Housing & Resource Specialist

Join Safe Harbor as our Housing and Resource Specialist! This is a multi-year grant funded position that will support in developing best practices through the State of Wisconsin for domestic violence victims surrounding housing stabilization and support in lowering barriers to self-sufficiency. This position supports individuals through housing search process and placement, crisis intervention, and case management services through a trauma-informed and strengths based approach. The specialist will work closely with prospective housing agencies, property owners and managers to promote permanent housing opportunities. This involves active outreach and education to prospective program participants and community partners regarding the scope of Safe Harbor programs and services.  This position will provide mobile advocacy services and will often be driving to meet with and/or accompany program participants to various locations throughout Sheboygan and our surrounding communities.

Must be able to represent the mission, values and philosophy of Safe Harbor to program participants, employees, and the general public. Model and promote attitudes of non-violence, anti-oppression, inclusiveness, and power-sharing in all facets of position responsibilities, especially when working with community partners. Be an outspoken voice against violence against women and children, teen dating violence, sexual assault, rigid gender roles, and norms of masculinity within the community through conversation, trainings, social media, and one-on-one conversations.

Persons of color and LGBTQIA are encouraged to apply. Safe Harbor supports workplace diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability.

Benefits:

• Health, Dental, Vision, Life, Flexible Spending Account, Short & Long Term Disability, 403b, 403b matching, Wellness Reimbursement
• PTO, Personal, Sick, Floating Holidays

Direct Service:

• Provide trauma-informed services and case management utilizing motivational interviewing and strength based techniques to assist individuals develop individualized safety and housing stability plans.
• Support ongoing advocacy; including phone and in-person meetings to access and meet individual’s immediate basic needs (safety, food, shelter, hygiene, health, transportation, etc.) and to examine safety and housing histories, barriers, and strengths.
• Provide services and referrals intended to address significant barriers to housing stability (health services, employment and education). Work to remediate specific rental barriers such as poor credit, past housing debt, negotiating debt reduction with creditors and prior landlords as needed.
• Facilitate support groups and workshops focused on self-sufficiency, rental/homeowner responsibilities, life skills and parenting in conjunction with other Safe Harbor staff or through community collaborations.
• Provide direct services including crisis intervention, advocacy, life skills training, parenting support, legal and medical advocacy, information and referrals, safety planning and goal setting for victims
• Provide coverage of the 24-hour hotline as specified by the staff rotation schedule and respond, when needed, to the shelter, hospitals, court or advocacy center anytime during those shifts

Community Relations

• Develops and maintains relationships with appropriate service agencies, in particular Lakeshore CAP, Sheboygan Housing Authority, Partners, Habitat for Humanity and other local community housing programs.
• Partner with our Legal Advocate, Legal Action of Wisconsin, Tenant Resource Center and local community efforts to address housing discrimination, landlord/tenant rights and evictions.
• Responsible for training community on domestic violence, barriers, housing barriers and trends.. This includes small group discussions and meetings with landlords, businesses, and community orgs.
• Represents Safe Harbor on local Housing Authority and other committees as assigned.
• Calls attention to trends related to housing that may impact the work of our Multi-Disciplinary Teams (Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), Human Trafficking Task Force (HTTF) and Youth Action Network (YAN)) or others as appropriate

Staff Relations

• Works closely with other staff to develop and deliver community education and outreach activities specifically related to domestic violence, housing stability, life skills and self-sufficiency.
• Assists with training staff and volunteers on housing opportunities, housing safety plans, tips for speaking to landlords, tenant rights and responsibilities, in addition to changes to process within local, state and national trends.

Administration

• Assist with development, implementation and maintenance of data for measuring service delivery outcomes, program effectiveness and follow-up for program population
• Responsible for maintaining accurate client and other agency records; compile monthly and quarterly resident data, and monthly program reports

Other

• Attend community and state forums as necessary
• Identify, train and utilize volunteers to maximize agencies efforts in the community
• Provide on-call coverage to crisis line, after hours, in an equivalent amount to other advocates/staff
• Represent the agency at community meetings/functions through participation in collaborative meetings and community outreach presentations

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in Human Services, Social Work, Psychology or related field and/or equivalent relevant experience
• Ability to work sensitively with traumatized populations, specific to knowledge of and sensitivity to the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault.
• Previous experience providing social services to persons experiencing housing instability and homelessness with previous work preferred in housing search, placement, landlord/tenant negotiation, or other relevant negotiation/mediation experience highly desired
• Excellent judgment, an ability to exercise discretion and tact in difficult or confidential situations and an ability to project a positive, professional image to the public.
• High degree of flexibility and the ability to problem solve and make decisions individually and /or within a team, in order to achieve organizational objectives.
• Experience, ability and willingness to communicate with and value staff, community members and program participants from a diverse range of racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds and with various language capabilities, religious beliefs, lifestyles, sexual orientations and identifies, age variance and abilities.
• Understanding or willingness to learn and articulate how institutionalized racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism and other oppressions have led to profound inequities in all major indicators of success and wellness, including access to educational, employment, health and housing opportunities.
• Preferred knowledge or willingness to become well versed in Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and Coordinated Entry processes.
• Computer proficient including an intermediate/advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
• Must have reliable transportation and maintain valid driver’s license and insurance coverage for vehicle
• Bilingual a plus