Housing Specialist

MetroPlusHealthprovides the highest quality healthcare services to residents of Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island through a comprehensive list of products, including, but not limited to, New York State Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare, Child Health Plus, Exchange, Partnership in Care, MetroPlus Gold, Essential Plan, etc. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest public health system in the United States, MetroPlusHealth'snetwork includes over 27,000 primary care providers, specialists and participating clinics. For more than 30 years, MetroPlusHealthhas been committed to building strong relationships with its members and providers to enable New Yorkers to live their healthiest life.

Position Overview

The primary goal of the Housing Specialist is to work with members to help them with immediate and long-term housing goals. The Housing Specialist serves as a liaison with the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), Health and Human Services (HRA), and appropriate City and State behavioral health agencies, real estate brokers and other housing providers to facilitate the process for members in need of housing. This includes facilitating access to available resources/programs, completing housing applications, maintaining correspondence relating to housing interviews and vacancies, as well as assisting members to coordinate their move with landlords and other key personnel. The Housing Specialist serves as the subject matter expert and supports the members of the care management team; the level of support is based on the complexity of the case.

This is a hands-on position, involved, predominately field-based position and will require travel within the MetroPlusHealth service area.

• Engage in phone and field-based outreach to vulnerable members.
• Engage in phone and in-person outreach to landlords, brokers and community-based organizations providing housing and social services.
• Conduct thorough and comprehensive interviews to determine needs and appropriate services for the member/family unit.
• Assist members with the process of securing housing (i.e., application completion, records/documentation, interview preparation).
• Coordinate with providers to obtain the necessary clinical information (i.e., psychosocial, and psychiatric evaluation).
• Accompany members who need assistance to housing appointments.
• Work with representatives from HRA, DHS and ACT to facilitate established goal, advocate on members behalf.
• Educate members/care giver (i.e., application process, resolving issues with landlords, rights, and responsibilities as a tenant).
• Research and identify potential funding opportunities focused on funding safe, affordable, and accessible housing for the target population.
• Maximize member's access to available resources.
• Advocate for members by assisting them to address challenges and make informed choices regarding available resources.
• Employ critical thinking and judgment when dealing with unplanned issues.
• Analyze case findings to determine if concrete needs have been addressed through appropriate referrals and program activities corresponding to expressed needs.
• Maintain accurate, comprehensive, and current documentation.
• Comply with all orientation requirements, annual and other mandatory trainings, organizational and departmental policies, and procedures, and actively participate in evaluation process
• Other duties as assigned by Manager of Housing Taskforce
• Serve as subject matter expert for the other members of the care management team.
• Attend, as needed, external stakeholder meetings to foster partnership with community-based organizations, state agencies and other applicable agencies as required by the overall housing strategy.
• Assist with expanding and strengthening local referral network.

• Bachelor's Degree required
• 2 years' experience in processing housing applications (i.e. NYCHA, HRA and NY/NY)
• Significant experience working with clients on the issues of homelessness, addictions, mental health, entitlements, and housing including models of treatment and harm reduction as well as the key service providers.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred
• Proficiency with computers navigating in multiple systems and web-based applications
• Have a working knowledge of members rights and responsibilities as tenants.
• Have experience working on-site in a behavioral health practice setting.

Professional Competencies

• Integrity and Trust
• Customer Focus
• Functional/Technical skills
• Written/Oral Communication
• Confident, autonomous, solution driven, detail oriented, high standards of excellence, nonjudgmental, diplomatic, resourceful, intuitive, dedicated, resilient and proactive