Housing Access Specialist

Are you genuinely passionate about connecting with a wide variety of people? Do you enjoy community engagement work? Are you eager to engage with and support our unhoused neighbors?

If so, we invite you to become a vital member of our Outreach Team as an Housing Access Specialist.

Our Outreach Team operates within a dynamic, community-focused organization. We are in search of a compassionate individual who thrives on building genuine relationships and serves as a steadfast advocate for our community. As an Housing Access Specialist, you will navigate various sites, including encampments, the Community Kitchen, the Refresh Hygiene and Hope program, the Herrick Library, and other areas spanning across Ottawa County.

This role requires adaptability, adept problem-solving abilities, and exceptional interpersonal skills. Your primary objective will be to utilize your expertise to connect individuals experiencing homelessness with vital resources, all with the overarching goal of finding stable housing solutions for our houseless neighbors.

• Locate and build relationships with clients experiencing homelessness throughout Ottawa county; identify their barriers and make appropriate referrals to local resources.
• Engage people experiencing homelessness in Holland at established “inreach” and “outreach” service locations such as the library, Community Kitchen, Refresh, and throughout the community.
• Operate agency vehicles to provide street outreach, transport supplies, and assist guests with access to services, appointments, shelter, and housing resources while maintaining safe driving practices and compliance with agency vehicle policies.
• Conduct street outreach and engagement activities in a variety of community settings, including encampments, wooded areas, shelters, and public spaces, requiring the ability to walk on uneven terrain, hike through outdoor environments, and work in varying weather conditions while building rapport with individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Provide long term case management services to clientele including: relationship building, assessment, engagement (goal setting in the areas of obtaining housing and other community resources), advocacy (collaboration with service providers and references for housing) and termination.
• Assist clients with a variety of tasks including applying for benefits from local, state, and federal agencies and locating appropriate resources.
• Carefully listening to client stories with the ability to both empathize as well as search for solutions to potentially ambiguous underlying issues.
• Create and maintain relationships with local service providers to obtain program referrals and to collaborate effectively when working with shared clientele.
• Support team members with data entry, case notes, and database management projects as assigned.
• Maintain timely and accurate program and client records across multiple required platforms.
• Works collaboratively with a cross functional team to ensure highest client service and to ensure programming efficiently and effectively helps our guests build skills to achieve a stable and prosperous life.
• Update and learn about new community, local, state, and federal resources that may benefit our guests, as they become available.
• Analyze guest data to better understand service gaps and increase quality of service.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Work experience in a social work position or social services or related field.
• Previous experience with case management or casework strongly preferred.
• Ability to work independently and without direct supervision. Ability to handle a variety of constituencies, manage multiple tasks simultaneously and thrive in a complex environment with multiple priorities.
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people.
• Strong communication skills with a variety of guests, community members and collaborative agency team members.
• Strong active listening skills and ability to offer empathy.
• Integrity, positive attitude, strong work ethic, and self-directedness. Strong in critical thinking & problem solving.
• Suicide Prevention and Deescaltion techniques and skilled in conflict resolution and…