Youth Shelter Diversion Specialist

About the role

New Reach is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing shelter, housing, stabilization, and support for individuals and families experiencing homelessness across Connecticut since 1990. The organization aims to inspire independence and works with the local homeless services network to coordinate shelter placements.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assessments to identify and divert homeless and unstably housed populations from entering shelter
• Facilitate connections to community resources and supports to address identified needs
• Collaborate with the local homeless services network to coordinate shelter placements when appropriate
• Provide services in different office locations as required
• Make referrals and support to clients being diverted from shelter to help stabilize their households
• Confirm eligibility criteria for any family entering the shelter system
• Provide client/landlord mediation and/or family mediation interventions and diversion techniques as appropriate
• Participate in daily community phone calls to advocate for prioritization
• Access, utilize, and monitor flexible funds for clients when available
• Aid families receiving financial diversion with the leasing process and perform housing inspections to ensure compliance with Housing Habitability Standards and Lead Visual Assessments
• Enter all documentation into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and other data databases within 24-48 hours of incident/contact
• Mandated reporting requirements per Department of Children and Families when applicable
• Develop a strong profile within the homeless services community to strengthen diversion referrals and increase accessibility for collaboration with partnering agencies
• Attend required trainings, programs, and community meetings, and regularly scheduled supervision, staff, or other meetings as assigned
• Have a solutions-based approach to presented problems
• Be supportive, engaging, and encouraging to peers and staff
• Be adaptable to change and willing to take on more responsibility
• Maintain strict confidentiality concerning any client's or employees' personal information, living information, and/or HIV status
• Provide a commitment to the values of New Reach: Professionalism, Integrity, Compassion, and Initiative
• Adhere to all New Reach's Policies and Procedures

Qualifications

• Bilingual English and Spanish preferred
• Associate's degree plus 3 years human services experience; bachelor's degree preferred
• Desire to promote equal access and opportunity for families experiencing homelessness
• Experience in housing, housing law, and other related areas preferred
• Highly motivated, creative with excellent interpersonal skills and crisis intervention abilities
• Strong advocacy, documentation, and computer skills required
• Ability to work with a team and independently with initiative
• Access to reliable transportation

Expectations

• Have a solutions-based approach to presented problems
• Be supportive, engaging, and encouraging to peers and staff
• Be adaptable to change and willing to take on more responsibility
• Maintain strict confidentiality concerning any client's or employees' personal information, living information, and/or HIV status
• Provide a commitment to the values of New Reach: Professionalism, Integrity, Compassion, and Initiative
• Adhere to all New Reach's Policies and Procedures

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The associate must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.