Council for the Homeless - Housing Specialist - Hotline

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of individuals and families facing homelessness? Do you thrive in a role that provides excellent customer service and accurate information in a professional and knowledgeable manner over the phone? If so, the Council for the Homeless (CFTH) is seeking a dedicated and compassionate Housing Specialist - Hotline to join our team and play a crucial role in transforming lives. This Housing Hotline position interacts with people who are seeking housing services with the purpose of screening callers for emergency shelter and housing programs.

CFTH operates the Housing Solutions Center, our community’s one-stop access point for over 40 housing assistance programs, including emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, and programs designed for specific populations such as families or unaccompanied youth.

Your skills and experience will support our mission as you:

• Serve as an active listener, crisis interventionist and resource broker while answering phone calls to the Housing Hotline, which may include people seeking emergency shelter, housing programs for people experiencing homelessness or housing programs for people at-risk of homelessness.
• Practice strong boundaries amongst clients and staff while maintaining a trauma-informed, supportive, nonjudgmental, and empathetic environment with an equity lens for all, regardless of the situation.
• Understand where to glean program updates and review/provide updates on a daily basis to remain informed in an environment with constantly changing priorities and roles without losing enthusiasm for the organization's mission.
• Provide ongoing and clear communication with supervisor regarding challenges, questions, and opportunities for efficiencies and improvement.
• Create, complete, and maintain accurate data in each Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) profile for each household calling the hotline.

Pay and Benefits

• The starting salary for this position is $26.24 per hour. In compliance with the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, the full salary range for this position is $26.24 - $31.49 per hour.
• Full-time, non-exempt position working 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday. May be required to work a few hours on weekends and holidays when needed.
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance for the employee only.
• Benefits package also includes 9.03% paid into WA PERS by employer, 12 company paid holidays, and generous paid time off and separate sick time accrual.
• Meaningful work that addresses affordable housing and homelessness in our community.

Requirements

• At least two years professional experience working directly with people who are low-income and/or homeless or equivalent.
• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills
• Strong cultural awareness and humility.
• Proficient with Google Drive and Microsoft Office Suite, with strong computer skills.
• Ability to multi-task and handle a high volume of client phone calls while inputting information into a computer database
• Ability to accept feedback as an opportunity to improve and excel.
• Experience with de-escalation and crisis intervention on the phone or in-person.
• Willing to remain flexible and open to change.
• Ability to remain empathetic, kind, and nonjudgmental regardless of the situation.

Preferred Experience

• Lived experience as someone who is low-income or homeless.
• Writes, signs and/or speaks a language(s) other than English that is represented in the diverse community served.
• Identify as a member of a population(s) disproportionately affected by homelessness.
• Experience with call centers, hotlines or extensive telephone or virtual communication work.
• Knowledge of telephone access and/or call center best practices.
• A degree in Social Work, Human Services or related field.
• Experience using Slack, databases and conducting screenings.
• Knowledge of Clark County resources and agencies that serve people experiencing homelessness.

A cover letter and resume are required when applying for this position. For more information on the Council for the Homeless please visit our website at www.councilforthehomeless.org. Please note, those candidates deemed to best match our requirements will be contacted for an interview. We do not discuss application status during the selection process. Applications will be reviewed as they come in.

The VHA provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applications for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as covered veteran in accordance with federal, state, and local laws.