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Social Worker Specialist - Permanent Supportive Housing

Olmsted County Minnesota
Rochester, MN Full Time
POSTED ON 11/24/2025 CLOSED ON 12/17/2025

What are the responsibilities and job description for the Social Worker Specialist - Permanent Supportive Housing position at Olmsted County Minnesota?

Recognized as one of the best places to work in Southeast Minnesota for three consecutive years, at Olmsted County every role helps to foster a vibrant community where everyone thrives. Our employees are at the heart of everything we do, driving public service excellence and community well-being.

We don’t just offer a job, we offer a career filled with purpose, growth, and fulfillment. Our benefits package ensures your wellbeing, while career advancement opportunities and professional development empower you to reach your full potential.

Join us, and you'll be part of a purpose-driven team where your work truly makes a difference. Together, we build a sustainable, healthy, and welcoming community.

Minimum Qualifications Of Education And Experience

Expected starting salary is $35.37 to $47.22. Full salary is $35.37 to $59.07.

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and two (2) years of experience in a similar position as listed in the work functions.

OR

Master’s degree from an accredited college or university and one (1) year of experience in a similar position as listed in the work functions.

Regular and reliable attendance is a necessary component of job/position. Individuals required to use County vehicles and equipment must have a valid driver’s license and be free of any major traffic violations for the last three (3) years.

Nature of Work

Based in the Olmsted County Housing Department and under the supervision of a Program Manager or Supervisor, the Social Worker Specialist – Permanent Supportive Housing provides comprehensive, client-centered services to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and living in supportive housing. This role is essential in helping residents maintain housing stability, improve quality of life, and connect with community resources. The Social Worker delivers on-site services tailored to each resident’s unique needs, fostering independence and long-term housing retention. In addition, the role includes conducting outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness in the community to support housing readiness and connect them with appropriate services.

Examples of Work

Case Management And Outreach

  • Serves as a member of the Housing Stability Team and broader community homeless response system to support housing access and stability.
  • Provide on-site social work services to 18 residents in a permanent supportive housing setting.
  • Assists clients in accessing resources to facilitate the development of natural and professional support networks.
  • Accompany residents to medical or service appointments as needed.
  • Encourage and coordinate community engagement and participation.
  • Support residents in employment readiness and referrals.
  • Implements individualized service plans based on assessed needs.

Intake and Housing Coordination

  • Participate in the Coordinated Entry System (CES) to identify and screen potential residents.
  • Complete intake processes including background checks, release of information forms, and documentation of homelessness history.
  • Assist residents in gathering necessary documentation for housing eligibility (e.g., income, disability, assets).
  • Complete and maintain required data entry and documentation in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

Homeless Outreach & Community Collaboration:

  • Build trusting relationships with community members experiencing homelessness using trauma-informed and strength-based approaches.
  • Assist with housing readiness tasks such as obtaining identification, applying for benefits, and updating CES data.
  • Collaborate with other outreach and housing agencies to provide referrals for shelter, treatment, or housing programs.

Program Leadership & Evaluation:

  • Provides leadership among community partners to improve homeless response programs and system effectiveness.
  • Assists in program development and evaluation, including policy and procedure improvements.

Data & Reporting:

  • Maintains accurate and timely documentation in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
  • Tracks client progress, service delivery, and outcomes for Permanent Supportive Housing program.
  • Participates in program evaluation and continuous improvement efforts.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

  • Knowledge and experience in working community members experiencing homelessness
  • Knowledge of housing resources
  • Thorough knowledge of the social sciences
  • Thorough knowledge of the principles of social work
  • Thorough knowledge of community resources
  • Thorough knowledge of diversity and equity issues and ability to work with diverse populations
  • Knowledge of motivating factors of human behavior
  • Knowledge of trauma-informed practices, Harm Reduction, Housing First, and Motivational Interviewing practices
  • Knowledge of therapeutic and strength-based approaches
  • Knowledge of trauma-informed practices
  • Knowledge of agency policies
  • Knowledge of data practices and confidentiality
  • Skill in verbal communication, public speaking, writing and recording of information and data
  • Skill in the use of computers and technology
  • Skill in individual and community advocacy
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationship with people served, colleagues, public officials and community members
  • Ability to lead, mentor and train other staff
  • Ability to understand individual and family needs with empathy and objectivity
  • Ability to exercise good judgment in recommending possible solutions for individual and family needs and when utilizing conflict management and advocacy skills
  • Ability to work independently and to recognize when supervision is needed

Persons with disabilities: the above is a general listing of job duties. Essential and non-essential functions may vary by individual position. Reasonable accommodations may be available for both essential and non-essential job duties.

Physical Demands and Work Environment: In compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act, the following represents the Physical and Environmental Demands:

Function

24% or Less

25% - 49%

50%-74%

75% or more

Office environment

X

Lab-hospital environment

X

Clinical environment

X

Community visits

X

Exposure to needle sticks/sharps exposure

X

Exposure to human blood/pathogens/body fluids

X

Exposure to atmospheric conditions, weather, extreme heat/cold, wet and/or humid

X

Sitting

X

Standing, walking, reaching, pulling, climbing, handling, feeling

X

Repetitive hand movements, typing/data entry

X

Talking, hearing

X

Operate vehicle

X

Close vision

X

Distance vision

X

Sedentary (exert up to 10 pounds of force)

X

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Additional Considerations

  • This is a Rochester, MN based position and is not remote eligible at this time.
  • International relocation or international remote working arrangements (outside of the US) will not be considered.
  • Applicants for this position must be currently authorized to work in the United States.
  • Olmsted County does not sponsor applicants for this position.

Provisional employees are eligible for benefits if employment is projected to be 12 months or longer and work at least 40 hours per pay period.

This document is a brief Summary of Benefits for Olmsted County Employees on the Paid Time Off Program.

Paid Time Off

Employees over .5 FTE accrue Paid Time Off (PTO) based on their length of service as follows:

First year to 5 years of service - accrue up to 23 days

6 to 10 years of service - accrue up to 25 days

11 to 15 years of service - accrue up to 27.5 days

16 to 20 years of service - accrue up to 30 days

21 to 26 years of service - accrue up to 32.5 days

Over 26 years of service - accrue up to 35 days

Employees begin accruing PTO on their first day of work and can use it as soon as accrued with supervisor approval.

Flexible Time Leave

All regular, full-time employees and part-time employees who are scheduled to work at least twenty (20) hours or more per week on an ongoing basis shall receive up to 24 hours (prorated by FTE) of paid FTL at their regular base pay each calendar year.

Commencement of Employment # of FTL Hours

Between January 1 and June 30 24 Hours

Between July 1 and August 31 16 Hours

Between September 1 and November 30 8 Hours

Between December 1 and December 31 0 Hours

Paid Holidays

Olmsted County Recognizes The Following Legal Holidays

New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve (4 hours when December 24th falls on a Monday – Thursday only), Christmas Day

Employee Health And Insurance Benefits

Health, Dental, Vision, Basic Life, Health Care Spending Account and Dependent Care Spending Account benefits become effective the first of the month following 30 days of employment.

Health Insurance

The self-insured Olmsted County Employees’ Health Plan is administered by Medica. Under the plan, eligible employees and their dependents have access to all providers in the Medica Health Plan Solutions network,

including Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center.

The plan offers a comprehensive preventive care program to help protect the health of employees and their dependents, 80% co-insurance on most services (after deductible) and access to Nice Healthcare, which offers no-cost virtual and in-home appointments, labs, x-rays, and more.

There is a base in-network deductible of $1,500/person, $4,500/family with the opportunity to earn a reward to lower the deductible to $500/person, $1,500/family. The in-network out-of-pocket maximum is $3,000/person, $6,000/family for those who earn the reward.

Coverage is available for employees and their eligible dependents.

The Monthly Rates For Healthcare Coverage Are As Follows

Health Insurance Rates

Single health coverage monthly cost to the employee is $110.00 per month or $55.00 per pay period. Employee Plus Children monthly cost to the employee is $500 per month or $250 per pay period. Employee Plus One coverage monthly cost to the employee is $546.00 per month or $273.00 per pay period. Family coverage monthly cost to the employee is $690.00 per month or $345 per pay period.

Nice Healthcare

Nice Healthcare is an additional healthcare option for employees on our health plan. The plan includes virtual and in-home care, primary care, convenient medication delivery, lab work and diagnostics, and comprehensive family care. There is no premium to the employee. Coverage is available for employees enrolled in the health plan and their eligible dependents (even if not enrolled in the health plan).

Prescription Drug Plan

The Olmsted County Employees’ Health Plan prescription drug benefit is part of the health plan and is administered by Alluma. Covered prescriptions are based on the Alluma Advantage Formulary. The plan contracts

with Express Scripts to provide a national network. This allows members to receive prescriptions conveniently at home, or across the country, for the same co-insurance amount. Prescription co-insurance is 25% or 40%

depending on whether the prescription is formulary or non-formulary, with the opportunity to lower co-insurance through mail order. Prescriptions are subject to minimum and maximum charges. Both retail and mail order

prescriptions apply toward an annual $2,400/person or $4,800/family out of pocket limit.

Dental Insurance

The Olmsted County Dental Plan is self-insured and administered by Delta Dental. Coverage includes Diagnostic & Preventive Services – 100%; Basic Services - 80%; Major Restorative Services - 50%; and Orthodontics - 50%. Lifetime maximum for Orthodontics is $1,500 per eligible dependent child. Diagnostic and Preventive Services do not apply to the yearly individual maximum benefit of $1,500. There is a $50 deductible per family member per year, with a maximum of $150 per family. The deductible does not apply for Diagnostic and Preventive Services.

Coverage is available for employees and their eligible dependents.

Single dental coverage monthly cost to the employee is $14.00 per month. Employee Plus One coverage monthly cost to the employee is $25.00 per month or $12.50 per pay period. Family coverage monthly cost to the employee is $56.00 per month or $28.00 per pay period.

Life Insurance

Benefits

The County paid Basic Life Plan is group term guaranteed issue life insurance up to two times employee’s annual salary rounded to the nearest $1,000 to a maximum of $300,000. Olmsted County pays 100 percent of enrolled dependent coverage costs for the following life benefits:

Spouse: $2,000

Children up to age 26: $1,250

Vision Insurance

Olmsted County offers insurance for vision correction materials through EyeMed. Benefits include discounts on frames, lenses, and contacts. Coverage is available for employees and their eligible dependents.

Voluntary Life Insurance

The cost of employee and spouse Voluntary Life Insurance coverage is determined by age and the amount of coverage. This coverage would be in addition to what employees receive under the Basic Life Plan.

New employees who enroll within 30 days of eligibility may select up to $250,000 in life insurance coverage and up to $50,000 for their spouse without answering any health questions. Employees may apply for additional life insurance in $5,000 increments up to a maximum of $500,000. Spouses may apply for additional life insurance in $5,000 increments up to a maximum of $250,000.

New employees can also elect child life insurance without having to answer any health questions. The cost of life insurance is $1.30 per month, regardless of the number of children covered. The coverage amount is $10,000 per child.

PERA Life Insurance

Employees can purchase guaranteed issue group term life insurance coverage through the Voluntary Group Life Plan with the National Conference on Public Employees Retirement Systems (NCPERS) in which Olmsted County is a participant. It is underwritten by The Prudential Insurance Company of America and administered by Member

Benefits.

Cost is $16.00 per month with no medical questions asked.

Minnesota Paid Leave

The County participates in the Minnesota Paid Family Leave program. This provides partial income replacement to employees needing time off for covered conditions, including serious health conditions, bonding, or to care for a family member.

Long Term Disability Insurance

The County provides 40 percent pay replacement coverage at no cost to the employee.

Employees have the option to purchase an additional 26 2/3 percent pay replacement coverage for a total of 66 2/3 percent. Long-term disability benefits are effective on the first of the month following 30 days of service. The plan has a 90-day elimination period before benefits may be payable.

Employee Assistance Program

AllOne Health, Olmsted County’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), is a confidential service to help employees and their families address work and life issues. Online and telephone resources are available 24/7/365.

Flexible Spending Accounts

Employees have the option of using one or both flexible spending accounts provided through Olmsted County to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and day care expenses with pretax dollars.

Health Care Spending Account limit is $3,400.

Dependent Care Spending Account limit is $7,500.

Blood Assurance Program

A Volunteer Blood Donor Program through Mayo Clinic Blood Bank is available to employees. It covers the employee and family for all red blood cell products.

Workers Compensation

All employees are covered by Workers Compensation insurance while performing County business.

Retirement

Olmsted County and employees pay into the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) as follows:

General Plan: Employee Share is 6.50%, County Share is 7.50%

Police & Fire Plan: Employee Share is 11.80%, County Share is 17.70%

Correctional Plan: Employee Share is 6.83%, County Share is 10.25%

General Plan members pay into both PERA and Social Security.

Deferred Compensation Plans

Olmsted County employees may choose to participate in Deferred Compensation Plans (457 Plans) offered through: VOYA Financial, Nationwide Retirement Solutions, and Minnesota Deferred Compensation Plan.

Years of Service Awards

Olmsted County recognizes employees for milestones in their years of service (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and above).

Direct Deposit

All employees are paid bi-weekly. Employees’ paychecks are electronically deposited directly into employees’ bank accounts, avoiding situations like late checks or inconvenient trips to the bank.

United Way Donation

If an employee requests, the County will deduct contributions to United Way through payroll deduction.

Staff Development Program

The Staff Development Program offers courses online and in the classroom. The purpose is to train and retain employees through educational opportunities.

Tuition Reimbursement

Olmsted County offers tuition reimbursement for college courses of 80% or $3,000 (whichever is less) per year with prior approval from supervisor and Human Resources for job-related courses.

Olmsted County has partnered with Saint Mary's University to offer unique career advancement, degree completion, and professional development opportunities at a discounted rate. To learn more about the partner scholarship and Saint Mary's bachelor's completion, master's, doctoral, or graduate certificate programs visit the Olmsted County partner page.

As a Local Government, Olmsted County is a qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Act. Go to StudentAid.Gov to learn more about this program and see if you qualify.

Savi Loan Forgiveness

Olmsted County has partnered with Savi, a trusted financial wellness resource to support your student loan journey. Savi has three different support plans - DIY, Essential, and Pro. As an Olmsted County employee, you can receive Savi Essential (typically $70) for free or Savi Pro for $80 (typically $150).

Credit Union

Employees are invited to join the First Alliance Credit Union. For more information, call the Credit Union at (507) 288-0330 or (800) 866-1999.

Parking/Transit Plan

Parking for Government Center employees is available employee parking lots. The County supports public transportation. Employees who ride the bus to and from work and during work hours are offered subsidized bus passes.

Jury Duty

Employees required to report for jury duty or attend a trial in response to a subpoena will do so without loss of income. Employees will receive their regular pay during their court service.

01

I understand that I must thoroughly complete the Education, Work Experience, Certificates and Licenses, and Supplemental Questions sections of my application. This includes a detailed description of all work experience that I feel qualifies me for the job I am seeking. I also understand that I may not submit resumes in lieu of filling out the application or answering the Supplemental Questions.

  • I have read the above statement and understand that failure to provide sufficient detailed information may result in my application being rejected or my receiving a lower examination score which may make me ineligible for further consideration in this recruitment process.

02

You must meet the minimum qualifications to be considered for the Social Worker Specialist –Permanent Supportive Housing. Please select the answer that best describes your education and experience.

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and two (2) years of experience in a similar position as listed in the work functions
  • Master’s degree from an accredited college or university and one (1) year of experience in a similar position as listed in the work functions
  • No combination of related education and/or experience as listed above.

03

How many years of experience do you have assisting individuals experiencing homelessness as a primary function of your job?

  • No experience
  • Less than 1 year
  • More than 1 year, but less than 2
  • More than 2 years, but less than 3
  • More than 3 years, but less than 4
  • More than 4 years, but less than 5
  • 5 or more years

04

How many years of experience do you have conducting assessments and determining needs of single adults?

  • No experience
  • Less than 1 year
  • More than 1 year, but less than 2
  • More than 2 years, but less than 3
  • More than 3 years, but less than 4
  • More than 4 years, but less than 5
  • 5 or more years

05

How many years of experience do you have collaborating with community partners regarding housing instability?

  • No experience
  • Less than 1 year
  • More than 1 year, but less than 2
  • More than 2 years, but less than 3
  • More than 3 years, but less than 4
  • More than 4 years, but less than 5
  • 5 or more years

06

How many years of case management experience do you have working with individuals experiencing housing instability?

  • No experience
  • Less than 1 year
  • More than 1 year, but less than 2
  • More than 2 years, but less than 3
  • More than 3 years, but less than 4
  • More than 4 years, but less than 5
  • 5 or more years
  • Required Question

Salary : $2,400 - $300,000

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