Housing Coordinator

Organization

Founded in 2003, AMI Housing is a California-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of people with mental illness through housing, employment, and supportive services. To house and support the most vulnerable residents of the Sierra region. 

Summary of primary job functions 

The Housing Coordinator positions are under the supervision of the Director of Housing Coordination and the Program Manager. The Housing Coordinator is responsible for prioritizing engaging individuals and families in need of housing with search preparation, support during the housing search process, and offering assistance in skill building to increase self-sufficiency and permanency in housing and linkage to supportive services and housing counseling to foster housing retention; The Housing Coordinator works as a part of a team providing high-quality case management services to residents of several housing projects. The Housing Coordinator is the central point of contact for clients/program participants as they transition from “person experiencing homelessness” to “tenant living within the community.” Housing Coordinators work closely with program participants to ensure their needs are met and that AMIH programs are operated safely and efficiently.  

Examples of essential duties (may include, but are not limited to) the following:

• In conjunction with the Director, Program Manager and Program Supervisor, and other service coordination staff, evaluate individuals and families for permanent housing.  
• Develop professional relationships with clients and maintain a caseload of program participants.  Provide linkage to community resources and entitlements, including a process to complete SOAR application and entitlements through Cal Fresh, CalWORKs, and accessing local food banks.
• Continue to provide housing coordination to program participants for a minimum of 120 days after securing housing placement to ensure housing retention. During the first 60 days of housing placement, the Housing Coordinator will contact the program participant once per week and shall perform an onsite visit weekly.  
• If the program participant is working with a service coordinator, the housing coordinator will work collaboratively with the identified service coordinator/provider to perform one site visit to ensure the client receives follow-up support as required. The housing service coordinator is responsible for conducting on-site visits.  During days 61-120 of housing placement, the Housing Coordinator may reduce visits to once per month if appropriate.  
• Stay current with available housing subsidies to help maximize housing options for each household. 
• Work collaboratively with program participants to identify and access sources of rental assistance (including security deposits, rent, utilities, and moving costs) from community programs; complete credit checks; provide linkage to Legal Services of Northern California to resolve any issues that may impact housing stability. 
• Provide appropriate Housing Coordinator representation at relevant collaborative meetings with the county and other service providers, such as Coordinated Entry By-Name List and multi-disciplinary case management meetings related to housing program participants. 
• Assist with preparing forms and any other documentation required for initial housing applications. 
• Assist with completing an application and submitting documents to qualify for Section 8 housing subsidy and property management rental application.  
• Conduct initial visits and orientation to new tenants during move-in and ongoing weekly case management sessions to housed individuals/families to monitor clients’ progress and to provide appropriate community referrals. This includes referrals and linkage to needed services, including health, mental health, education, and vocational training, serving as an advocate or liaison to other organizations on behalf of the client when needed.  
• Provide impartial and non-biased consultation, advocacy, and review of an individual's or family’s needs to support successfully becoming housed. 
• Provide ongoing short-term (a minimum of 120 days) case management services to ensure successful permanent housing, including education on successful housing retention, decreasing social isolation, and preventing relapse risks. This includes setting up and transporting clients on various field trips to the community.  
• Support clients in developing independent living skills, including money management and budgeting, housekeeping, nutrition and food preparation, social/recreational activities, and job training/placement (when appropriate) to help them maintain independent living.  
• Develop and implement an individualized care plan in collaboration with each participant. Each plan should emphasize coordinated strategies for addressing short and long-term housing needs, financial stability, educational, mental health, substance abuse issues, relapse prevention, medication management, vocational training, immigration, legal issues, and any other risk factors that could impede permanent housing or self-sufficiency.  
• Assisted clients with maintaining medication and treatment regimens, including accompanying/transporting clients to appointments in the community with health, mental health, and other care providers.  
• Respond to urgent requests for assistance from clients or landlords immediately.  Provide support to landlords. 
• Ensure case notes are entered into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) within 48 hours of completing a direct case management service with the client; submit notes for review by the Program Director weekly.  
• Ensure client information and responding case notes are recorded accurately and timely in the data collection system used by program assignments (e.g., Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), Coordinated Entry, Mental Health Service Act (MHSA), Electronic Health Record).  
• Manage client file organization. Case notes must be filed weekly. Ensure appropriate forms are updated as required. 
• Assist in collecting and aggregating program data and preparing required reports.  

Skills:   

• Possesses knowledge and ability to apply Housing First Principles and Tenant Rights and Responsibilities. 
• Must multitask with attention to detail while working in a fast-paced and sometimes chaotic environment. 
• Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work. 
• Communicate clearly and concisely through telephone, written, and electronic methods. Type/Enter data at a speed necessary to meet job duties.  

Ability to: 

• Apply housing first principles in working with potential household.
• Continuously sit at a desk and/or stand at the counter for extended periods; use the keyboard to communicate through written means; run errands; lift lightweight. 
• Intermittently walk, stand, bend, climb, squat, twist, and reach while retrieving or returning files or making field visits.  Intermittently twist to get equipment surrounding desk; perform simple grasping and fine manipulation; see with correctable acuity sufficient to read characters on a computer screen; hear and speak with correctable acuity enough to communicate with others.  
• Make rapid and accurate arithmetic calculations, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  
• Understand the organization and operations of the AMIH and community partners as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities.  
• Compile and maintain extensive records and files.  
• Operate a variety of office machines/computers and software systems. 

Education//Background: 

• Bachelor’s degree or an associate degree with 2 years experience in a social services related field, OR a high school diploma and 4 years experience in a social service related field.
• Bilingual fluency (English/Spanish) is preferred.
• Complete and pass pre-employment background checks (Fingerprints, drug and alcohol testing, TB Clearance and criminal background checks. 

Work experience may include:

• Experience working with individuals with mental illness, drug/alcohol abuse, homelessness, or other social services.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience in providing case management/service coordination with individuals experiencing symptoms of a mental illness, substance misuse, and/or homelessness. 
• Experience working within some housing programs, such as HUD Section-Plus care, HUD Housing Choice, HUD Permanent Supportive Housing, and VASH Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, is preferred. 
• Experience working with individuals with mental illness, drug/alcohol abuse, homelessness, or other social services. 
• Experience gathering and entering data into information systems, such as Coordinated Entry and Homeless Information Management System (HMIS).  

Licenses and Certification:

• May need to possess a valid driver's license with a clean driving record as required by the position. Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required. 

Computer Proficiency: 

• Strong computer proficiency (i.e., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Adobe, DocuSign, Google Docs, Internet, and Calendar) to complete daily duties within the expected timeframes with little to no supervision. 

Personal Characteristics:

• Be welcoming and supportive. Displays a solid desire to advance the agency’s mission and help people with mental illness improve their lives by becoming independent, successful community members. 
• Work in a client-centered, strength-based, and harm-reduction manner.