Employment and Benefits Specialist

About CRC:Our mission is to help our neighbors create paths to healthy food, stable homes and safe relationships. We do this through a variety of programs including emergency assistance, domestic violence emergency shelter, counseling, housing stability and access to food. Community Resource Center is widely recognized as the primary provider of social services and domestic violence programs in coastal North County San Diego, serving more than 7,200 people each year.

Position Profile:Under the direct supervision of the Housing and Supportive Services Program Manager, the Employment and Benefits Specialist is responsible for assisting CRC program participants, specifically individuals experiencing homelessness, to connect to benefit and employment services and opportunities. The Employment and Benefits Specialist will work with participants to obtain employment and/or entitlement benefits with the goal of these services to increase the participants household income to make homelessness a rare, brief, and non-recurring experience.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Manage assigned case load comprised of individuals experiencing homelessness who are in need of employment placement and/or public benefits application assistance such as SSI, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, General Relief, Veterans benefits, stimulus and other aid programs.

• Provide public benefits screening and utilize the SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery) process and complete and submit high-quality SSI/SSDI applications. Follow-up with participants through the appeal process using additional community resources as appropriate.

• Assist participants in securing employment, acquiring skills, and/or increasing earning potential. This may include employment screening/assessment, counseling or job coaching, and referral to community resources.

• Participate in activities directly related to contract outcomes including administration of CRCs Employment and Benefits Program including leading groups/workshops, administrating benefits application assistance and ensuring that all assigned goals related to contract compliance and outcomes are met.

• Perform service advocacy on behalf of participants and research, network and attend meetings with other community agencies/resources and make appropriate referrals to link participants with programs and services for more responsive service policies and provision of needed services.

• Maintain accurate and complete physical and electronic records as required by grants and contracts, document all participant interactions and progress in standard agency format and complete required agency forms and data entry in a timely manner. Track progress using the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), Efforts to Outcomes, and the SOAR Online Application Tracker (OAT).

• Attend and participate in group and/or individual supervision sessions with Program Manager and/or Director of Programs.

• Other duties as assigned by the Housing and Supportive Services Program Manager and/or Director of Social Services.

Requirements:

• Associates degree in Social Work/Psychology/Sociology/related field required, Bachelors preferred; if no degree, 3 additional years work experience may suffice in lieu of AA degree.

• 1 years of social service experience, including case management, crisis intervention and/or counseling required; knowledge of homelessness prevention and interventions, familiarity with low-income individual/family resources and/or Domestic Violence services and Trauma Informed Care interventions is highly desirable.

• Experience with Social Security Administration application and appeals process preferred

• Ability to maintain a solution-focused, professional, compassionate attitude during difficult situations.

• Ability to work sensitively with traumatized and diverse populations and to handle crisis effectively.

• Ability to collect, analyze, prioritize, and communicate information effectively with attention to detail; excellent written and verbal communication skills required.

• Ability to create and maintain professional relationships with participants, community partners and colleagues.

• Knowledge of Human Information Systems software such as Efforts to Outcomes and Service Point preferred.

• MS Office expertise: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.

• Must have completed a 40-hour domestic violence & all other required training within 90 days of hire.
• To support clear boundaries and uphold ethical service delivery standards, applicants must be at least one year removed from receiving case management or supportive services through Community Resource Center.

Physical requirements:

• Primarily sedentary with intermittent standing, walking, bending, and stair climbing.

• Occasional light lifting and carrying of objects weighing up to 25 lbs.

• Ability to work in a standard office environment at a computer, including repetitive use of a keyboard and mouse.

This position is non-exempt and is paid according to state and federal laws. Candidates selected for hire are required to undergo a TB screening and a LiveScan background screening.

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Community Resource Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). All employees must have the legal right to work in the United States without support; sponsorship is not available, nor is relocation assistance.