Description

The Service Coordinator is responsible for assisting residents in obtaining services from the community to enable them to fulfill the requirements of their lease, to maintain their quality of life, and to enable them to live as independently and self-sufficiently as possible.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Other duties may be assigned.

• Provide general service management, which includes intake, education (services available and application procedures), and referral of residents to service providers in the general community. These social services may include meals-on-wheels; transportation, home health aides, homemakers, financial assistance, counseling, preventative health screening, and other needed services.
• Study available community services and their requirements to develop a Resource Directory. This directory will include a listing of local service providers that can be contacted to provide assistance to the residents.
• Educate residents on service availability, application procedures, and client rights and help them obtain benefits for which they are eligible.
• Monitor the ongoing provision of services from community agencies and keep the case management and provider agency current with the progress of the individual.
• Serve as a liaison to community agencies, network with community providers and seek out new services available to the residents.
• Analyze the types, frequency, and other characteristics of services residents use, need and want.
• Research residents’ participation in, and satisfaction with, educational and social programs, residents’ interest in new programs, and barriers to greater participation.
• Organize programs on topics of interest to residents.
• Distribute free materials from organizations such as State and area agencies on aging, the American Association of Retired Persons, the National Council on the Aging, Senior Centers, Councils on Aging, or the services or programs themselves (such as Medicare and Medicaid).
• Organize a meeting to “teach” residents about housing development rules, regulations, and operations.
• Connect residents with educational and recreational programs through the city, senior centers, etc.
• Help residents interpret mail; may fill out forms that they cannot fill out themselves; arrange utility, phone, medical, and other payment schedules; address errors or misunderstandings related to Social Security earning, insurance billing, or death or survivors’ benefits; make funeral arrangements for a loved one; connect with hospice and bereavement counseling or supportive services, and solve ‘bureaucratic’ problems.
• Help residents obtain equipment and devices such as walkers, wheelchairs, Talking Books, large-print telephones and other visual aids, grab bars, hearing aids, devices that compensate for impaired hearing, lever door handles, and emergency response systems.
• Distribute emergency forms and help residents fill out forms with their vital statistics information (to be kept with residents).
• Promote resident participation in local senior centers.
• Get residents involved in the Neighborhood Network Program, SeniorNet, or other computer-oriented programs aimed at reducing isolation and increasing independence.
• Comply with administrative and program record-keeping tasks in a prompt and accurate manner.
• Responsible for assuring and maintaining accurate residents' records and files.
• Collect supplementary information needed to assist residents.
• Complete and update residents files in accordance with the agency guidelines
• Represent the program in meetings, public forums, partner agency meetings, workshops, etc.

Requirements

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s in Social Work or a related degree or an AA with commensurate experience in a related field as well as a minimum of two years of experience in social service delivery with senior citizens, disabled, and/or low-income families.
• Working knowledge of entitlement programs, supportive services, and other resources is important. Proficiency with computers, MS Office, and basic management and calculations is necessary.
• Experience with office equipment including a multiple line telephone system, copy machine, FAX, scanner, etc.

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, self-motivate, and deliver results.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Ability to set appropriate limits, work under deadlines, and must be able to multi-task.
• Strong sense of ownership & urgency.
• Ability to shift priorities in an atmosphere where interruptions are frequent.