Shelter and Rehousing Mentor Advocate - Raleigh, United States - Families Together, Inc.

Description

Summary: Families Together is a community-based non-profit dedicated to ending family homelessness in Wake and surrounding counties. We believe every family deserves a home and children should never have to wonder where they're going to sleep at night.

The Shelter and Rehousing Mentor Advocate (SRMA) is a critical part of the Families Together (FT) Program Team which is responsible for assisting families experiencing homelessness transition to stable housing through financial support, connection to basic resources as well as resources needed for long-term stability. This will also include financial education and provision of tenant education. Our goal is to help ensure long-term stability and success.

Specifically, s/he/they will work to identify and provide ongoing case management for homeless clients in one of Families Together's hotel emergency shelter programs. The SRMA will have a caseload of up to 15 families with children. These families will be in hotel suites obtained for them by FT or at partnering agency shelters. The SRMA will provide weekly case management including connection to services and resources (including health and mental health services), conducting the VI-SPDAT for families, coordinating with RRH, PSH or other housing providers when families are matched for rehousing services, ensuring coordination with schools, connecting families with our financial and employment team, obtaining necessary documentation, and referrals for basic need items (i.e., food and clothing) and mainstream benefits. The SRMA will also provide case management services to ensure that families have the resources and services in place to succeed, thrive, and obtain/maintain permanent housing.

The SRMA will work closely with the Emergency Shelter Mentor Advocate and with the Housing Navigator to ensure that appropriate housing and support opportunities for families enrolled in the program are identified and to assist in their progress toward stability and independence.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct program enrollmentand collect necessary enrollment documents.
• Serve as the primary Mentor Advocate/Case Manager for hotel shelter families matched to Families Together for emergency shelter and Rapid Rehousing services ensuring that basic needs are met.
• Manage enrollment and payment for hotel families.
• In collaboration with the Families Together "Housing Navigator", the SRMA will ensure that program participants are actively looking for housing and will assist as appropriate
• Ensure that resources needed for the success of adults, children, and teens in the household are received
• Address relevant issues with client families (root cause of homelessness, physical and behavioral health, substance abuse, trauma/domestic violence, employment, education, credit/financial management, family well-being, parenting and child enrichment)
• Provide coaching around housing goal plan and assist family through weekly/bi-weekly case management meetings
• Provide case management services such as goal setting and problem solving to clients in shelter.
• Make referrals and connections to community resources
• Document work in designated systems in a timely manner
• SRMA will maintain relationships with Families Together's property strategy manager, other property management companies, landlords, partner housing and other service agencies (WCPSS, RHA, MH providers, etc.)
• Act as advocate and mediator between potential landlord and client
• Develop and facilitate workshops in partnership with other team members.
• Serve on committees as agency liaison with partnering and supporting agencies

Job Skills and Qualifications:

Required:

• A bachelor's degree in a Human Services related field and/or experience working with vulnerable populations, providing crisis response services, and working from a coaching/client-valued perspective
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
• Clean and valid driver's license; must maintain agency authorized driver's status.
• Organized with attention to detail
• Excellent customer service skills and enjoy working within a team approach
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Proficiency with MS Office and internet/email tools is essential
• Strong commitment to DEI
• Passion for the Families Together mission and alignment with FT's organizational values.

Preferred:

• MSW and/or experience working with homeless families
• Non-profit experience
• Experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness/poverty or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Knowledge and experience with trauma informed practice, Rapid Re-housing and other best practices in working with homeless individuals is a plus

Schedule/Location:

• Full-time, salaried position
• Hours are 8:30am-5:00pm M-F; occasional evenings and weekends will be required
• Families Together Office - 908 Plainview Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610
• Shared office environment
• ADA compliant office setting
• Regular local travel is required; must have a clean driving record and ability to drive personal and agency vehicle for work related activities.
• Hybrid position with minimum of two days in the office

Compensation:

The current hiring salary range is $45,000-$47,000. The position includes health benefits, paid time off, paid holidays, and a 403(b)-retirement plan. This is a grant-funded position with opportunity for annual renewal.