EDH Shelter Specialist Case Manager

Job Type

Full-time

Days Off:
Saturday, Sunday

Shift: Day (9:00am - 5:00pm)

Insurance Benefits:
Dental, Life, Long-term Disability, Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage)

Other Benefits:
Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan

Union Representation:
This position is a part of a union and is represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.

Recognized nationally as an innovator and leader in developing solutions to homelessness, DESC is a social services organization, supportive housing operator, and licensed behavioral health treatment provider focused on meeting the needs of people experiencing long-term homelessness and living with complex behavioral health and other medical conditions. Approximately 3,000 people are actively receiving services from DESC at any given point in time.

Our vision is a community where all people are shown compassion, treated with dignity, and everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.

DESC operates five shelter/emergency housing programs, 19 permanent supportive housing facilities with over 1,750 units, several hundred additional scattered site apartments, and a range of behavioral health services including outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment, residential crisis stabilization, street outreach, mobile crisis response, and treatment for opioid use disorder.

Homeless Outreach Stabilization and Transition (HOST) is a multi-disciplinary team serving adults experiencing homelessness, severe and persistent mental illness, and co-occurring disorders. HOST prioritizes services to those who are highly vulnerable, lack service connections or other support, and are unwilling or unable to engage in traditional service models. The HOST team works throughout Seattle and parts of King County to provide critical survival services and engagement with the ultimate goal of addressing acute mental and physical health needs, increasing stability, obtaining housing, and transitioning to long-term services.

The EDH Shelter Specialist Case Manager is a DESC HOST employee responsible for providing engagement, resource linkage, housing navigation, and intensive case management services to individuals residing at the Bayside Shelter managed by Everyone Deserves Housing (EDH). The Shelter Specialist Case Manager serves as the primary HOST liaison at the shelter and works collaboratively with EDH leadership and staff to support shelter clients in achieving housing stability, improving access to healthcare and behavioral health services, and addressing barriers to long-term stability.

Each client receives individualized outreach and engagement designed to build trust and encourage participation in services. Services are primarily provided onsite at the EDH shelter, with additional outreach conducted throughout the community as needed. This position requires a high degree of coordination and collaboration with EDH staff, DESC programs, and external service providers. While supervised through DESC HOST, the position is expected to maintain a strong collaborative working relationship with designated EDH leadership to ensure effective service delivery and shelter operations.

• Provide engagement and case management services onsite at the EDH shelter and, as needed, in community settings including shelters, encampments, healthcare settings, and public spaces.
• Build relationships with shelter clients and provide ongoing outreach, engagement, and support focused on housing stability, behavioral health needs, and connection to community resources.
• Participate in case conferencing with EDH employees and screen clients for HOST eligibility when appropriate and facilitate referrals to HOST or other internal and external programs based on client needs.
• Develop and maintain cooperative relationships with EDH leadership and staff to ensure effective coordination of services and continuity of care.
• Participate in EDH operational meetings, shift briefs, case consultations, and other collaborative meetings as appropriate.
• Participate in community education regarding the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and co-occurring disorders, including effective engagement and service delivery practices.
• Provide survival resources, hygiene products, harm reduction supplies, and resource referrals as appropriate to meet basic needs and build rapport.
• Collaborate with EDH staff regarding client needs, shelter access, housing opportunities, and service coordination.

• Provide intensive case management services to assigned shelter clients.
• Coordinate survival services with a focus on access to food, shelter, clothing, housing acquisition and retention, medical care, psychiatric treatment, benefits enrollment, criminal justice system coordination, and substance use…