Benefits Specialist

Overview

Position pay starts at $25/hr and can go up based on relevant experience. Certification: QMHA or ability to attain one upon hire.

• The Housing and Benefits Specialist (HBS) supports adults with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) receiving outpatient mental health services. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the HBS helps participants access, apply for, and maintain public benefits and secure stable housing. This role collaborates closely with Housing Liaisons, Housing Teams, property managers, and community partners and serves as a primary contact for housing vouchers, benefit coordination, and related data tracking.
• Benefits Coordination
  • Assist participants with applications and ongoing eligibility for public benefits, including SSI/SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, health insurance, and payee services.
  • Support participants with interviews, assessments, appeals, recertifications, and updates to personal information.
  • Obtain identification and required documentation for housing and benefits.
  • Serve as liaison with Representative Payees and benefits agencies to track applications and resolve issues.
  • Clearly explain benefits options, eligibility, and requirements in a compassionate, accessible manner.
• Housing Support
  • Assist unhoused or precariously housed participants in identifying and securing temporary, transitional, and permanent housing.
  • Support applications for low-income housing, supportive housing, and Section 8 vouchers.
  • Serve as primary contact for participants with housing vouchers, providing ongoing support and compliance assistance.
  • Coordinate with landlords, housing authorities, and partners to advocate for participants and address housing concerns.
  • Conduct housing assessments and contribute to individualized housing plans.
  • Advocate around housing-related issues including discrimination, evictions, and habitability.
• Care Coordination & Program Support
  • Collaborate with the multidisciplinary care team to develop and implement individualized support plans.
  • Transport and accompany participants to appointments, inspections, move-ins, and agency visits as needed.
  • Assist with financial stability and health care access aligned with participant goals.
  • Facilitate an annual Rent Well group focused on tenant rights, budgeting, and housing stability.
• Documentation & Administration
  • Maintain timely, accurate documentation of participant interactions and housing/benefits status.
  • Manage housing data across HMIS, HSRN, and Power
    
    BI.
  • Stay informed of changes in benefits and housing policies and communicate impacts to participants.
  • Participate actively in team meetings, share resources, and support clinic operations as needed, including Front Desk coverage.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

• QMHA qualification or ability to obtain through a bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Strong organizational, communication, and advocacy skills.
• Ability to manage multiple participants and complex systems with attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team and adapt to changing participant needs.
• Excellent customer service skills and comfort working extensively in the community.
• Valid driver’s license, insurance, and computer literacy required.

• Experience in benefits coordination, housing services, case management, or advocacy with vulnerable populations.
• Experience working with individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.
• Knowledge of public benefits programs (SSI/SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP) and housing programs (low-income, supportive housing, Section
  8).
• Experience with HMIS and SOAR.
• Familiarity with trauma-informed care and housing challenges related to mental illness.
• Experience facilitating tenant education or support groups (e.g., Rent Well).