The Commission's Homeless Services Bureau, in existence since 1983, has extensive experience providing integrated primary health, substance abuse, and mental health services to homeless individuals. We offer transitional health and social assistance to homeless Bostonians, including emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing throughout the city and a broad range of rehabilitative services. Our programs are part of a continuum of care designed to help homeless individuals achieve independent living in permanent housing in the community. We are one of the largest providers of emergency shelter in New England--running two emergency shelters, which operate 24 hours a day 365 days a year and provide more than 5,000 homeless individuals annually with food, beds, lockers, emergency clothing, health care, case management, and housing services. Utilizing a Housing First framework and working to ensure that homelessness in the city of Boston is rare, brief, and one-time, the housing search and placement department provides an array of programs and supports to help guests quickly find and move into permanent housing. The housing department provides housing search and placement services to homeless individuals looking for housing. These services are essential to help homeless individuals navigate the complexity in obtaining housing. Services include identifying available units, accompanying individuals to view units, negotiating directly with property owners, working with individuals to help them mitigate and address their barriers to accessing housing (e.g. criminal record), assisting individuals with completing all aspects of the lease-up process, securing rental start-up funds and making supported referrals to other types of move-in assistance as needed (e.g. furniture bank). The peer support positions will be assigned to a specific housing team, either Chronic, Rapid Rehousing or Women Long term Stayers, and work with clients on the assigned team.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Peer Support Specialists function as role models to peers, exhibiting competency in personal recovery and use of coping skills to serve as a consumer advocate and provide consumer information and peer support to help clients move out of shelter and into housing. Responsibilities include:

* Perform a wide range of tasks to help clients regain independence within the community, regain mastery over their own recovery process, and move out of shelter into permanent housing.

* Reach out to BPHC sites, other homeless services provider sites and areas frequented by homeless guests, and build relationships and rapport with shelter guests, engaging them in housing services.

* Coordinate, plan, and conduct housing education classes and events.

* Assist clients in applying for and obtaining IDs--including social security cards, IDs, and birth certificates.

* Assist clients in completing various housing and housing-related applications, including BHA applications.

* Bring clients on apartment viewings and lease signings.

* Transport clients to housing-related appointments, including BHA, RMV, social security office, job fairs, furniture bank , etc.

* Assist clients obtaining any documentation for SSI/SSDI applications.

* Work with the Mayor's Health Line to schedule appointments for clients.

* Assist in locating clients to inform them of key housing events and opportunities. Accompany staff on wellness checks and other visits requiring multiple staff for safety reasons.

* Performs other duties as assigned.

Former SOS workers and emergency shelter guest strongly encouraged to apply