INTAKE SPECIALIST

Description

Hope Starts Here! Your career as a Shelter Intake Specialist with Denver Rescue Mission is your opportunity to make a difference. Are you looking to build community and meet new friends? Are you looking for meaningful work and career advancement? Then look no further, Denver Rescue Mission (DRM) is hiring rockstars to join our team. We are looking for Shelter Intake Specialists or anyone with a social work, case management or counseling background to join our team. 

The Intake Specialist is a full-time, non-exempt position of Denver Rescue Mission (DRM) which must agree with and abide by our Statement of Faith and Ministry Principles. In addition, all employees must comply with policies as summarized in the DRM Employee Handbook.    

The Intake Specialist reports to the Intake Manager and Associate Director of Shelters. The Intake Specialist is responsible for conducting an interview in order to collect HMIS data for all DRM guests at Denver based facilities including Lawrence Street Shelter (LSS), the Lawrence Street Community Center (LSCC), Holly Center (CS), 48th Avenue Center (48th), and The Crossing (TC). The Intake Specialist is additionally seeking to identify men who are interested in changing their lives from homelessness to more stability and appropriately referring to the DRM location best suited to meeting their needs.  

Who are we?

Denver Rescue Mission serves people experiencing homelessness and poverty through emergency services, rehabilitation, transitional programs, permanent housing assistance and community outreach. Since 1892, we’ve been changing lives in the name of Christ by meeting people at their physical and spiritual points of need, with the goal of returning them to society as productive, self-sufficient citizens.

Hiring Range: $21.88 - $27.31 per hour, based on qualifications and experience.

Benefits: Complete DRM Benefits Guide 

Highlights of our incredible benefits package:

• Comprehensive health, dental and vision benefits
• Generous vacation, sick time, and holiday pay, plus paid birthday off and refreshment day
• Tuition reimbursement and child adoption benefits 
• Employer paid term life insurance, long-term disability, AD&D
• Health savings account with generous employer contribution 
• Flexible spending account
• Paid parental and bereavement leave
• 401(k) with 5% company match, plus opportunity for annual tenure-based incentive contribution
• Complimentary RTD EcoPass

Responsibilities:  

General Duties 

• Provide initial intake sessions at Lawrence Street Community Center (LSCC) for individuals new to homelessness and shelter. To provide the guest with a clarity card and enter their basic information into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) database and Denver Rescue Mission database.
• Must be able to conduct appropriate assessments when applicable.
• To understand Denver Rescue Mission shelters and programs with the intention to appropriately refer individuals ready to transition to long-term housing solutions.
• Develop/maintain the relationships necessary to coordinate warm referrals to the appropriate Denver Rescue Mission sites.
• Engage in problem solving with Crisis Management teams on the occasion that a client is inappropriate for Shelter.
• Engage with community partners and resources on a professional level to resolve complex cases.

Core Areas of Responsibility 

• With the supervision of the Intake Manager and Associate Director of Shelters, maintain initial information on every guest accessing Denver Rescue Mission services and interview and assign men to an appropriate Denver Rescue Mission site according to current needs. 
• Seek out guests with HMIS database alerts to notify them of their eligibility to receive government/community resources.
• Complete all intake, tracking, and ongoing workflows within the SCRIBE database. Seek to update or double check data ensuring the maximum of accuracy. Advocate for SCRIBE by communicating ideas and challenges associated with utilizing it.
• Provide guests with an overview of community structure, expectations and requirements. Also, brief guests on Denver Rescue Mission program options and use motivational interviewing to explore possibilities for realistic future housing goals.
• Function as a gatekeeper for the shelter and identify guests beyond the ability of the shelter as in the case of extreme mental health, or inability to care for activity of daily living (ADL). Contact the Intake Manager and Associate Director of Shelters to address urgent guest needs for appropriate referral to community partners.

Interns & Volunteers

• In cooperation with the Clinical Department, welcome interns and/or volunteers to support their learning and growth by welcoming them to shadow intakes and support of guests.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent work experience) in a helping profession such as counseling, social work, business or education. Addiction certification preferred.
• Affirm the Statement of Faith.
• Abide by the Employee Handbook.
• Bilingual Preferred.
• 2 years of direct engagement with individuals experiencing homelessness and identifying barriers to housing.
• Ability to interview guests and input information collected into the DRM and HMIS databases. 
• Proven ability to maintain composure during stressful situations.
• Well-developed interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• Clear communication skills - both verbal and written. Ability to motivationally interview or de-escalate.
• Proven ability to manage conflict with and between, subordinates, peers, and superiors, expeditiously and respectfully.
• Track-record of work with low-income, homeless and/or indigent individuals and families.
• Must be willing to work a variable schedule to include some nights and/or weekends in order to provide coverage for the desk Sunday through Saturday. 

Note: A limited amount of work-related travel might be required.

Denver Rescue Mission is both an equal opportunity employer and a distinctly faith-based Christian organization. Denver Rescue Mission complies with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, and strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, national original or ancestry, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, citizenship, parental status, marital status, political ideology, or current or prospective service in the uniformed services. This policy applies to all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment including recruitment, employment, training, and promotion opportunities. Based upon Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, and the U.S. Constitution, Denver Rescue Mission has the right to, and does, hire only candidates who agree with our Statement of Faith and align with our Christian mission.  

Salary : $22 - $27