Housing Problem Solving and Outreach Specialist
About the organization: Compass Family Services is a 100+ year old nonprofit working on the front lines of San Francisco’s homeless crisis. We provide families experiencing or at risk of homelessness with comprehensive support to address immediate needs and ensure long-term success.
About the team: The Central City Access Point is a direct entry point for any San Francisco family experiencing homelessness. We provide families with housing problem-solving support, and with connection to homelessness prevention, shelter and housing programs through San Francisco’s Coordinated Entry System.
Compensation: $24-29 hourly + full benefits
Schedule: Full time, Monday - Friday, primarily during standard working hours
Organizational Core Competencies: Accountable I Adaptable I Client-centered I Collaborative I Committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging I Resourceful
What the Housing Problem Solving and Outreach Specialist will do:
The Housing Problem Solving and Outreach Specialist works directly with families experiencing a housing crisis. This includes assessing families’ needs and resources, explaining how the homeless response system works, exploring available housing and shelter options, and providing resources and referrals.
Specific responsibilities include:
- Offer problem-solving support to families so they can maintain their current housing or quickly secure a safe place to stay. Problem-solving approaches are trauma-informed and strengths-based. This might include mapping of personal networks and resources, motivational interviewing, conflict resolution, and/or mediation.
- Assess families’ eligibility for San Francisco’s Homelessness Response System, which includes shelter, rental subsidies, and permanent supportive housing. Help families understand how the system works, and whether and how they can access it.
- Provide families with referrals for emergency overnight shelters, food and other basic needs, and all other relevant resources.
- Conduct weekly mobile outreach in collaboration with local homeless outreach teams to connect unsheltered families to services and/or provide verification of unsheltered status.
- Maintain up to date information about families in both Compass’ Salesforce database and the city-wide ONE System.
- Once a family is matched with a housing opportunity, offer support to facilitate the connection and ensure that they are able to take advantage of it.
- Advocate for clients in their search for stable, long-term housing.
- Assess and de-escalate potentially volatile situations.
- Participate in community events and city-wide Access Point collaborations
The Housing Problem Solving and Outreach Specialist should have these skills:
- Relevant experience in social work or a related field
- Experience working with families in crisis
- Experience and high level of comfort in working with unsheltered families in an outreach capacity
- Excellent interpersonal, listening and communication skills
- Strong computer skills with proficiency in Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Ability to assess and de-escalate potentially volatile situations
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging work
Compensation and Benefits:
- Salary range: $24 - $29 per hour based on experience, languages spoken and education.
- Paid time off: ~4 weeks of vacation your first year, ~5 in your second. Also paid: holidays, sick time, family leave, and time off for education.
- Insurance: health, dental and vision insurance are fully covered by Compass for employees and dependent children. Also: long term disability and life insurance.
- Retirement: after one year of work, Compass contributes an amount equal to 5% of your salary into a retirement account; this vests over years 2-5.
Location and Covid safety:
- Work location: The Case Manager will primarily work at our main office at 37 Grove St., less than one block from Civic Center BART/Muni. They will also do in-person outreach in the community. After three months, they will most likely have the option to work remotely one day per week.
- Covid vaccination required for all staff.
- Covid precautions in the workplace: required masking, air filtration, sanitizing.
To Apply:
Please apply through our online application.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively seek to recruit a diverse workforce. Employees must embrace the idea that Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging contribute to the success of our underserved communities, and therefore to shared prosperity in our city and region. Compass Family Services is committed to the continuous work of implementing specific actions that will disrupt systemic prejudice and improve equity across programs and departments, to become an example to partners who also believe in a culture of inclusion that leverages diversity.