Mission of Austin Street Center: Founded in 1983, Austin Street Center provides emergency shelter and meets the basic need of the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in Dallas.
Core Values: Kindness, Trustworthiness, Empowerment, Determination
Position Purpose
To assist eligible clients in the shelter to become housed as quickly as possible in the Rapid Re-Housing program and maintain that housing permanently through focused, intensive, and short-term case management interventions in the client’s new home.
Essential Job Duties/Responsibilities
Housing Navigation
- Assist with determining the eligibility of clients for the Rapid Re-Housing program.
- Assist with helping clients to move into rental units willing to accept the program and obtain all start-up items necessary.
- Perform inspections and online checks as necessary to ensure that the unit is suitable for client habitation.
- Complete necessary requests for application fee, security deposit, pro-rated rent, and other necessary move-in fees for the client.
Financial Assistance
- Complete necessary budget and savings plans with clients to determine the maximum amount they can afford toward rent every month.
- Complete necessary forms to request rent payment on a monthly basis.
- Deliver checks and correspondence to rental properties as needed to ensure timely communication and rent payment.
Case Management
- Complete a housing stability plan with the client to make a concrete action plan on how to cultivate the identification and income necessary to sustain their rental unit.
- Maintain a strong housing focus to all case management sessions, providing the minimum services necessary to assist the client to remain in the rental unit as permanently as possible.
- Conduct individual life skills training necessary to help the client learn to pay rent, clean their unit, maintain satisfactory relationships with their neighbors, and cultivate community connections necessary to prevent a return to homelessness.
- Conduct periodic assessments of vulnerability and acuity to determine future service needs.
- Link clients to services necessary to maintain timely rent payments, fulfill legal obligations, and address health care needs.
- Document services provided in our electronic recordkeeping system within 3 calendar days.
- Assist clients to attend external appointments as needed.
- Establish referral relationships with other social service agencies and attend community coalition meetings as directed.
Promote a Trauma-Informed and Effective Service Environment
- Maintain a safe and healing environment for all clients and staff.
- Treat all clients with the utmost respect and dignity, displaying excellent customer service skills.
- Prepare documentation and client assessments for presentation and/or audit upon request.
- Attend internal and external training opportunities as necessary and directed.
- Maintain a minimum caseload number expected and number of encounters provided.
- Maintain adherence to metrics and performance measures provided by supervisor.
- Update income, demographic, and other information in HMIS as clients’ situations change.
- Complete weekly one-on-one supervision with immediate supervisor to review performance and client engagement.
In this and any position at Austin Street Center it is impossible to predict the many requests and assignments that can and will be made on an employee. Flexibility and a cooperative spirit are crucial characteristics of the person who holds this important position and for the successful operation of Austin Street Center services.
Fundamental Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities Required
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in human services field
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in human services or a related field (social work, sociology, psychology, etc.) preferred
- Three or more years of previous experience in crisis intervention, case management, advocacy, and coordination of services in the area of homeless services preferred
- Bilingual in Spanish preferred
- Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in written communication
- Demonstrates experience with and sensitivity to varying cultural, ethnic, and social backgrounds, values, and attitudes
