Position Title: Prevention Case Manager
About Lydia Place
At Lydia Place, we believe that housing interventions today with prevention strategies for tomorrow is an investment in ending family homelessness in our community. Our vision is for a compassionate community where everyone has a home and the opportunity to thrive by fulfilling our mission to disrupt the cycle of homelessness and nurture healing and belonging for current and future generations. Lydia Place is rooted in four main values that guide our strategic direction: Upstream Impact, Community, Equity, and Employee Wellness. We invite you to visit our website to learn more about our strategic plan and the impact of our work in the community.
Position Summary
Prevention Case Managers provide support through short-term (4-8 months on average), intensive, stabilization-focused Case Management to clients at risk of homelessness. Case Managers help families stabilize or secure housing to help them avoid entering the homeless housing system. Case Managers will also support clients with broader goal setting, advocacy, problem-solving and accessing community resources, including referrals to Lydia Place’s Mental Health and Parent Support Programs.
Salary & Benefits:
Level 5 – $25.21-30.37/hr, 40 hrs/week, non-exempt. Candidate offers consider experience, qualifications, and internal equity. Entry salary typically in the first third of the range.
Paid time off for this position includes up to 4 weekly wellness hours, 19 days of PTO in the first year of employment (PTO includes sick time), and 13 paid holidays per year.
Other benefits include agency sponsored medical/dental insurance (current premium covered at rate of 100% for the employee), a $50,000 Life Insurance policy, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), premium Calm meditation app subscription, and employer retirement plan contribution (current rate of up to 3% matching) after first year of employment. Lydia Place also provides a supportive, family-friendly work culture with flexible scheduling.
Case Management & Direct Client Services:
- Support clients with housing application/process, one-on-one case management, advocacy, rapport building, assessments, resource and referral, development of case plan, crisis management, compliance review, and program participation viability
- Advocate for clients from a client-centered approach which supports clients in functioning as independently as possible
- Recognize the complexities of poverty and homelessness, and provide comprehensive advocacy services to clients, which address all factors that have contributed to their homeless status
- Assist client with paperwork processes including but not limited to application, lease-up, deposit, rental, and flex fund assistance; coordinate with partner agencies and property managers to obtain and maintain housing stability
- Conduct entrance and exit interviews and partner with client using data provided on the entrance interview to develop a permanent housing service plan; collaborate with other agencies to meet client needs
- Schedule and facilitate on-going home visits and office appointments with clients to evaluate service effectiveness and progress toward goals
- Collaborate with Parent Support Program, Mental Health team and other staff to identify and offer additional programs and support services to meet client needs
- Educate clients about landlord/tenant laws and reporting requirements
- Facilitate occasional groups, community events, and educational classes
- Assist with special events such as Thanksgiving Meal Program, Adopt-A-Family Program, etc.
Communication, Documentation, Other Essential Functions:
- Maintain accurate and timely documentation and submission of client files and funding/contract paperwork
- Work in collaboration with financial department to ensure that client financial assistance is paid in an accurate and timely manner
- Ensure data compliance and integrity, in accordance with all contract and confidentiality requirements; enter data and case into AGENCY case management software, coordinate with the Housing Data Coordinator and/or Program Manager on any other data reporting requirements such as HMIS and quarterly reports
- Fulfill all duties as a mandated reporter of child abuse or child neglect to DCYF
- Maintain confidentiality when working with client data and electronic protected health information (ePHI) in all circumstances, except those required by law
- Participate in weekly case management, supervision and Team Meetings
- Communicate effectively with clients, colleagues, supervisors, and community partners
- Represent Lydia Place at designated community meetings and through public presentations as assigned; preserve positive professional relationships with service providers in the community
- Other duties as assigned
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and depth perception. While performing these job duties, the employee is regularly required to listen to others and provide verbal feedback. The employee is required to sit for extended periods of time. Employees are frequently required to stand, walk, climb, or balance.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Demonstrated experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services or related field AND
- 1 year of related experience in direct service
- Basic knowledge of housing and support resources for low-income families in Whatcom County
- Ability to establish rapport and build on family strengths in the home environment
- Experience working with diverse groups of people
- Proficiency with word processing, Microsoft Office programs, and cloud-based internet software
- Completion of background investigation that includes social security verification, professional reference checks, and a federal criminal background investigation
- Valid driver’s license, access to a vehicle and proof of insurance required
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with housing prevention programming
Core Competencies:
In addition to the position specific qualifications outlined above, all members of the Lydia Place team are expected to demonstrate proficiency in these core competencies:
- Anti-Oppressive Lens: Able to adopt anti-oppression, anti-racist, and trauma-informed framework to navigate complex systems of racism, poverty, homelessness, violence against women and children and other systems of oppression.
- Effective Communication: Able to read and interpret documents, write reports, correspond verbally and in writing with clarity, and must embody active listening skills. Able to ask for help when needed and offer help to others when appropriate as well as give and receive feedback. Support and explain reasoning for decisions.
- Initiative: Able to assess and identify actions to address issues independently while knowing when to ask for appropriate support.
- Organization: Able to effectively manage time and develop and carry out complex timelines and action plans. Able to follow policies and procedures.
- Integrity: Responsible, reliable, and accountable for actions in all settings. Open and honest about own strengths, limitations, and boundaries. Able to maintain confidentiality and commitments.
- Emotional Intelligence: Have an awareness of own emotions and be able to manage them while also being able to understand and respond appropriately to the emotions of others. Effectively manage disagreements. Able to manage frequent high stress situations.
- Open-mindedness: Adept at holding space for opposing ideas and embrace diversity in all areas of the workplace.
- Courage: Able to step outside of one’s personal comfort zone to address uncertainty, fear, discomfort, and inequities.
- Curiosity: Positive change and innovation require that we ask questions. The why’s, why nots, and what-ifs are crucial to this work and we encourage and expect employees to ask questions. Be curious about oneself, our workplace, the people and families we serve, and the larger community.
- Flexibility: Able to adapt and pivot as situations arise that are unexpected and/or challenging. Embrace needed change and manage well when faced with ambiguity.
- Creativity: Think outside the box, be resourceful, try new things, approach things differently and move beyond the status quo.
- Collaboration: Embrace a team approach with colleagues, community partners. Can work both individually and part of a team, when needed. Support organizational goals and values.
Email resume and detailed cover letter outlining your interest, qualifications, experience, or information that may not be encompassed in your resume, such as lived experience as it relates to this position, in an attached .doc or .pdf format. Direct materials to Employee Resource & Learning Manager, Amanda Blomquist, at [email protected]. You may also submit hard copy materials via PO BOX 28487 Bellingham, WA 98228. Position is open until filled.
Equal Opportunity Employment:
Lydia Place is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs, and not on the basis of race, sex/gender, religion/creed, pregnancy, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, national origin, genetic markers, military or veteran’s status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.