Housing Advocate

Street to Home, QueensBreaking Ground's Street to Home program makes regular contact with more than 2,000 street homeless individuals and connects more than 500 individuals to housing, medical and mental health services, substance abuse counseling, and other essential supports each year. The caring, individually tailored attention clients receive at each stage of their journey from street to home ensures that more than 95% of people who Breaking Ground places remain stably housed.Housing AdvocateThe Housing Advocate works with street homeless conducting street outreach with the objective of engaging individuals to determine their eligibility for Street to Home services and to help secure appropriate housing solutions for all people who are street homeless. If chronic, the Housing Advocate will build a relationship with clients utilizing motivational interviewing to encourage the client to work towards permanent housing. If not chronic, Housing Advocate will utilize available resources to secure other housing placements. The Housing Advocate will always work with a partner and will spend most of the shift in an automobile conducting street outreach. The incumbent will respond to 311 calls and community concerns; participate in Code Blue and Code Red alerts; identify new hotspots/encampments and work to eradicate existing hot spots/encampments; conduct a bi-annual vulnerability index on all clients in their catchment area; and enter all required data into outreach database(s).This position has a 35-hour work week.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:Engage with all persons on the street who appear homelessCreate and maintain active registry of chronic homeless clients; non-chronic included in registryConduct vulnerability assessmentAttend clinical supervision and trainingDevelop and maintain recordkeeping files and databases, completion of necessary reports and data entryCommunicate with team members through progress notes, program databases, reports, staff meetings, and weekly clinical supervisionLiaison with other service providers on behalf of clientsCollaborate with Parks Department, NYPD, DSNY, MTA, and other agenciesRespond to 311 callsParticipate in Code Blue/RedMonitor encampmentsPerforms other related duties as assignedMINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:Two years related work experienceBachelor's degree or equivalent education and experienceKnowledgeable about local benefit agencies and familiarity with substance abuse, mental health, and employment issuesStrong oral and written communication skillsProficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and electronic record keepingValid NY, NJ, CT, or PA driver's license with a good driving record, as defined by Breaking Ground, is a condition of employmentMust maintain a good driving record (as defined by the organization) is a condition of employmentBi-lingual (English/Spanish) preferred