addiction/substance abuse.
• Knowledge of the lived experience, systems-level barriers to housing, and resources available to houseless neighbors.
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people.
• Willingness and interest in continuous learning and adaptation based on your professional interests and organizational needs.
• A high standard of performance and integrity, and ability to lead by example to foster a positive workplace culture.
• Proficiency in clear and effective written and verbal communication, and ability to develop trusting professional relationships.
• Demonstrate a genuine passion for our mission and a commitment to upholding our team's values: Radically Welcoming, Guest-Centered, Lead with Kindness, Curiosity-Driven, Always Improving, Collaborative by Design, Contagious Commitment, & One Team.

Education & Experience

• 2+ years of relevant experience required
• No supervisory experience required
• Some college required. Bachelor's Degree preferred. ; or in place of a degree, equivalent years of experience
• Valid driver's license in good standing is required
• Community Health Worker (CHW) Certification or ability to obtain is required
• Bilingual Spanish proficiency preferred

Position Details

Position Type: Full-time Regular with benefits, 40 hours a week

Overtime Status: Non-exempt

Reports To: Assistant Manager, Housing Access

Direct Reports: none

Department: Housing Access

Primary Location: Food Club & Opportunity Hub

Supervision Received, General Direction: Receives broad guidance and direction and has some autonomy in decision-making and flexibility in determining how to achieve goals. Supervisor provides support and resources as needed but may not be directly involved in day-to-day decision-making or task assignments. Supervisory Responsibilities, Informal Supervisor: Does not have formal people leading (supervisory) responsibilities. May influence others based on their expertise or relationships; lead projects with other teammates; and/or provide guidance or mentoring to other colleagues.

Physical Requirements

• Continuously use eyesight clarity/accuracy or visual perception
• Continuously read and understand written word
• Continuously engage in real-time verbal communication in English
• Continuously move about work area
• Frequently reach with hands and arms
• Frequently drive a vehicle for work
• Frequently operate computer and general office machines
• Frequently work outside in variable weather conditions
• Frequently work in stationary position
• Occasionally ascend/descend (stairs/ladder/etc.)
• Occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl
• Occasionally ability to push, pull, and lift up to 20 pounds
• Occasionally ability to push, pull, and lift up to 40 pounds

Other Factors

• Access to consistent and reliable transportation
• Ability to hike to outdoor encampments in variable weather conditions
• Evening hours regularly, on a rotating schedule
• Weekend hours occasionally, on a pre-scheduled basis a couple of times a year

$21 - $24.50 an hour

About Community Action House

Since its founding in 1969, Community Action House has been the focal point of community efforts to provide critical support and pathways out of poverty for our neighbors in need. Our community-powered work takes a client-centric approach that meets people wherever they are at and offers services that enhance ownership and agency. Our work is organized in three interconnected areas: Food Access, Resource Navigation, and Financial Wellness. Welcome, excellence, and collaboration are some of our core values.

In October 2021, we launched our new 'Food Club & Opportunity Hub' to expand efficient, impactful healthy food assistance with the on-site integration of other pathway programs. More recently, we announced a partnership with Dwelling Place to help address the affordable housing crisis here in Holland. In July 2023, we publicly launched our expansion of Lakeshore Food Rescue.

In April