Human Services Coordinator

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Open internally until October 2, 2026.

Open externally until October 9, 2026.

Class Title : Human Services Coordinator

Position Title: Human Services Coordinator

Accountable To : Resident Services Manager

Department : Resident Services (Family Sites) Housing Policy (Hi-Rise)

Band : C

Grade : 4

Subgrade : 2

Come join one of the nation’s highest ranked housing agencies. Be a part of an innovative and creative team of individuals committed to serving the community by providing affordable, quality housing.

 

The St. Paul Public Housing Agency (PHA) has been serving the community for over 45 years. St. Paul PHA is an independent agency that owns and operates affordable rental housing for low-income families and individuals throughout the City, with subsidies from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The PHA provides approximately 4,273 affordable rental units in hi-rise buildings, townhomes, and scattered site single family and duplex homes. The PHA administers 5,242 Housing Choice Vouchers, paying over 45 million annually in federal rent subsidies to private owners who rent units to eligible families and individuals with very low incomes.

 

Mission Statement:

The PHA helps families and individuals with low incomes achieve greater stability and self-reliance by providing safe, affordable, quality housing and links to community services.

 

Employment Benefits:

The PHA offers a generous employee benefits package. The standard package includes paid vacation and sick leave; eleven paid designated holidays and two paid floating holidays; health and dental insurance coverage; and an employer pension contribution equal to 7% of employee's salary (employee contributes 5%). Additional benefits vary by contract or Supervisory and Confidential (S&C) policies.

Class Summary: Incumbents are responsible for assessing and referring resident social service needs; developing a plan of action and referring residents to appropriate services or agencies; advocating for residents; responding to crisis situations; developing and maintaining community networks/relationships and coordinate activities with service providers; working with resident councils; and attending related meetings.

Distinguishing Characteristics: This is a stand-alone classification. Incumbents perform professional level assistance in assessing and referring resident needs and coordinating either social services or specific program activities with residents.

Position Summary: Same as above.

Duties:

1. Responds to tenant need for human services intervention including: responding to all types of crisis situations such as mental health problems, physical problems, conflicts, domestic abuse, etc.; meeting with individuals and/or groups of residents to resolve conflicts, problem solve; organizing case conferences, coordinating services, participating in interventions, and limited case management (for the purposes of determining appropriate referral source); assessing hardship needs for transfer of residents; and arranging for onsite crisis intervention and counseling for residents if needed.
2. Correctly and timely refers out case management, diagnosing need for social and mental health services appropriately.
3. Assists residents to meet obligations of unit and/or yard upkeep including: assessing resident ability, disability, skill and/or motivation to meet housekeeping standards on referral from manager; referring to appropriate agencies or training resources; and developing individual plans to assist resident to be lease compliant in property upkeep
4. Assists residents to be lease compliant including: offering assistance, intervention and referral to residents with lease compliance issues; documenting files appropriately with actions taken; responding to resident complaints of non-lease compliance of others; seeking resources for a more supportive living environment when appropriate for residents who cannot live successfully in public housing; and, participating in grievance, court hearings, and commitment hearings to testify about efforts made to resolve problem situations.
5. Maximizes new resident awareness of lease obligations, regulations and resources to promote successful tenancy and quality of life by meeting individually with all new residents to assess needs, make referrals, and provide information. Conducts new move in orientation sessions for new residents and promotes participation by all new residents.
6. Facilitates coordination among agencies providing services to residents. Works with police and other law enforcement units to provide a safe environment for residents. Works with agencies, organizations, neighborhood groups, advocates, and community issues that affect public housing residents. Represents the PHA at resident council meetings, neighborhood and community meetings as requested by the Supervisor.
7. Coordinates and works with other work units within the department to achieve all PHA goals and PHAS standards. Actively participates in modernization planning. Participates in Round Table sessions, hearing committees, resident orientations, work groups, and task forces as requested. Responds to resident requests and identified needs to accommodate handicaps and disabilities by assessing need for the accommodation, consults with medical providers if necessary and recommends specific actions to be taken.
8. Works with service providers and residents to maximize use of community center space to best serve residents including: approving requests for short term use of space; assuring that guidelines for use of the space are applied; working with appropriate staff on long-term program use requests. Conducts regular coordination meetings with Service Providers. Works with appropriate staff to update service provider contracts/leases.
9. Identifies changing social service needs of resident populations and works to develop programs, support groups and partnerships; identifies potential resources to meet needs; works with other resident services staff to present needs and develop collaborations. Works with Maintenance on major renovation efforts to assure that individual resident needs are met during and after remodeling.
10. Attends Resident Council meetings when requested including sharing relevant information with councils, working to strengthen and support resident leadership of councils, preparing summaries of council meetings attended to share information with staff, and, helping council leadership differentiate between their responsibilities and PHA staff responsibilities. Consults with residents on Resident Diversity Initiatives when requested by resident diversity committee members.
11. Maximizes PHA operating income through collection efforts including: working with residents to resolve payment problems before an eviction action is filed; contacting residents whose leases are in jeopardy due to chronic late rent payment to connect them with financial counseling resources and avoid loss of public housing benefits; and, working with resident with no income to help them apply for benefits if eligible or to find other sources of income.
12. Motivates residents toward self-sufficiency including: providing resident with information about PHA and other employment, training, and volunteer programs.
13. Assists with the completion of annual ACO paperwork.
14. Assists PHA Management with residents who need to do Community Service.
15. Follows up on police calls with residents.
16. Maintains a working knowledge of resources available to help residents remain lease compliant and achieve their greatest potential in the community.
17. Must abide by all Board approved policies, policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment, executive communications, administrative procedures, and safety procedures established by the PHA.
18. Must travel to various PHA sites and other locations that are required by the nature of the work.
19. Performs other duties of a similar nature or level.

Requirements:

Knowledge (position requirements at entry):

Knowledge of:

• Social work and case management theory
• Human behavior, the aging process, and family dynamics;
• Physical and mental disabilities and handicaps;
• Social service resources for the elderly and the disabled;
• Volunteer resources;
• Various cultures represented in the public housing communities, including cultural differences, practices and value systems;
• Public sector regulations, legal liability issues, and requirements in areas such as American Disabilities Act, Affirmative Action, and Equal Opportunity;
• Eligibility criteria and procedures of applicable federal and state entitlement programs;
• Interviewing technique;
• Principles of community organization;
• Types, characteristics, and methods of working with persons with mental illness.

Skills (position requirements at entry):

Skill in:

• Working with drug and alcohol abuse issues;
• Conflict resolution techniques, 
• Referrals 
• Negotiation techniques;
• Motivating residents to take initiative in building or development of self-government; 
• Working with all types of disabilities;
• Working in a coordinating/ referring role with other professionals in the Social Work field;
• Oral and written communications with diverse populations;
• Responding to crisis situations;
• Using computer and related software applications;
• Communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.

Required Qualifications

• Education: BA degree in Social Work, Sociology, Human Services or relevant field.
• Experience: One year relevant experience at the B Band level or above in human services or related field. Additional relevant experience can substitute for education on a year-for-year basis

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Relevant graduate degree
• Experience: Two years of relevant experience. Demonstrated experience working with ethnically, culturally and economically diverse populations.
• Supervisory: Some positions may prefer some supervisory or lead worker experience

Licensing Requirements (position requirements at entry):

• Must have a valid Driver’s License and vehicle
• Licensure as Social Worker - desirable

Physical Requirements

Light Work (Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Even though the weight lifted may be only a negligible amount, a job should be rated light work: [1] when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree; or [2] when it requires sitting most of the time but entails pushing or pulling of arm or leg controls; or [3] when the job requires working at a production rate pace entailing the constant pushing or pulling of materials even though the weight of those materials is negligible.) (For Complete physical requirements see “Physical Demands Job Analyst” on file.)