Reentry Support Specialist

Reentry Support Specialist

ABOUT US

Founded in 1991, Hope Solutions, formerly Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, is a vibrant and socially responsive non-profit agency that provides permanent housing and vital support services to over 2,000 homeless or at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County. Over 40 faith-based communities support our work, although there are no religious requirements or affiliations to receive services.

Are you seeking a new role that fully utilizes your talents and potential—while helping to make the world a better place? If so, please read on!

What are you passionate about?

At Hope Solutions—we envision a world in which everyone has a place to call home and the support of a strong community so that they can live with dignity and reach their full potential. We strive to be inclusive and responsive to community needs. We are committed to excellence and accomplish our work with integrity, respect, compassion, and humility.

Hope Solution's mission is to heal the effects of poverty and homelessness by providing permanent housing and vital support services to highly vulnerable families and individuals.

Could our mission be your mission?

Learn more about us @ hopesolutions.org 

TEAM SNAPSHOT

We're adding to our team of passionate folks—who are on a mission to help make the lives of others better—through services and support that lead to a higher quality of life for our clients. 

We'd like to learn more about you—apply for the role! What's our team like? 

Here's a snapshot of some of the folks at Hope Solutions who help advance our vision to achieve—secure housing and the dignity of self-sufficiency for the homeless and at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County.

A FEW OF US...

Deanne—Chief Executive Officer—Resides with her husband and three children. Enjoys hiking, camping, reading, cooking, and cheering at her kids' games.

Alex—Chief Operating Officer—Lives with his wife, son, and dog (and loves when the grandkids visit!). MSW and macro social worker who enjoys reading, baseball (Go Giants!), cooking, hiking, jazz, and family time.

Christina—Chief Financial Officer—Resides with her husband, son, two daughters, and their dog. MPA, Non-Profit Graduate Certificate, and 20+ years in finance; enjoys traveling and family time.

Beth—Director of Clinical and Support Services—Resides with her sister and son. Licensed psychologist with 30+ years working with children and families; enjoys singing, cooking, gardening, and traveling.

Bill—Director of Properties and Support Services—Resides with his partner. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 25+ years’ experience working with underserved populations, specialized training in somatic psychotherapy and end-of-life care; enjoys reading, gardening, and meditation.

Cayla—Director of Evaluation and Learning —Resides with her husband and children. MBA in Business Analytics that thrives on spreadsheet analysis, dashboard creation, and reading.

Debbie—Director of Development and External Relations—Resides with her husband, two teenagers, and a rescue mutt. Leads external relations and development with 20+ years in marketing and communications.

Dominick—Director of Re-Entry Housing and Services—A fourth-generation San Francisco native and father of four, holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice and an M.A. in Leadership. In his free time, he enjoys music, travel, nature, cooking, and quarterly wine trips.

Jasmine—Consulting Director of Strategic Initiatives—Resides with her husband, three children, and three dogs. MS in Organizational Leadership and Innovation; co-convener of the Multi-faith ACTION Coalition and board member.

Kristina—Director of Human Resources—Resides with her spouse, child, and French Bulldogs. 20+ years in leadership, operations, and people management; Bachelor's in Business Administration, SHRM-SCP certified; enjoys family time, lifting weights, indoor cycling, hiking, and laughter.

Mashal—Director of Housing & Support Services—Resides in the Bay Area. Daughter of Afghan refugees; enjoys weekends with her son, concerts, reading, and Sonoma Coast drives; former Program Manager for housing and care for chronically homeless adults with AIDS/HIV; co-chair for Hope Solutions' CARE Committee and board member.

Tanya—Director of Rapid Re-Housing and Navigation—Resides with her husband, daughter, and two sons. Master's in Counseling Psychology with 15+ years serving underserved populations; enjoys music, comedy, movies, exercising, and basketball.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

The role of the Reentry Support Specialist (RSS) is to offer dedicated case management and facilitate connections to supportive resources for clients who were previously homeless. Spanning across Contra Costa County, The RSS works collaboratively with two Reentry Housing Specialists and a Reentry Employment Specialist, Probation Department personnel, Parole Office personnel, and various community agencies. With a strong focus on individual needs, the RSS delivers adaptable, personalized assistance to clients, aiming to help them promptly secure stable and sustainable housing. 

The initial phase involves comprehensive client assessment, identifying needs, and overcoming barriers. Collaboratively, a Housing Stability Plan is crafted to set the course for achieving housing stability. Essential resources are accessed to propel clients toward their housing goal, which may involve time-limited financial support. This process is rooted in participant-driven approaches and delivered with a strength-based, trauma-informed perspective. The Case Management services are designed to be convenient, taking place in both community settings and clients' homes. With a flexible approach tailored to each individual's needs, these services offer varying levels of support intensity, readily transitioning clients to other providers if ongoing assistance is required after achieving housing stability. 

Supervisory Responsibility: None

WHAT WILL YOU DO:

Client Support: 

• Maintain awareness of culturally diverse consumer populations and perform duties with attention to cultural needs. 


• Maintain contact with all consumers in the caseload and provide home visits according to an identified level of need. 


• Perform comprehensive psychosocial, life skills, and financial assessments. 


• Working collaboratively with consumers, developing and monitoring progress on individual or family service plans, encouraging independent action, and/or providing aid as appropriate. 


• Provide Case Management support, including but not limited to assistance with budgeting, accessing needed benefits and services, accompanying consumers to mental health/medical appointments, and supporting overall housing stability. 


• Assure the provision of supportive mental health interventions as needed, including mental health crisis management. 


• Provide linkage for medical, mental health, addiction/recovery, financial, legal, and other community services as needed, and coordinate with all persons/agencies involved in a consumer’s service plan for the duration of service delivery. 


• On an as-needed basis, assist consumers to locate units with landlords/property managers willing to accept voucher payments and/or negotiate housing issues with existing landlords/property managers, supporting consumers to have quality, habitable homes. 


• With consumer permission, collaborate closely with all providers involved in supporting them to overcome issues that may place them at risk for eviction, including but not limited to behavioral issues, mental health problems, or physical limitations that affect their ability to abide by lease agreements/rules of residency. 


• Assist with consumer certification/verification paperwork as needed. 

Landlord/Community Outreach and Engagement: 

• Work with community partners to assess housing barriers and the needs of clients experiencing homelessness who are eligible for services. 


• Maintain key relationships with community service providers, Probation referral sources, and Coordinated Entry programs. 


• Develop outreach and marketing strategies to identify landlords and build housing inventory. Present to interested parties: target audiences will vary but may include faith communities, rental associations, board and care facilities, elected officials, and property management companies. 


• In partnership with Hope Solutions, brokered housing and property management staff collaborate regarding shared housing resources. 


• Provide mediation and advocacy with landlords on clients’ behalf to assist with obtaining and/or maintaining housing. 


• Create and maintain consistent verbal and written communication channels between collaborating parties (i.e., tenant, landlord, referral sources, service agencies, debtors, and creditors). 

Cultural Responsiveness: 

• Awareness of and aptitude to understand, respect, and adapt to cultural and identity-based differences within group environments appropriately and effectively.


• Experience fostering and reinforcing an environment that values unique experiences, cultures, personal humility, authenticity, backgrounds, and goals. 


• Participate in and complete our new employee onboarding process, which includes reading and discussing a short chapter in the book, The Color of Law. 

Organizational/Administrative Responsibilities: 

• Professionally represent Hope Solutions in all circumstances. 


• Comply with all legal/ethical professional guidelines for maintaining consumer confidentiality, adhering to HIPAA guidelines, protecting consumer rights, advocating on consumers’ behalf, and assuring consumer safety. 


• Comply with all local, state, and federal regulations and Hope Solutions policies and procedures. 


• Complete required administrative paperwork and reports in a timely and accurate manner. 


• Attend all required meetings, including but not limited to Hope Solutions staff meetings, team meetings, consumer case conferences, and linkage meetings with other agencies. 


• Complete required personnel-related paperwork and complete expenditure reports for food supplies, petty cash expenses, and/or mileage in a timely and accurate manner. 


• Document all services provided in a timely manner.  


• Assist with data generation for reports and funding applications as needed. 


• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned. 


• On-call, after-hours, and backup work may be required. 

Position Qualifications: 

• Knowledge of and belief in “Housing First” philosophy and strategies. 


• Passion for and demonstrated experience successfully supporting vulnerable populations, especially homeless clients with mental disabilities.  


• BA degree in social work or related field; equivalent experience will be considered.  


• Minimum of two years’ experience in the human service field, preferably with housing retention barriers such as substance abuse, mental health, and/or income challenges. 


• Bi-lingual in English/Spanish preferred. 


• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills. 


• Computer proficiency in the use of Microsoft and database applications. 


• Must have an operational vehicle, auto insurance, valid California driver’s license, and be willing to drive for work. 


• Must pass LiveScan screening and TB test. 


• Salary contingent upon skill and experience. 

Physical Qualifications: 

• The person in this position may make home visits to consumers who live on second or third-floor apartments (without elevators) and will need to be able to climb stairs. 


• May accompany consumers on walks to local resources (grocery store, childcare, parks) up to ½ mile in distance. 


• Must be able to work in a desk setting for up to 3 hours at a time to make calls to consumers, research resources on the internet, and collaborate with community providers with calls/emails. 


• Office setting activities are required, such as typing on a laptop/computer to respond to emails, entering case notes into a database, and copying/faxing forms and documents on a copy machine related to maintaining or obtaining housing. 


• Occasionally must be able to lift and carry objects weighing up to 25 pounds, including furnishings for new residents, files, holiday gifts, and food donations. 


• Ability to drive an automobile and transport oneself to appointments or meet at consumer homes, including driving at night. 

Compensation & Benefits:

• Flexible, dynamic work environment.


• 100% premium paid for employee Kaiser health and dental care.


• Matched 403b retirement savings.


• 11 paid holidays, plus 3 floating holidays.


• Ability to accrue 2-4 weeks' vacation depending on tenure.


• Life insurance and Employee Assistance Program.

We are an equal-opportunity employer. If you're a good fit, we want to meet you!

* Please be advised that we are unable to provide sponsorship for this position. The nature of the work at Hope Solutions does not qualify us to support sponsorship. Only candidates authorized to work in the USA without the need for sponsorship will be considered.