Intake Counselor, Prevention

Description

About St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin (SVdP):

Hunger, poverty, and homelessness hurt everyone. As a charitable social services organization, St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County’s mission is to work daily to help individuals and families with food, housing, and crisis assistance to restore dignity and a chance for a better life. We are affiliated with one of the oldest and most effective charitable organizations in the world, the Society of St.

Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization of nearly 700,000 people headquartered in Paris, France that helps people living in poverty in 142 countries on five continents. In the US, membership totals 172,000 in 4,600 local communities. However, we are an independent, nonprofit organization that is governed by its own Board of Directors and is solely responsible for its own fundraising and program operations.

All of the donations we receive serve the people of Marin.

We believe that everyone needs food, housing, dignity and a chance for a better life – no one can do it alone. Our goal is to provide compassionate care and critical services to residents of Marin County who are struggling to make ends meet, but are not receiving the help they need. Here in Marin, since 1946, our key crisis assistance programs support over 8,000 people annually and have grown to include a free dining room, a homeless outreach team, and housing and crisis assistance.

If you seek work that is more than just a job but the opportunity to give back to your community, then SVdP may be the place for you. We are looking for staff who are ready for a career with a mission‑driven organization, hold diverse experience and skills, and want to join a committed and excited community. If this sounds like you, we would love to have you join our team!

The Intake Counselor, Prevention plays a critical role as the first line of communication for clients in need of assistance. The Intake Counselor, Prevention responds to calls from clients from two phone support lines for those who are housed and unhoused, as well as those who are monolingual or bilingual Spanish language speakers. The primary focus of this role is to assess client needs and provide them with the most appropriate resources.

This position speaks with the client to gather all pertinent information on their needs, collect all supporting documentation related to that need, determines the client’s eligibility for various programs, thoroughly documents the assistance provided, provides referrals when necessary, and submits requests for the need to be fulfilled. The person in this role participates in the organization’s Help Desk services offered from 1:00 pm‑3:30 pm every Wednesday and will be available to meet with clients in person during business hours as needed for further assistance.

• Coordinate services for SVdP clients by providing support, meeting with clients in person to complete applications or gathering documents to receive assistance or benefits and referrals to other agencies when needed
• Respond to client requests within 2 business days and submit assistance requests within 1 business day of receiving documentation from the client
• Develop and maintain knowledge of local community resources to connect clients with the best available support
• Engage respectfully and effectively with individuals from a range of backgrounds, maintaining a trauma‑informed approach to support
• Maintain thorough records of client interactions, documentation, and outcomes in HMIS, Apricot and other internal SVdP systems
• Attend all staff meetings (monthly), departmental staff meetings, and training
• Hold familiarity with community resources that are available to SVdP clients
• Work with other SVdP community partners (Ritter Center, Homeward Bound, Community Action Marin, etc.) to connect clients with resources that are not offered through SVdP
• Collaborate with referral sources to facilitate access for clients
• Meet weekly with the Program Manager, Rapid Rehousing to discuss, strategize and brainstorm solutions for complex client situations
• Ensure that any program participant complaints,…