The Road Home Dane County is a dedicated nonprofit organization committed to ending homelessness in our community. At the core of our work, we lead with: respect and dignity for all, empowerment of those we serve, social justice, anti-racism, inclusiveness, and results-oriented services. Through a combination of housing programs, supportive services, and community engagement, we strive to create a future where every individual and family has a stable and secure home. In the Housing Advocate role, you will provide direct service to homeless or formerly homeless families in the areas of assessment, referral, case planning, advocacy, transportation, emotional support and practical assistance.

Your contributions will make a difference in our community by:

• Meet with adults and children in home on a regular basis
• Provide support and resources to empower families to reach goals related to housing, employment and other identified needs
• Facilitate referrals for both adults and children
• Regularly evaluate progress on case goals
• Provide mediation and advocacy with landlords on the client's behalf to develop a workable plan to obtain and/or maintain housing; serve as an ongoing liaison between property managers, neighbors, and participants
• Attend regular supervision, case management meetings, and relevant trainings
• Assist participants in locating and securing housing of their choice, when needed
• Assess housing strengths and barriers of families experiencing homelessness to determine housing and service needs
• Provide information and referral assistance regarding available support from appropriate social service agencies and/or community programs
• Apply knowledge of residential lease contracts to educate clients of their rights and responsibilities.
  • Attend regular meetings with other service providers to share information and resources
  • Work with colleagues from other agencies on joint projects as approved by supervisor
• Note all client interactions in client files in a timely manner
• Record all hours on Time and Activity report
• Maintain case notes of participant meetings and record participant services in the Homeless Management Information System
• Ensure program compliance with client documentation/reporting standards with agency policy/procedures
• Ensure confidentiality of all client records and information
• Report monthly, quarterly and annual statistics to appropriate funding sources
• Meet weekly with Housing Manager for supervision

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• A Social Work or related degree and/or previous experience working with people experiencing homelessness is required.
• Experience engaging with a diverse population is required.
• Basic knowledge working with Microsoft office, Google suite, particularly Google Sheets is required.
• Strong oral and written communication skills specific to explaining complex information to others, public speaking, working with community members and landlords, and the ability to network with various social services agencies and community programs is required.
• Willingness and experience working collaboratively in a team and conducting and participating in staff training is required.
• Being organized, detail-oriented, client focus, and having strong professional boundaries is required.
• Demonstrating efficient time management skills, flexibility, and cultural awareness is required.
• Having Housing First, Trauma Informed Care and Harm Reduction philosophy is preferred.
• Must have and maintain a valid state driver's license, maintain automobile insurance coverage and have access to an automobile are required. A driving record which would be eligible for organizational insurance is required.
• The ability to travel throughout Dane County is required.

This is a full-time exempt, hybrid (60% in-person) position at our 890 W Wingra, Madison, WI location. The core hours and days are Monday through Friday 9:00AM to 5:00PM, requiring occasional evening and weekend hours. In exchange for your talents, we offer a collaborative, mission-focused environment coupled with competitive pay and benefits. Check us out at https://trhome.org/job-opportunities/. To join our team, please send your resume and pay requirements. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Road Home of Dane County is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer.