Intake Specialist

*THIS POSITION IS OPEN FOR OUR PORT CHARLOTTE OR FORT MYERS OFFICE*

Job Title:

• Intake Specialist

Program Area or Department:

• Veterans Services

Accountability

• This position reports directly to the OMAP Program Coordinator

Job Summary/Function

• The OMAP Intake Specialist is responsible for performing intake functions for potential program participants within the Operation military Assistance Program

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintain regular contact with established referral sources, including local veterans organizations and agencies serving the homeless, to identify potential program participants and bring them into the program.
• Receive referrals of potential clients (by telephone, email or as walk-ins) and conduct initial screening of applicants for SSVF eligibility.
• For applicants who are presumptively eligible for SSVF services based on initial screening, complete intake forms needed to determine and document program eligibility (including the JFCS Intake Form, the OMAP Supplemental Intake Form, and for prevention cases only, the SSVF Homelessness Prevention Screening Disposition Form)
• Contact program applicants not selected to explain why they were not accepted and offer referrals to other agencies which may be able to address their needs.
• Submit in a timely manner data required for JFCS and SSVF reports regarding the intake function and the disposition of program applicants who were screened but not accepted as SSVF clients.
• Implementation and ongoing utilization of the JFCS electronic health record within the service area.
• Comply with JFCS policies and procedures regarding confidentiality and the release of Protected Health Information (PHI) as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
• Provide assistance with special projects, such as annual Veteran Stand Downs, within the OMAP service area.
• Provide other assistance to the OMAP program coordinator, as required.

Training Expectations and Opportunities

• Within the first three months of hire, all new employees will receive orientation to:
• The organization's mission, philosophy, goals, and services
• The organization's role within the community
• The organization's personnel manual
• The lines of accountability and authority within the organization
• The cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of the population their program serves
• Applicable COA standards

All staff who regularly have direct contact with clients will receive training on legal issues, including:

• Mandatory reporting and the identification of clinical indicators of suspected abuse and neglect.
• Reportable criminal behavior, including criminal, acquaintance, and statutory rape.
• Issues and responsibilities related to the "Duty to Warn"
• The organization's policies, and procedures on confidentiality and disclosure of service recipient information, and the penalties for violations of these policies and procedures.
• The legal rights of service recipients

All staff who handle client case records will receive training on proper documentation techniques and the maintenance and security of case records.

All staff who regularly have direct contact with clients will receive training on the following topics, as needed, to be determined by the employee and their supervisor:

• Establishing rapport and responsive behaviors with service recipients
• Identifying the needs of individuals and families in crisis, including special service needs of victims of violence, abuse, and/or neglect, and the needs of their family members.
• Identifying the basic health and medical needs of the service population
• Procedures for working with foreign language speakers and persons with communication impairments
• Public assistance and government subsidies.
• How to advocate on behalf of clients and their families and how to empower service recipients and their families to advocate on their own behalf.
• Understanding differences within the organization's service population including
• Interventions that address cultural and socioeconomic factors in service delivery
• the role which cultural identity plays in motivating human behavior;
• bias and discrimination; and
• the need for normalizing experiences and social inclusion.

Classification

• Non-Exempt

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited school of higher education, preferably in a human services related program.
• At least two years of experience working directly with low-income individuals/families, preferably with persons who are homeless and/or who are veterans.
• The ability to work independently and to take directions
• The ability to establish positive relationships with program applicants and their families
• The ability to establish and maintain relationships with local collaborative partners outside the agency with build community capacity
• The ability to express and communicate the ideas and knowledge clearly with reasonable organization and conciseness
• The ability to recognize, understand and control one's biases

Physical and Other Requirements of Position

• This position requires the ability to perform a broad range of activities. The position requires full range of motion, including manual and digital dexterity and hand-and-eye coordination. 
• The position requires vision, speech and hearing capacity that is corrected to normal range, or special accomodations made which are sufficient for the completion of assigned tasks.
• The position requires work while seated at a desk, including the use of a computer. 
• The position requires the ability to lift 30 pounds.
• The position requires occasional work under stressful conditions and during irregular hours.
• The position requires the ability to drive and regular access to a reliable vehicle.