Coordinated Entry Specialist

Job Title: Coordinated Entry Specialist  

Classification: Nonexempt  

POSITION SUMMARY: This position will offer field- and phone-based screening, assessment, prioritization, and referral to a broad range of housing-related and other mainstream services, including (but not limited to): primary and behavioral health care, income and benefits support, SNAP and food pantries, children’s/family services, legal assistance, housing counseling and workshops, and more. This position will use a standardized process for connecting people experiencing homelessness to the resources available in a community. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that every community implement Coordinated Entry in order to assess and prioritize people for programs and assistance within the region, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and other interventions.      

RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES: 

• At the heart of Coordinated Entry is a standardized process and shared set of tools for Screening, Assessment and Prioritization. 
• Provide the following services both at the HRCs and in the field: 
• An immediate Health and Safety Screening identifies any crisis health or safety needs and, if there is a health or safety emergency, ensures an immediate connection to the appropriate emergency response (e.g., police, hospital, DV services, etc.). 
• A brief Housing Crisis Screening confirms that the household lives in Alameda County, and whether they are literally homeless. 
• A Housing Problem Solving (HPS) conversation seeks to help all households (literally 
• homeless or not) to identify and facilitate access to any alternatives to entering shelter or seeking homeless services. 
• A full Assessment of homeless households, which allows Assessors to make an initial determination of a household’s level of need. 
• Prioritization, an automated process that generates a list of homeless households seeking assistance, ranked in order of priority for housing assistance. 
• The Matching process, through which any available housing resources are offered to eligible households in order of highest priority. 
• Accept HRC appointments from 211; coordinated with the outreach team as needed to ensure HRC “front door” is easy for people to access. 
• Work with shelters to determine bed availability daily and identify and locate people from the prioritization list to fill those beds. 
• Utilize motivational interviewing techniques to explore participant’s motivation. 
• Provide direct crisis counseling and problem identification.   
• Compile data and provide reports to funders and stakeholders as needed. 
• Allocate various housing support funding through HRC.   
• Gather and assemble related information and maintain appropriate records and files. 
• Track services, data, and intake in real-time.  Responsible for gathering and compiling participant/service/outreach data and preparing timely periodic reports, as required by funders and collaborative partners.  Maintain thorough and concise case notes.   
• Attend and participate in weekly case management meetings. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

• High School Diploma or Equivalent (GED). 
• Must possess 1 year of field experience working with people experiencing homelessness. 
• Ability to work flexible hours, including some weekends and evenings.   
• Use of personal vehicle, proof of a valid and current California Driver’s License and current insurance along with a clean DMV record required.     

COMPETENCIES: 

• Excellent verbal & written communication, organizational, and time management skills. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with meticulous attention to detail. 
• Ability to work well independently and collaboratively with teams. 
• Understanding and practice of culturally sensitive components of direct service delivery through open dialogs and self-exploration with diverse groups. 
• Must have working knowledge of resources in the assigned county or area and experience with linking people experiencing homelessness to services. 
• Experience with street outreach or similar. 
• Experience in implementation of the following evidence-based models: Harm Reduction, Housing First, and Motivational Interviewing. 
• Experienced in building supportive and respectful working relationships with individuals diagnosed with a mental illness that instills hope and promotes self-determination.  Sensitivity to and understanding of the special needs of the homeless. 
• Experience in effectively intervening in crisis situations using de-escalation techniques.  
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs, systems, and platforms. 
• Ability to learn and use required mobile devices and business-related applications. 
• Outstanding communication skills and high degree of emotional intelligence, cultural humility, with a proven track record to build and maintain effective relationships with a wide variety of internal and external contacts. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Communicating with others to exchange information; seeing to read a variety of materials.  
• Manual dexterity for use of keyboard, tools, controls; repetitive motion that may include the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. 
• Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods, while at a desk or working on a computer.  
• Ability to drive and sit in a car for prolonged periods of time. 
• Ability to move between floors, ascending and descending stairs.  
• Light work that may include moving or lifting objects up to 25 pounds.  
• Ability to squat, bend at the waist, crouch, reach overhead and horizontally, and kneel.  

WORK CONDITIONS / ENVIRONMENT: 

• Must be able to work in a shared office environment with moderate to high noise level with frequent contact and interruption.  
• Multi-level buildings with stairs and/or ramps.  
• Some travel by car throughout the county region and surrounding areas.  

Notice: This description is to be used as a guide only. It does not constitute a contract, commitment or promise of any kind. Abode Services reserves the right to change, add, delete, upgrade, or downgrade the position as dictated by business necessity at any time with or without notice. 

Abode Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Drug Free Workplace