Case Manager, Housing Program (HomeStart)

Agency Overview: 

Doorways is an Arlington-based non-profit agency helping individuals and families create pathways out of homelessness, domestic violence and sexual assault leading to safe, stable, and empowered lives. We envision a community where all people live free of violence and have safe and stable housing regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, age, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, abilities, language, or national origin. We see a future without homelessness or domestic and sexual violence.

Doorways began in 1978 when a group of concerned community members saw there was no safe place in Arlington for families in crisis. What began then with one shelter and one response has grown into a series of pathways individually tailored for adults, youth, and children seeking safety and shelter. From immediate crisis intervention to counseling, housing, and employment support, we offer real options and multiple pathways for people of all ages and genders—women, men, youth, and LGBTQIA+ people.

Program Summary:

The HomeStart Supportive Housing Program offers short-term rental assistance and supportive housing services for survivors and families exiting shelters into apartments of their own. The program provides housing location and rental assistance and housing-focused case management, rooted in trauma informed care, strengths-based, motivational interviewing, harm reduction and low barrier practices. HomeStart clients receive Doorways’ children’s, financial, and counseling services as they opt in. HomeStart staff, in partnership with each client, begin their work by developing a Housing Goal plan, focusing on safety and goals to secure and maintain housing; once in housing, the team continues to work toward maintaining safe and stable housing after graduating from HomeStart. 

Program Summary:

The HomeStart Case Manager (HCM) performs ongoing psychosocial assessment and provides trauma-informed counseling, interventions, support, and referrals to adult clients enrolled in the Doorways HomeStart Supportive Housing Program. The HCM provides services in client homes and community settings. The HCM assists clients in establishing and fulfilling goal plans that enable them to achieve emotional wellbeing and housing stability, safety, and self-sufficiency. The HCM serves as clients’ primary in-house source of support and leads collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of providers, including a Housing Locator and Advocate, Financial Counselors and Children’s Services Case Managers.  Where needed, the HCM refers clients to other community programs for additional services (such as legal assistance, medical care, and treatment for serious mental illness and substance abuse) and collaborates with community partners to ensure client needs are met.  

The HCM position is full-time (40 hours/week) and requires flexible working hours including some evenings. This position requires reliable personal transportation for frequent travel to client homes and community settings. This position is included in the Doorways’ on-call Tier response team, which will require 24/7 availability on a rotating schedule. This role reports to the HomeStart Housing Program Manager. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Duties (client service delivery):

• Provide ongoing psychosocial assessment of individual adult client needs, including assessments of housing needs, mental health needs, strengths, social supports, risk and protective factors, vocational and educational needs, life skills, and other domains that affect clients.
• Provide both formal and informal assessments to children and youth as necessary.
• Provide trauma-informed counseling, utilizing motivational interviewing skills and a strength-based approach. Providing psychoeducation to assist clients in overcoming personal challenges impeding achievement of goals and self-sufficiency.
• Utilize crisis intervention counseling and strategies with clients encountering significant life events.
• HomeStart Case Managers serve in after-hours on-call rotation to provide 24/7 support and leadership to staff and clients of agency’s housing and residential shelter programs in the event of emergencies, staff, or client crises, or prospective Safehouse or shelter admissions. 
• Utilize understanding of domestic violence to provide trauma-informed care, safety planning, and court advocacy services to survivors; refer survivors to community resources as needed for additional legal and physical/mental health support.
• Through the administration of the initial assessment and ongoing client contact, utilize a harm reduction, low barrier approach to assess clients for mental health and substance abuse needs and implement interventions with clients based on presenting needs; work with community resources and referrals to provide and coordinate mental health and substance abuse treatment.  
• Assist clients in developing effective goal plans to achieve housing stability and support them in becoming self-sufficient. Refer clients to other community programs for needed services (such as childcare, mental health and substance abuse treatment, public benefit programs, legal assistance, and medical care) and collaborates with community partners to ensure client needs are met.
• Assist in housing searches and support households in transitioning from shelter to independent housing in the community (to include utility set up, obtaining furniture and household items, and preparing for tenant/rental responsibilities).
• Assess ongoing eligibility and needs of current clients at recertification periods and support clients through the termination process and in transitioning out of the HomeStart program.
• Document client information per stated policies and procedures and maintain confidentiality of the information therein.
• Maintain client records to include service/goal plans and progress notes toward achieving those goals.
• Understand and abide by mandated reporter laws relevant to child abuse and neglect. Report any suspected child abuse or neglect to supervisor and/or Executive Director immediately. 

Advocacy/Volunteer Support Duties:

• Advocate for meeting client needs within and outside Doorways programs.
• Assist in training and supervising volunteers serving clients and serve as a resource as needed.
• Work closely with property managers and property staff to ensure positive relations with Doorways, and to advocate for families living in these properties.

Programmatic Responsibilities (program coordination/data collection/reporting):

• Participate in the HomeStart Program assessment process that includes developing tools and monitoring and reporting outcomes.
• Compile relevant client and program data and statistics as necessary.
• Review client files to ensure adherence to agency policies and protocols, funder requirements, and contractual mandates. 
• Other duties, as assigned.

Agency Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate alignment with Doorways core values and mission.
• In partnership with Doorways staff, assist with Doorways client and community events.
• Attend agency and/or other service provider meetings, as required.
• Maintain current industry knowledge and best practices.
• Obtain CPR/First Aid Certification and keep current.
• Adhere to agency policies and procedures.
• Must demonstrate an acceptance and respect for cultural diversity in all its forms, including race, ethnicity, sexual and gender identities, abilities, and religious backgrounds and an ability to work collaboratively in an ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse environment.

Knowledge and Skills Needed:

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred.
• 3+ years’ work experience working in social services and mental-health related fields.
• Thorough knowledge of homelessness and domestic violence, intimate partner violence, housing and homelessness, direct experience working with clients in the human services field.
• Demonstrated experience in successfully accessing community resources.
• Flexible and a self-starter; ability to multi-task. 
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain a positive team environment. 
• Fluency in Spanish or another language commonly spoken among program clients preferred. 
• Effective communicator, with excellent written and verbal communication skills, and ability to speak to an audience.
• Excellent people skills with experience collaborating in a multi-disciplinary, diverse, and dynamic team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite, navigating technologies such as electronic database and case management systems (e.g., VADATA, ETO), email and internet platforms. 
• Must be located in the DMV area.

Additional Requirements: 

• Completion of a CPS/Criminal Background Check.
• Access to a reliable vehicle, valid driver’s license, and proof of automobile insurance.

Compensation:

• Salary range is $55, 000 - $57, 000 annually.
• Excellent benefits – health/dental/vision, life LTD, 403(b), etc.

Doorways is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

People of color, women, LGBTQIA+ candidates, and people of diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Doorways is committed to a diverse workplace and to supporting our staff with ongoing career development opportunities.

All staff at Doorways are expected to operate from a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and equity approach.  We believe that people, including underserved populations, must have access to needed services.  Continuous application of Doorways values are integral in every position at Doorways.