Job description

Position: Housing and Resource Specialist

Reports to: Director of Financial Opportunity Center

Status: Full-Time / Exempt

Hours: Maximum of 40 hours/week

Hours of Operations: Monday-Friday / 8am-5pm

Organizational Description. North Lawndale Employment Network is a comprehensive workforce development agency on Chicago’s West Side dedicated to advancing the economic outcomes of the community’s residents through innovative employment initiatives, including our social enterprises. In August 2021, North Lawndale Employment Network transitioned to a new campus which features a premier community café for residents and stakeholders.

Our Mission. To improve the earning potential of the North Lawndale community through innovative employment initiatives that lead to economic advancement and an improved quality of life for residents.

Opportunity. We are seeking a Housing Navigator to provide to provide comprehensive, individualized support services using a Client Centered, Housing First, Harm Reduction, Trauma Informed model for participants in the Flexible Housing Pool. Responsibilities include: 1:1 assessments and case management for clients seeking program enrollment and support services. Attend and/or facilitate weekly program support meetings. Conduct Bi-monthly home visits to participants living in scattered site units across the Chicagoland area. connect participants to community-based resources.

KeyResponsibilities.

Case Management

• Provide case management services including intakes, assessments, service planning, referral and linkage management, and advocacy to a caseload of 15-20 individuals or families who are formerly homeless;
• Identify participant needs, including barriers to receiving appropriate services and assist with effective problem solving to address issues;
• Conduct bi-monthly home visits to ensure housing stability, support in development of life skills, and foster emotional support; In addition to home visits, case managers may meet participants in the community and provide additional support through phone calls and coordination with other team members;
• Act as a liaison between landlords/property managers and participants; Work with the landlords to resolve landlord/participant disputes;
• Assist participants in meeting all lease requirements including documentation and income certification. Work with participants to assist them in addressing issues in order to prevent eviction;
• Coordinate transition from bridge units, move-ins to permanent supportive housing and lease renewals;
• Coordinate moving, furniture, and starter kit resources with the FHP team members;
• Assist participants with rehousing should they require a move before their lease is up and/or at the time their lease is up. This includes completing housing lease renewal paperwork and submitting it to FHP Payment Processing Department before deadlines to ensure continued housing stability;
• Make appropriate referrals for services based on participant goals and needs and ensure that linkages are secure and functional; F.O.C.
• Provide education and resources based on the needs of participant regarding maintaining housing and improving income status, community involvement, personal hygiene, life skills, and other identified needs;
• Assist participants in enrolling in public benefits such as SNAP, SOAR or employment readiness programs;
• Assist participants in obtaining state ID, social security card, birth certificate, and other necessary documents to receive services;
• Partner with F.O.C., internal / external services to verify enrollment in medical care or support participants to engage in medical care by providing information, assisting in finding medical provider or helping participants make appointments; and
• Refer and link participants to appropriate services within the system of care that promotes positive health outcomes, treatment adherence, and greater self-sufficiency.
• Perform data entry utilizing Salesforce, MS Excel, and other databases
• Screen participants for training to determine suitability for internal / external programs
• Maintain case notes of all activities in the electronic system for all applicants in conjunction with client’s hard file as required documentation; conduct participant analysis and compile results as requested.
• Assists program staff with various projects including, but not limited to outreach when needed.
• Prepare for job fairs, exhibits and presentation materials/plans
• Maintains baseline knowledge of relevant program and service/training-related terminology track and manage correspondence and documents for contracts and provider placements.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Administrative and Recordkeeping

• Perform data entry utilizing Salesforce and client management systems
• Complete case notes & services topics in the designated FHP Case Management System (CaseWorthy) within five-business day of interaction;
• Complete annual & six-month assessments and enter in CMS within five business days of completion;
• Maintain all applicable and required documentation in participants’ files;
• Work collaboratively with the NLEN and FHP data teamto ensure data quality;
• Complete all NLEN and FHP paperwork when necessary; and
• Complete self-reported health assessments and other tools requested by NLEN or FHP team.
• Maintain required professional knowledge and job skills; Attend and participate in staff development opportunities
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Services or related field OR 1 or more years’ in Supportive Case Management experience; Experience applying Homelessness and Supportive Housing concepts
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong written and communication skills
• Basic understanding of Microsoft office Suite software applications (MS Word, Excel) preferred.
• Ability to multi-task
• Ability to work independently

NLEN Core Values

Neighborhood-focused employment initiatives are fundamental.

Successful programs are neighborhood-focused and community-driven so they meet the specific needs of individuals.

Quality of work matters.

People who work hard should not be poor. A full-time job must meet basic needs and offer conditions for engagement, advancement, and respect.

Economic mobility is essential to reducing poverty.

Family supporting wages and financial literacy are core to addressing economic insecurity, which disproportionally affects African American, Latino, and other families of color. Economic insecurity is not only impacting the poor; it has grown to threaten the middle class. Self-employment and entrepreneurship are critically important economic mobility strategies to generate income and boost household finances.

We must address the racial wealth gap and social inequality.

The United States’ history of racially charged public policy has created the modern racial wealth divide not just through the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow, but through the more recent race-based discrimination in hiring, housing subsidies, tax subsidies, and veteran benefits as well as other implicitly and explicitly racist public policies.

Everyone deserves human dignity and empowerment.

To uphold this belief, we do all of our work in a manner that values human dignity and eliminates shame, humiliation, and stigma by building on the strengths that help our participants and community survive loss and trauma and rebalance the power dynamic between participants and authority figures.

Please submit your resume to hr@nlen.org

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Chicago, IL 60624: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Experience:

• Case management: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chicago, IL 60624

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