First Case Manager

Housing First Case Manager

Status:
Exempt

Reports To:

Team Leader

A Housing First Case Manager is an organized and trained professional that acts as a positive change agent in holistically assisting 15-20 individuals/families most often living with issues such as severe and persistent mental health disorders, chronic illness, brain injury, and/or substance use disorders, in achieving and maintaining housing while concurrently promoting awareness and teaching strategies that reduce the likelihood of a return to homelessness in the future.

Housing First Case Management is defined as: structured and active professional care that facilitates access to resources to improve housing and life stability through brokering and advocacy for services, based upon an assessment of needs. The case management services are intended to provide the direct, hands-on assistance that service users require to achieve greater independence in their life, as case managers work with service users on their journey.

Case management services are provided in the natural settings of the people supported - from streets and shelters through to people's homes. Case managers are accountable to end users of services, peers, and the community. The case managers ethically perform duties in accordance with the main currents of thought and practice in housing-based supports and in accordance with professional standards.

Using a multi-disciplinary skill set, the Housing First Case Manager must be able to exercise the following skills:

* Execute services to program standards;

* Ensure that services are provided in a safe, respectful, and effective manner;

* Communicate effectively with local community and external agencies to provide wrap around services, and foster relationships which enable needed resources to be accessed;

* Attend assigned community and other stakeholder meetings and advocate for client and program needs, including organizing or participating in case conferences as appropriate;

* Coordinate provision of goods and services within the organization as well as other programs within the community;

* Conduct a Renter's Education course at the initial home visit, or within 30-days of housing placement;

* Conduct home visits and phone contact each month per individual/household to assess and monitor housing stability;

* Document program participant outcomes, including electronic and hard-file records, ensuring that data is entered accurately, in a timely manner, and in accordance with agency and regulatory standards, and funder requirements;

* Complete reports and other program administrative duties in a timely manner;

* Provide internal and external presentations on the program, its intentions and its results;

* Resolve complex community issues involving the program and its participants;

* Model effective Housing First Case Management techniques and strategies including:
Motivational Interviewing, Assertive Engagement, Stages of Change, De-escalation, and Active Listening;

* Assess risks and develop appropriate plans to help ensure continuation of service;

* Help participants establish goals and an individualized service plan;

* Knowledge and practice-understanding of mental health issues, trauma-informed care, mental health and addiction assessments, client-centered treatment;

* Excellent communication skills in all mediums;

* Respond to crisis situations in a calm and professional manner, ensuring the safety of clients and staff. Collaborate with the Housing Locator to mediate landlord/tenant issues. Provide crisis debriefing after incidents, as appropriate.

* Achieve knowledge of the contracts and grants working under;

* Actively participate in staff meetings and trainings;

* Other duties as assigned.

The Housing First Case Manager must be able to fulfill duties in accordance with the Housing First approach, including:

* Housing as the first essential step, without any requirements for sobriety, participation in treatment, medication protocol, compliance, or demonstrated "housing readiness";

* Recovery orientation related to mental wellness and cognitive functioning;

* Reducing harm to the individual and broader community;

* Remaining…