Housing Specialist

Job Ref: TE0225
Category: Professional
Department: PARTNERSHIP IN CARE
Location: 50 Water Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10004
Job Type: Regular
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Arrangement: Hybrid
Salary Range: $53,000.00 - $55,000.00

Empower. Unite. Care.
MetroPlusHealth is committed to empowering New Yorkers by uniting communities through care. We believe that Health care is a right, not a privilege. If you have compassion and a collaborative spirit, work with us. You can come to work being proud of what you do every day.

About NYC Health + Hospitals

MetroPlusHealth provides the highest quality healthcare services to residents of Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island through a comprehensive list of products, including, but not limited to, New York State Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare, Child Health Plus, Exchange, Partnership in Care, MetroPlus Gold, Essential Plan, etc. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest public health system in the United States, MetroPlusHealth network includes over 27,000 primary care providers, specialists and participating clinics. For more than 30 years, MetroPlusHealth has been committed to building strong relationships with its members and providers.

Position Overview:

The primary goal of the Housing Specialist is to provide critical support to members experiencing homelessness to optimize their health care with an emphasis on immediate and long-term housing goals in order to improve members overall quality of health care. The Housing Specialist serves as a liaison with the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), Health and Human Services (HRA), and appropriate City and State behavioral health agencies,  real estate brokers and other housing providers to facilitate the process for members in need of housing. This includes facilitating access to available resources/programs, completing housing applications, maintaining correspondence relating to housing interviews and vacancies, as well as assisting members in coordinating their move with landlords and other key personnel. The Housing Specialist serves as the subject matter expert and supports the members of the care management team; the level of support is based on the complexity of the case.   

In addition to housing support, they will conduct comprehensive assessments with members to ascertain the member’s physical, behavioral health, and social needs; environment; providers; support system; and resources/services available to them.  The Housing Specialist is a creative, efficient, and resourceful problem-solver, as part of a dynamic team through telephonic outreach, as well as in field work in member’s homes, facilities, and provider’s offices. The Housing Specialist serves as a member’s advocate and accompanies the member throughout their care journey, assisting with housing support, and health stabilization, so that members can maintain or improve their day-to-day functioning. They work collaboratively with care managers who are licensed social workers in a team approach to providing holistic support to this at-risk, high needs population.  

This is a hands-on position, hybrid position and will require some field-based travel within the MetroPlusHealth service area. 

Work Shifts

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Duties & Responsibilities

• Engage in telephonic and field-based outreach to vulnerable members.
• Engage in telephonic and in-person outreach to landlords, brokers and community-based organizations providing housing and social services.
• Conduct thorough and comprehensive interviews to determine needs and appropriate services for the member/family unit.
• Assist members with the process of securing housing (i.e., application completion, records/documentation, interview preparation).
• Coordinate with providers to obtain the necessary clinical information (i.e., psychosocial, and psychiatric evaluation).
• Accompany members who need assistance to housing appointments.

• Work with representatives from HRA, DHS and ACT to facilitate established goal, advocate on members behalf.
• Educate members/care giver (i.e., application process, resolving issues with landlords, rights, and responsibilities as a tenant).
• Serve as subject matter expert for the other members of the care management team.
• Conduct comprehensive assessments to determine member’s medical, behavioral health, social, and financial needs.
• Develops and implements an individualized, member-centered Plan of Care through direct telephonic and/or face-to-face member engagement and assessment of needs,
• Engage members in a collaborative relationship, empowering them to manage their physical, psychosocial, and environmental health to improve and maintain lifelong well being
• Coordinate resources and community-based supports to ensure delivery of comprehensive, quality healthcare services for members who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
• Maximize member’s access to available resources.
• Employ critical thinking and judgment when dealing with unplanned issues.
• Maintain accurate, comprehensive, and current documentation.
• Comply with all orientation requirements, annual and other mandatory trainings, organizational and departmental policies, and procedures, and actively participate in evaluation process
• Other duties as assigned by Manager of Housing Taskforce

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate’s degree and four (4) years of experience processing housing applications, including NYCHA, HRA, and NY/NY programs; or
• Bachelor’s degree and two (2) years of relevant experience; or
• High school diploma or equivalent (GED) and six (6) years of relevant experience.
• Significant experience working with clients on the issues of homelessness, addictions, mental health, entitlements, and housing including models of treatment and harm reduction as well as the key service providers.  

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred  

• Proficiency with computers navigating in multiple systems and web-based applications  

• Have a working knowledge of member’s rights and responsibilities as tenants.  
• Have experience working on-site in a behavioral health practice setting.

Professional Competencies:

• Integrity and Trust
• Customer Focus
• Functional/Technical skills
• Written/Oral Communication
• Confident, autonomous, solution driven, detail oriented, high standards of excellence, nonjudgmental, diplomatic, resourceful, intuitive, dedicated, resilient and proactive