Case Manager Housing Navigation

Position: Case Manager – Housing Navigation
Department: Cascade Youth & Family Center (CYFC)
Reports to: Department Manager, Program Director

Position Summary                                                                                        

Develop positive relationships with individuals looking for Housing to better understand their basic needs, especially for food, safety, and be able to provide additional resources within the community. Be a resource for creating positive referrals and tools including getting Oregon ID to increase access to health care, food, and potentially employment. When appropriate initiate referrals to additional CYFC programs including emergency and residential shelter and the CYFC Basic Center. Create bridges to community resources and assist youth in accessing these resources. Creating positive relationships with property management companies and apartment complexes for smooth transitions in Housing. Coordinate resources, budget and funding, documentation and statistical input. Time will be spent outside directly working with individuals experiencing homelessness.

This position is a full time, 40 hours per week position with varying hours; includes days, nights, swing, weekends and holidays with a variable schedule. This position includes on call responsibilities.

Duties

  • Create a positive team atmosphere providing quality service to clients, staff and volunteers through active listening, positive problem solving, and timely responses.  
  • Responsible for ensuring case management activities correlate with established goals and objectives.  
  • Requires completion of specialized training that meets Family Youth Service Bureau (FYSB) and State requirements, including but not limited to crisis intervention and de-escalation, human trafficking, suicide prevention, harm-reduction, and trauma-informed care.  
  • Develop and coordinate life skills classes such as budgeting, household activities, job readiness, anger management, social skills, and study habits.  
  • Provide on-going support for runaway, homeless, and at-risk youth including developing and monitoring client goals, advocacy, referrals to community resources, and outreach.  
  • Refer youth to appropriate community resources and provide follow-up monitoring and support.  
  • Provide or connect youth to basic need supports (food, hygiene products, clothes), counseling, academic support, jobs assistance, case management, and enrichment activities.  
  • Develop and implement quality age-appropriate skill groups, activities, and programs for the Drop-In  
  • Maintain current documentation and records as required for program evaluation and reporting purposes and ensure all files and reports are accurate and meet grant standards.  
  • Collaborate with other staff, agencies, businesses and volunteers to ensure that agencies’ programs coordinate to provide the best possible services for youth and wise use of resources.  
  • Expand agency network and resource development opportunities through community contacts, training, promoting agency programs and involvement in cooperative activities with other agencies, groups, or organizations.  
  • Navigating resources (and service matching) / referrals (warm hand offs)  
  • Other duties as assigned by Program manager and Program Director

Qualifications

  • Knowledge, Skills and Ability: Ability to communicate effectively with youth experiencing homelessness, community-based agencies including law enforcement, and co-workers. Knowledge of community resources including juvenile justice department, area youth service systems, educational institutions, emergency shelters, job skills development agencies, transportation resources, health clinics and relevant state agencies. Strong problem solving and conflict resolution skills. Ability to work independently and cooperatively as a team.
  • Ability to prepare concise, thorough referrals, reports and documentation. Strong desire to assist and aid youth experiencing homelessness to increasingly positive life choices. Ability to effectively facilitate and document individual counseling that is initiated in the street. Demonstrate strong written, verbal and organizational skills. Knowledge of Oregon Revised Statutes relative to juvenile offenders.
  • Experience and Training: A master’s degree with major study in social work or a closely allied field and one (1) year of experience in the care and rehabilitation of youth, or a bachelor’s degree with major study in social work, psychology, sociology or a closely allied field and a minimum of two (2) years of experience in the care and rehabilitation of youth, or equivalent combination of education and experience. A minimum of one (1) year of case management. Experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness and working with diverse groups, including youth from a variety of social economic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Valid Oregon driver license and CPR/1st Aid certification required.
  • Physical Requirements: While performing the duties for the job, the employee is frequently required to stand and walk. The employee occasionally is required to use hands or finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.