Case Manager - San Diego, United States - Legal Aid Society Of San Diego

Description

Job Description

Job Title: Case Manager - Shriver

Position Summary

Under the supervision of the Senior Attorney or attorneys, provide case management, support and assessment, resource identification, and other assistance necessary to ensure that clients get their basic needs met and can access appropriate services to keep their housing or locate new housing. Coordinate services within LASSD legal teams and other community legal providers and community-based organizations. Handle complex case management work.

About the Organization

Legal Aid Society of San Diego (LASSD), the largest poverty law firm serving San Diego County since 1953, strengthens our communities by redressing our clients' legal problems, empowering our clients to access and effectively participate within the legal, governmental, and social systems and encouraging self-empowerment in the fight against poverty and injustice. LASSD continues to be a proud, committed, and compassionate group of people dedicated to providing equal access to justice for San Diegans through aggressive, quality legal services. #justicebeginshere

Essential Functions:

• Assess the nature and scope of clients' issues and identify needed resources.

• Assist with case assessment, strategy, and management, including case planning with clients, coordination with service providers, and advocacy for consumers at meetings.

• Travel to client locations, court or other necessary locations that may be needed to help the client in addressing their housing problem.

• Assist the client in staying in their current housing situation or finding other appropriate housing for the client.

• Assist individuals who are clients of LASSD by assessing his/her needs and problems, referring, advising, or representing the client according to established protocols and guidelines.

• Conduct community outreach activities to client-run groups, family-focused groups and organizations, caregivers, providers, and professional groups/agencies throughout the county.

• Enter required information on each case into the database and maintain confidentiality of all information.

• Collect data documenting case work performed, track outcome of service intervention, and follow-up as needed.

• Participate in all assigned meetings, staff development, and training as required.

• Upon request of Senior or Lead Attorney, perform additional duties consistent with abilities and need for services.

• Compliance with all program and grant requirements.

Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree in social work, counseling, or related field plus at least two years of experience in substance abuse or mental health services preferred.

• Must have excellent oral and written communication skills, be self-directed and flexible, and have experience working with diverse populations including those with history of substance abuse, those from culturally distinct groups, limited English proficiency and those with disabilities. Understand trauma-informed care.

• Respond to clients in a calm, empathetic, and professional manner while directing the conversation to the pertinent issues.

• Possess the ability to communicate information effectively, analyze resource needs and set a preferred course of action.

• Facilitate involvement of government, social service agencies, and community-based organizations to resolve consumers' housing needs as well as other short-term social service needs in coordination with the LASSD teams.

• Identify resources for necessary legal, social, medical, or behavioral health services; address housing needs and serve

as a navigator to link consumers with needed resources. Ability to build and maintain relationships with community-based organizations and governmental workers.

• Must have a commitment to the rights and empowerment of clients.

• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to work independently as well as support team efforts, and to strategize and plan to timely and consistently meet grant deliverables and reporting requirements.

• Must have reliable transportation.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Fluency in written and spoken Spanish preferred.

• Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income people.

• Ability to work successfully with people from diverse backgrounds.

• Experience in providing social services including intake, interviews, and research related to legal issues, and experience in the field and understanding of related systems, laws, and regulations of housing.

Salary and Benefits:

The Housing Case Manager position is a non-exempt position with an hourly pay range of $24.73- $34.62. The starting pay rate is $28.58. In addition, there is a bilingual pay increase of 2% for passing an oral test and 2% for passing a written test for threshold languages other than English.

LASSD offers a generous benefits package, a 35-hour workweek, paid vacation leave and sick leave and 100% employer-paid medical premium, 50% employer-paid premium for dependents under LASSD health plan, as well as dental, vision, and life benefits. Staff also have the option to participate in a 403(b)-retirement plan and dependent and health flex savings accounts (FSA). LASSD has its own law school loan repayment program and is an eligible nonprofit employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

LASSD is an equal opportunity employer, we hire without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.

Hybrid Work Environment:

Legal Aid Society of San Diego ("LASSD") has adopted a hybrid work environment in which most staff are required to work in the office part of the week and permitted to work remotely for the remainder of the week, provided their job duties allow. All employees are issued LASSD computers and provided with appropriate supplies to perform their work. LASSD has implemented and continues to explore additional technologies to make our hybrid working environment as efficient and connected as possible. All employees must be available to travel to LASSD offices and service locations throughout San Diego County as needed and in compliance with public health advisories. Applicants must reside in or near San Diego County or plan to relocate in or near the County prior to their start date and must be able to commute to the physical Legal Aid Society of San Diego office locations or service delivery locations within San Diego County. LASSD's normal business hours are 9am-5pm, but we are open to providing flexible work schedules to the extent feasible for the position. LASSD reserves the right to change these policies at any time.

Diversity and Inclusion:

It is vitally important to LASSD that we represent the community that we serve. LASSD is a signatory to the San Diego County Bar Association's Diversity Pledge. We pledge to promote diversity and inclusion through hiring and retention, promotion and leadership, engagement of outside counsel, and participation in legal community diversity initiatives. We strongly encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply.

Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.