NOTE: All applicants must comply with ICL”s vaccination policy. Individuals selected for employment cannot begin working until they provide verification that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (with an FDA-authorized vaccine).

Job Summary:

The Shelter Services Housing/Benefits Coordinator promotes the attainment of resident permanent housing goals by ongoing assessment of resident housing needs and preferences and the development of housing opportunities in the community as well as ensures each resident obtains entitlements clearance at intake. Coordinates benefit application process with Social Services Case managers, carrying out of assignments that include the processing, maintenance and completion of the following job tasks and responsibilities.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:  List all essential job duties. (To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty listed satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with a disability to perform the essential duties unless this causes undue hardship to the agency.)

• Develop and maintain relationships with housing providers.
• Supervise Housing Coordinators
• Find suitable permanent housing in the community.
• Serve as a liaison between the residence and landlords regarding move-in schedules, leases, rent and utility issues;
• Collaborate with case management staff as well as housing coordinators to understand the specific housing needs and preferences of residents and act accordingly when searching for housing options.
• Serve as liaison to housing for residents.
• Participate in ongoing reviews of existing linkages for their adequacy and seek to extend the program's and ICL's linkages as part of Continuous Quality Improvement.
• Document efforts to locate and secure housing for residents.
• Assist in the orientation of new personnel when requested.
• Maintain up-to-date, accurate individual paper and electronic case records as directed by the Program Director.
• Comply with attendance and timekeeping rules and report reliably and regularly to work on an on-going basis.
• Attend regularly scheduled clinical meetings, staff meetings and supervision as well as in-service training and development activities.
• Review the staff communications log and make entries concerning essential elements of information designated by program management.
• Obtain and maintain CPR and First Aid certifications.
• May have on-call responsibilities.
• Comply and promote compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and agency policies helping to strengthen and maintain an ethical organizational culture.
• Immediately report serious incidents, allegations of abuse, incidents, or sensitive situations and completes incident reports in accordance with agency policy.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Entitlements Duties

• Maintains an accurate and up-to-date monthly Entitlements program account book in IMA. This will be accomplished by the timely recording of all incoming entitlement funds that finance a resident's program fees plus PNA amounts.
• Utilizes this account record as an analytical oversight tool to ensure ongoing receipt of client eligible entitlement funds and to monitor the flow of client entitlement funds.
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date Direct Deposit records of SSA eligible Level II consumers. The Specialist is responsible for timely processing all necessary paper work for opening and closing Direct Deposit.
• Provides technical assistance to consumers and their case managers and maintains the necessary financial records and required procedures to ensure that all Surplus Medicaid cases in both Level II and SH programs are kept in an active state. The attention is particularly important in SH programs where the consumer must make monthly repayments to ICL for any Surplus loan that may have been made to the consumer to access six (6) month Surplus coverage.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Effective problem-solving skills
• Effective interpersonal skills
• Ability to work with diverse individuals
• Ability to work as a member of a team
• Ability to make reasonable and sound evaluative judgments
• Ability to create and compose written materials
• Ability to effectively and efficiently respond to questions from persons served
• Ability to read and understand lease, rental and utility agreements
• Ability to present information to persons served and other employees
• Ability to speak Spanish preferred

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree plus two years’ experience providing case management or housing services, or other relevant human service experience, or bachelor's degree that required a one-year practicum working directly with individuals with mental disabilities (e.g., BSW) and one year above experience. 
• An associate's degree in a health or human services field (see above fields) and three years of direct care experience
• A high school diploma/GED and four years of experience in providing direct services to individuals with mental disabilities (i.e., persons properly diagnosed as suffering from mental illness, mental retardation, alcoholism, or substance abuse) or to homeless individuals. NYS Driver's license a plus.