Bilingual Housing Search Specialist (Especialista Bilingue en el Sector de Vivienda)

As a Housing Search Specialist at Fenway Health, you will help to empower individuals living with HIV, fostering a supportive community where every person has access to stable, affordable housing and holistic care. Join our passionate Housing team dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of those we serve! 

 Como especialista bilingue en el sector de vivienda en Fenway Health, ayudará a empoderar a las personas que viven con el HIV, con el find de crear una comunidad de apoyo donde todas las persona puedan tener acceso a una vivienda estable y a precio razonable y recibir una atención holística. ¡Únase a nuestro equipo especializado en vivienda y dedicado a impactar positivamente la vida de las personas que servimos! 

Representative Duties:

1. Work with a caseload of 50-60 clients. Work with clients for up to 24 months to determine appropriate housing possibilities and create an individualized housing service plan including short and long-term goals associated with stable, affordable housing. Work with clients to set priorities and take steps toward reaching these goals.
2. Actively engage with clients and medical providers on a consistent basis to collaborate in stabilizing housing and improve health outcomes for the client.
3. Determine appropriate housing possibilities and create an individualized housing service plan including short and long-term goals associated with stable, affordable housing. Complete comprehensive assessment for each client, including individual housing stabilization plan, housing history, public health needs, social determinants of health, and potential barriers to housing.
4. Enters assessments, progress notes and collateral contacts in the EHR system in a timely manner
5. Collaborate services with Medical Case Managers and other service providers to coordinate care and better assist the client with housing stability and improving health outcomes.
6. Attend all housing related appointments with clients, including interviews, appeal hearings, apartment viewings and lease signings.
7. Work with clients to identify possible barriers to obtaining housing. Discuss criminal, credit and eviction history. Request CORI and credit reports with all clients willing to do so. Proactively plan strategies to appeal housing denials and present mitigating factors.
8. Serve as a resource on affordable housing for all Fenway staff. Respond to questions and requests for housing information by Fenway staff. Serve as a guide to staff navigating the affordable housing system.
9. Co-facilitate at least one of two weekly Housing Search groups for AAC clients. Provide housing information and application assistance to any client attending this group. 10. Maintain communications with housing authorities, property owners and private management companies responsible for administering affordable housing options. Contact these providers on a regular basis to remain informed of available housing, open waiting lists, eligibility requirements and application processes.
10. Share information on housing opportunities with the Housing Search team, other AAC staff and clients on a weekly basis by updating existing housing search systems. Enter housing opportunity information into the database, update and create files, and contribute to the creation of a weekly blog post used to disseminate these updates.
11. Attend weekly team meetings and come prepared to contribute to the conversation. Attend weekly administrative supervision and monthly clinical supervision meetings. Attend quarterly All Staff meetings. Attend staff trainings when offered.
12. Meet agency participatory expectations
13. Adhere to all agency and departmental policies and procedures
14. Participate in quality assessment and improvement activities as requested
15. Adhere to the highest principles of client confidentiality
16. Adhere to established safety policies, procedures and precautions; enforce agency’s policies and clinical procedures, including safety and crisis procedures.
17. Maintains professional competence necessary to perform job responsibilities; maintains and provides agency with records of continuing education activities
18. Perform related duties and projects as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelors, or associates degree OR 2+ years of equivalent experience
• Bilingual in Spanish/English.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Working knowledge HIV/AIDS community trends harm reduction, and at-risk populations.
• Ability to work harmoniously and effectively with colleagues, patients, clients and vendors across the spectrum of diversity, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, national origin and immigrant status, religious or spiritual identity, disability (physical, mental, emotional and developmental), veteran status, and/or limited English proficiency.
• Willingness to contribute towards Fenway’s efforts in becoming an anti-racist organization and promoting a culture dedicated to ongoing development in service of humility, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, where differences are acknowledged and valued
• We offer competitive salaries, and for those who qualify, an excellent benefits package; including comprehensive medical and dental insurance plans, and a retirement plan with employer match. We also provide 11 paid holidays, paid vacation, and more.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with the provision of HIV services.
• Experience with affordable housing
• Experience advocating for clients with government assistance agencies, housing authorities, private landlords or realtors

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to meet the following physical requirements with or without reasonable accommodations:
• Sit at a computer station for extended periods of time
• Ability to keyboard for extended periods of time

We offer competitive salaries, and for those who qualify, an excellent benefits package; including comprehensive medical and dental insurance plans, and a retirement plan with employer match. We also provide 12 paid holidays, paid vacation, and more.

LGBTQIA+ identified persons, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), and individuals from other historically underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Highly experienced individuals may be compensated at a higher rate

Key Words: 

Housing , Public Health, Bilingual, Affordable housing services, Client advocacy, LGBTQIA+, Social services specialist, Community health services, Supportive housing programs, Underserved communities, Harm reduction programs, Housing stability services, HIV Support, Vivienda, Salud pública, Bilingue, Servicios para encontrar viviendas economicas, Representate del cliente 

LGBTQIA+, Especialista en servicios sociales, Servicios de salud comunitaria, Programas de apoyo referente a su vivienda, Comunidades de pocos recursos, Programas para reducir riesgos, Servicios para estabilizar su vivienda, Apoyo para el control de HIV