Housing Resource Specialist

SCHEDULE: 40 hours, Monday – Friday 7am – 3:30pmPays $23.48 per hourLOCATION: 444 Harrison Ave, Boston MAJob DescriptionSUMMARY OF THE POSITION: The Housing Resource Specialist is responsible for providing housing placement services at the Mens Inn shelter. The HRS will be assigned to the Mens Inn shelter where they will work with a caseload of male identifying guests to help them move from shelter into housing. The Housing Resource Specialist exhibits excellent customer service and possesses a sense of initiative, is self-directed, works well with groups, has a good sense of humor, and is knowledgeable about housing resources in the Boston area. The Housing Resource Specialist is able to research and access new housing opportunities and is regularly updating all resource materials for guests and staff. The Housing Resource Specialist is able to discern which guests are able to manage housing search independently and which guests need more hands-on help. The Housing Resource Specialist may also be asked to work out of our Rapid Engagement Center as needed.The Housing Resource Specialist will work under tight timeframes to accurately enter guest information into the Pine Street Inn’s approved Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Attention to detail, organization, and accuracy is critical in this position.RequirenentsEDUCATION/TRAINING:RequiredBachelor’s Degree or minimum of 2 years of experience working with homeless population toward housingPreferredBachelor's in social work, or related field of studyBi-Lingual Spanish or Haitian-CreoleKnowledge/ExperienceMinimum of two (2) years of experience working with people facing homelessness, mental health issues, trauma and/or substance abuse issuesKnowledge of housing resources in and around the Boston areaAbility to use internet, social media, and other research tools to identify resources and housing opportunitiesFluent in MS Office Suite, applications (Word, Excel, etc.), email, and internet browsersHighly detail orientedExcellent oral communication and interpersonal skills are essentialExperience in maintaining confidential records and informationExperience in prioritizing tasks and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environmentExperience working in a team-oriented environmentSuperior organizational and written communications skills and demonstrated project management experienceDemonstrated commitment to Pine Street Inn’s mission, positive approach to change, promoting best development practicesPhysical Abilities/SkillsAbility to sit for long periods of timeAbility to access different building locations and program sitesRequires stooping, bending, and stretchingAbility to use a computer for email, word processing and spreadsheets; and other office equipment (fax, copier etc.) as neededAbility to respond quickly and calmly in emergency situationsMental Abilities/SkillsSuperior attention to detailAbility to adapt to changing goals and prioritiesMust be able to perform a wide variety of difficult tasks at the same timeAbility to work effectively under pressureAbility to take initiativeMust be self-directed Demonstrated commitment to Pine Street Inn’s mission, positive approach to change, promoting best development practicesHighly developed organizational skills and excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills are essentialMust be able to take direction wellWorks proactively to keep up with program innovations and new administrative technologiesDemonstrated ability to successfully work in a fast-paced, goal-oriented team environmentEnthusiasm, positive sense of humor and can do attitudeMust be able to work with diverse constituencies in a stressful environmentAbility to work independently as needed and also function as a member of a teamEssential Functions Include But Are Not Limited ToResponsible for helping the Housing Placement team meet housing placement goals and reducing length of stay for shelter guestsResponsible for gathering and disseminating resources regularly to guests and staff; provides connections to internal PSI housing resourcesProactively engages shelter guests around housingMeets with guests daily to provide resources and assist with housing applications and obtaining necessary documents for housing applications (ie; IDs, birth certificates, verification of homelessness, etc)Enters data into Clarity and city wide HMIS systemMaintains files for guests served, tracking all referrals and housing applicationsMakes referrals to appropriate resources as needed (ie; benefits applications, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, etc)Available to attend housing related appointments with guests as appropriateUses motivational interviewing skills to help guests move through stages of change to take action steps toward housing and accept reasonable housing placementsIdentifies internal and external barriers to housing pathways for guests expressing repeated reluctance to engage in housing process, and suggests solutions to supervisorAccepts supervision and guidance and actively participates in efforts to improve quality of performanceProtects and maintains confidential information and adheres to Pine Street Inn’s policies and procedures, including occupational health policies and proceduresCollects and compiles information for reports and contractsConducts research to support projects as assignedAssists in preparing for monitoring and audit visitsPerforms other duties as assigned by the Housing Resource Specialist SupervisorINTERNAL CANDIDATES, IF INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION, PLEASE SUBMIT A PROMOTION/TRANSFER APPLICATION TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF POSTING.Pine Street Inn is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.