Senior Advocate Homeless Services

Full-Time
37.5 Hours Per Week / 52 Weeks Per Year
Monday to Friday - 8:30am to 4:30pm

About Oswego County Opportunities:

Ranking among Oswego Countys top ten largest private employers OCO carries out its mission to inspire partnerships and provide services that empower people support
communities and change lives through more than 50 programs serving 15000 people each year. OCOs Employee benefits include:

Health Dental and Vision Insurance (available to Full-Time staff)
Paid leave (sick leave PTO holidays etc.)
403B Deferred Annuity Retirement Plan
Term Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program

ABOUT THE POSITION:
OCOs Crisis & Development Services assist people in gaining safety self sufficiency and personal growth through prevention intervention and skill building services. Homeless Services Advocates provide on-going case management to assist homeless individuals and families to achieve permanent housing and assist them with supportive services during their experience of homelessness and housing stabilization. Provides crisis intervention advocacy referral coordination and other case management and supportive services related to housing stability.

JOB SUMMARY:

Provides direct supervision to Data Specialist and Housing Advocates. Carries a client case load and assists clients with crisis intervention supportive counseling transportation advocacy hotline coverage and connection to community services. Meets with clients regularly to discuss/assess progress towards personal goals. Handles staff and client situations that arise and assesses when to refer unusual issues to the Program Coordinator.. Carries out all responsibilities according to regulations and policies and ensures staff accountability to policies and regulations.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Supervises staff who work with clients in the Crisis and Development HUD projects.
• Assists with updates and maintains procedures and policies; ensures policies are implemented and communicated thoroughly.
• Carries a case load of clients who are homeless and assists with finding housing and stabilizing housing.
• Connects clients with providers and will coordinate with community partners to ensure comprehensive services are provided and project data is tracked
• Communicates daily with Homeless Services Leadership about client and/or staff problems/concerns activities and interaction that occur.
• Works cooperatively with direct Supervisor to ensure all program milestones are met.
• Provides crisis intervention supportive counseling and advocacy to clients while acting as a positive role model in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Responsible for the accuracy and QA of all client files/documentation for compliance data base entry and reporting.
• Completes QA in database systems to comply with HUD and Agency requirements. Makes corrections as needed.
• Monitors and tracks spending for different HUD funding sources and assures funding is spent by the end of the funding year.
• Facilitates staff meetings and ensures systems are in place to communicate actions from meetings to Supervisor.
• Ensures client statistics are being tracked accurately and are forwarded to the coordinator for completion of monthly quarterly and yearly reports every month. Assists with completing reports.
• Manages the maintenance inventory control and cleaning of the program vehicles.
• Works cooperatively with direct Supervisor as well as Homeless Services Leadership Team on a daily basis.
• Serves as a Homeless Services Representative on either internal and/or external committees or meetings.
• Assumes other related duties as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Must exercise a non-judgmental client-centered approach in working with clients.
• Must be able to motivate others and be a good leader and role model.
• Must have knowledge of child development crisis intervention and counseling techniques.
• Must attend bi-weekly staff meetings; attends in-service training and case consultation sessions as required.
• Must have valid New York State Drivers License with good driving record and have access to a reliable insured vehicle.
• Must have the ability to follow oral and written directions.
• Must be able to readily negotiate stairs operate an Agency vehicle and lift-up to 50 pounds.
• Must possess familiarity of community resources.
• Must be able to be flexible and cooperative with staff about work hours.
• Must be organized resourceful flexible have good assessment skills and able to utilize good independent judgment in dealing with situations that arise.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must have Associates Degree in a Human Services area; and
• Must have 1 - 3 years directly related job and supervisory experience; or
• Any equivalent combination of education experience and training.
• Individuals with lived experience are encouraged to apply.

Click here for more info about OCOs Services!

Oswego County Opportunities equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to racecreedcolor religion age sex national origin disability status genetics protected veteran statusmarital statussexual orientation gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including recruiting hiring placement promotion termination layoff recall transfer leaves of absence compensation and training.

Required Experience:

Senior IC