Case Manager, Emergency Housing Voucher (Bilingual)

Case Manager, Emergency Housing Voucher (Bilingual)

Position Type: Full Time

Compensation: $28.00/hour + $1.50 Bilingual Pay

Union Representation: OPEIU Local 29

Our mission is to end family homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area. Established in 1985, Hamilton Families is San Francisco's leading service provider to homeless families, with carefully designed programs to prevent homelessness, provide shelter and stability, return families to permanent housing and support the well-being of children experiencing homelessness. We currently operate these programs across five sites in San Francisco, and in recent years have partnered with organizations such as the Giants, Google, Salesforce, Twitter, Airbnb, government officials and the wider Bay Area community. For more information, visit .

Program and Position Overview

The Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) is a SF Housing Authority Voucher Program that is overseen by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH). The EHV program is referral based and recipients receiving a voucher live in their own rental unit in San Francisco for as many years as needed if they remain in compliance with HUD and Housing Authority regulations. Recipients receive help searching for housing as well as move-in costs and all units are inspected prior to moving in to ensure that they are clean and safe for habitation. Rent is based on 30% of the recipient's income and they can receive voluntary ongoing supportive services related to housing and connections to other resources.

Housing-Focused Case Management Services provide all necessary services to ensure a seamless transition to permanent housing. The goal of the service is to reduce the length of time that tenants spend experiencing homelessness and to ensure that tenants retain housing once established.

The EHV Case Manager is responsible for providing wrap-around case management services within a harm reduction model to ensure tenant's long-term housing retention and improved well-being. Services provided pull from models including Trauma Informed Care, Critical Time Intervention and Strength Based Case Management. The EHV case manager conducts an initial assessment with all tenants that includes education on tenancy requirements and support to address barriers to housing retention. Case management services are voluntary during the tenant's participation in the EHV program, when requested, the EHV case manager provides services that include tenant-driven goal setting, housing advocacy, tenant support, community-based referrals for budgeting and financial management, employment, legal services, domestic violence, mental health, and substance abuse resources and referrals. The case manager is responsible for documenting all services provided, ensuring case notes are entered into the tenants' electronic records in real-time and collecting program compliance documentation. These administrative tasks take approximately 40-50% of the time of this role and require attention to detail and timeliness of documentation.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide in person case management to a caseload of approximately 20 tenants across 6 counties.
• Provide crisis intervention, crisis management and conflict resolution service practices to tenants.
• Actively outreach to all tenants with opportunities for supportive interventions.
• Identify tenants in need of services and maintain awareness of tenant's overall health status; including but not limited to specific medical, mental health, and substance use needs.
• Assess tenants for strengths and barriers, including but not limited to employment, behavioral and mental health, support for children's needs, criminal history, and substance use, and refer tenants to appropriate resources and or referrals.
• Actively follow-up with all referrals to ensure service status, relevance and to confirm tenants link to the service.
• Assist tenants to establish and meet housing goals, identify appropriate steps towards achieving goals, including modifying goals as needed, and evaluation of progress.
• Promote values of self-sufficiency and empowerment throughout work with tenants using a Strengths Based Model.
• Reinforce and follow appropriate boundaries with tenants and comply with all protective service reporting procedures.
• Coordinate and collaborate effectively with internal and external service providers and community partners to assist tenants to reach their goals. This may include case conference meetings with other service providers.
• Maintain tenant confidentiality and privacy requirements; keep accurate records, files and correspondence. Maintain program standard of documentation of case management services including entries into multiple tenant databases.
• Coordinate with the Real Estate Department at Hamilton Families to maintain positive relationships with landlords and property management companies serving low-income families. This includes supporting families with concerns related to their housing including maintenance issues, lease clarifications, tenant rights, inspections and move out procedures.
• Attend all regularly scheduled meetings including monthly off-site community meetings as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications, Skills and Abilities

• Bilingual in Spanish required
• Able and willing to work with diverse staff and tenants.
• Familiarity with, or ability to quickly learn, technology platforms including case management databases and customer service platforms (platforms (e.g., One Degree, Zendesk). Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and experience using Salesforce is desirable.
• Experience working with extremely low-income families, youth, survivors of domestic violence, populations impacted by substance abuse, mental illness, HIV/AIDS and other diverse communities.
• Proficiency with documenting tenant services in paper files and online databases
• Committed to principles and practices of housing first, participant-centered care, harm reduction, and safeguarding participant confidentiality.
• Knowledge of community resources for families with very low incomes in the Bay Area, and knowledge and experience with housing laws is desirable.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to self-motivate, work under pressure, address multiple priorities and meet deadlines with a positive attitude and problem-solving approach.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Bilingual positions require verbal and written proficiency in English as well as the second language for which the bilingual premium applies, as demonstrated through agency-administered proficiency testing.
• Essential functions of the position may require use of a telephone, working at a standard computer terminal, and the ability to follow reasonable ergonomic recommendations, drive, sit for long periods, stand, reach, bend, lift, and carry up to 40 pounds.
• Criminal background check, fingerprint imaging, and tuberculosis (TB) clearance required post-offer.
• Valid CADL and DMV report; able and willing to travel up to 50% of the time as required - personal form of transportation is not required.
• Preferred professional experience OR a bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, or a related field from an accredited college or university and or a minimum of two years of experience providing support services to families and/or individuals in a human service setting, including two-years experience providing case management.