Temporary Asset Development & Income Maximization Assistant Coordinator (Homeless Services Bureau)

The Boston Public Health Commission's Homeless Services Bureau (HSB) provides emergency shelter, job training, behavioral health support, and housing services to unhoused individuals in Boston. We serve close to 5,000 individuals every year and are one of the largest providers of emergency shelter in New England and are the only shelters in the city open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round.

Our aim is to make homelessness in Boston rare, brief, and on time. We do that by problem-solving with new guests at the front door to prevent anyone from entering homelessness to begin with. For individuals who do become homeless we help them quickly find a safe place to go. Once housed, we provide in-home supports to ensure someone does not return to homelessness again.

We use a Housing First framework, believing that housing is a basic need that everyone deserves and that everyone can succeed in housing. We foster evidence-based approaches such as trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and motivational interviewing in the delivery of our housing services and strives to ensure our services are as low-threshold and accessible to our guests as possible. Our Asset Development and Income Maximization team help clients increase their income and apply to and connect to public benefits so that that they can be successful in housing. The team uses the SAMHSA SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery) model to apply for SSI and SSDI with guests. Asset Development and Income Maximization staff start working with clients while they are experiencing homelessness and continue to provide services once clients are housed. The work requires strong case management skills and attention to detail.

DUTIES

• Engage all benefits-eligible clients in the SOAR application process; assist clients in additional mainstream benefit applications including, but not limited to SNAP and MassHealth; follow clients through the completion of application process until benefits have been secured.
• Enroll eligible individuals into the program, collect and maintain all required paperwork and documentation.
• Work with individuals to create an individualized service plans in pre-placement and stabilization plan once housed.
• Successfully connect individuals to benefits, resources, supports, and jobs which build income and assets to sustain housing.
• Enter all required work into ETO database in a timely fashion with accuracy.
• Attend all required meetings; participate in internal and external committees related to asset development.
• Facilitate small groups on budgeting and other life skills topics related to housing success.
• Provide housing placement services to program participants to move them into permanent housing. This may include completion of housing applications, assisting individuals with the housing search process, assisting individuals with interpreting, and signing tenancy agreements, and conducting inspections of units when applicable.
• Maintain individual records, including database files, paper files and incident reports.
• Accompany clients to appointments as needed.
• Provide advocacy services with community agencies and other available and appropriate resources with the goal of supporting ach guests access to housing and benefits.
• Participates in weekly social service treatment team and other assigned meetings and trainings.
• Collects data and prepares reports for funding sources and bureau.
• Other duties as assigned.