Shoreline Diversion Specialist

Title: Shoreline Diversion Specialist
Immediate Supervisor: Coordinated Entry Manager
Status: Exempt

SALARY: $50,000

SUMMARY: The Shoreline Diversion Specialist embodies and endorses the Mission/Vision/Values of Beth-El Center, Inc. in our efforts to build a community and world where Everyone is Home and All are Fed, as well as supports the mission of the Greater New Haven Coordinated Access Network to develop, implement, and measure homeless crisis response services that will make homelessness rare, brief, and non-reoccurring. With the purpose of increasing capacity in the Greater New Haven Coordinator Access Network, standardizing and streamlining diversion services along the shoreline from Guilford, CT to Milford, CT, and collaborating with system partners to achieve the goal of making homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring, the Diversion Specialist will provide system navigation and case management support to individuals, youth, and families experiencing homelessness. This is a hybrid, in-person and phone-based position, adapting to client and community partner needs and opportunities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

1. Provide same-day CAN appointments to households in the identified service area; provide Diversion services for appropriate referrals.
2. Proactively engage all clients in diversion conversations to identify and secure safe, viable housing opportunities outside of the homeless system.
3. Provide time-limited case management to clients accessing the Greater New Haven CAN who are not currently receiving housing-related case management services, including clients on the Greater New Haven CAN Individual Shelter Waitlist and the Greater New Haven CAN Family Stabilization List, with the goal of diverting clients from entering shelter whenever safe and appropriate to do so.
4. Ensure clients are referred to and successfully linked to all appropriate resources as quickly as possible, including emergency shelter openings when no viable diversion plan is actualized.
5. Work with a growing network of community partners to build service capacity and meet homeless response needs.
6. When appropriate, outreach and engage vulnerable and/or non-contactable homeless populations, including identification of and outreach to known "hot spots" where the target population may congregate.
7. Work with households to collect all personal identification and documentation, income verification, homelessness verification, and disability verification (all when applicable and appropriate) and upload them into HMIS.
8. Attend all necessary GNHCAN meetings including entry and exit staff and subsequent population-specific regional meetings.
9. Timely entry and accurate maintenance of data accuracy in HMIS, Smart Sheet, and/or any other data infrastructure.

MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

1. Required knowledge and belief in "Housing First" philosophy and strategies.
2. Excellent communication skills, particularly listening, mediation, and writing skills.
3. Possess strong organizational skills with the ability to meet a demanding workload.
4. Detail-oriented to complete requirements of contract compliance.
5. Creative thinker/adaptive personality.
6. Knowledge or understanding of tenant's rights and responsibilities as well as "strengths-based" case management.
7. Concentrated record keeping, budgeting, and mathematical skills.
8. Ability to produce required reports to federal, state, and local government agencies and funding sources.
9. Demonstrated knowledge of community resources, social service agencies, and landlords.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

1. Bachelor's degree in social work or related field.
2. At least 3 years' experience working in Human Services.
3. A demonstrated ability to establish empathetic relationships with the homeless population is essential.
4. Knowledge of community resources is essential.
5. Must be able to travel throughout the organization's service area.

Beth-El Center, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Beth-El Center strives to alleviate homelessness and hunger in the Milford to Guilford shoreline and lower Naugatuck Valley areas through shelter, support services, advocacy, and community education in partnership with the faith-based community and in collaboration with public and private organizations.