Youth Intake Specialist

About the role

This position is responsible for providing front-end engagement, assessment, and short-term stabilization services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Serving as the first point of contact for new clients, this position manages a short-term intake caseload focused on completing comprehensive assessments, addressing immediate needs, and preparing clients for ongoing services.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive intakes for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
• Complete assessments to identify immediate needs and determine appropriate referrals to shelter, community resources, and supportive services.
• Maintain a short-term intake caseload, providing engagement, follow-up, and immediate stabilization services until clients are successfully connected with an Outreach Specialist for ongoing, housing-focused case management.
• Collect all required intake and eligibility documentation, address immediate stabilization needs, and coordinate warm handoffs to internal staff or external partners by effectively communicating pertinent client information.
• Assist with ongoing care coordination and follow-up with community partners as needed to support continuity of services.
• Assist clients with obtaining immediate basic needs, including food, clothing, hygiene supplies, transportation, identification documents, showers, laundry, and other essential resources.
• Assist eligible individuals and households in applying for or recertifying for Medicaid, SNAP, and other mainstream public benefits.
• Connect clients to emergency shelter, healthcare, behavioral health, employment, education, and other community resources as needed.
• Maintain accurate and timely client records in HMIS, including demographics, assessments, homelessness documentation, service transactions, and case notes in accordance with HUD standards, and complete related administrative tasks associated with client services and program operations.
• Cultivate and maintain collaborative relationships with community partners, including participating in relevant partner meetings, to stay informed about available resources, strengthen referrals and coordination, and improve access to services.
• Advocate on behalf of clients to obtain essential services and empower clients to advocate for themselves.
• Develop and regularly update resource guides, referral materials, and information about available community services.
• Occasionally assist with receiving, organizing, and distributing donations based on program needs.
• Conduct regular street and community outreach, meeting individuals experiencing homelessness where they are, including on the street, in hospitals, emergency shelters, schools, and other community locations to provide in-person assistance.
• Support the development and facilitation of general homeless services programming and provide coverage during scheduled hours at the Youth Hub or Housing Resource Center, including assisting walk-in clients, supporting agency events, and responding to program inquiries.
• Provide client transportation as needed to appointments related to healthcare, public benefits, shelter, or other essential services.
• Assist with crisis intervention and collaborate with hospitals, shelters, schools, and community partners to coordinate services and reduce barriers to care.
• Participate in team meetings, case conferencing sessions, and coordinated care planning to support continuity of services.

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree required with two years of related experience. Persons with lived experience of homelessness or housing instability encouraged to apply.

Skills

Demonstrates sensitivity to the service population's cultural and socioeconomic characteristics. Demonstrates strong interpersonal, decision-making, problem-solving, oral, and written skills. Utilizes a basic knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.

Pay

$20.00 to $22.00 Hourly