Education & Employment Specialist

ABOUT US

Founded in 1991, Hope Solutions "formerly Contra Costa Interfaith Housing" is a vibrant and socially responsive non-profit agency that provides permanent housing and vital support services to over 2,000 families and individuals in Contra Costa County who are homeless or are at risk for homelessness. Over 40 faith-based communities support our work, although there are no religious requirements or affiliations required to receive services.

Are you seeking a new role that fully utilizes your talents and potential—while helping to make the world a better place? If so, please read on!

What are you passionate about?

At Hope Solutions—we envision a world in which everyone has a place to call home and the support of a strong community so that they can live with dignity and reach their full potential. We strive to be inclusive and responsive to community needs. We are committed to excellence and accomplish our work with integrity, respect, compassion, and humility.

Hope Solution's mission is to heal the effects of poverty and homelessness by providing permanent housing and vital support services to highly vulnerable families and individuals.

Could our mission be your mission?

Learn more about us @ hopesolutions.org

TEAM SNAPSHOT

We’re adding to our team of passionate folks—who are on a mission to help make the lives of others better—through services and support that lead to a higher quality of life for our clients.

We’d like to learn more about you—apply for the role! What’s our team like?

Here’s a snapshot of some of the folks at Hope Solutions who help advance our vision to achieve—secure housing and the dignity of self-sufficiency for the homeless and at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County.

A FEW OF US...

Deanne—Chief Executive Officer—lives in Central Contra Costa County with her husband and three children. She enjoys hiking the East Bay hills, camping, reading, cooking, and cheering too loudly at her kids’ games.

Alex—Chief Operating Officer— lives in Walnut Creek with his wife, son, and dog. Alex has an MSW and is a self-described macro social worker. He is an avid reader and a huge baseball fan (Go Giants!). He loves spending time at home with his family making food, listening to jazz, and relaxing.

Bill—Director of Housing Programs—lives in Central Contra Costa County with his partner and is involved in raising his godson. Bill is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has been working with under-served populations for more than 20 years. He also serves on the Contra Costa County Healthcare for the Homeless Co-Applicant Board. He enjoys reading, gardening, and meditation.

Christina—Director of Finance—lives in Pleasant Hill with her husband, three children, and their dog. In her spare time, she volunteers at her children’s schools and with Girl Scouts is on the PTA Board and local AYSO Board. She also enjoys attending her children’s many sports activities.

Tanya—Director of Housing Navigation—lives in East Contra Costa County. She is married with one daughter and two sons. Tanya has a Master's in Counseling Psychology and has worked with under-served populations for over 15 years. She enjoys music, comedy, movies, exercising, and watching basketball games.

Beth—Director of Clinical and Support Services—lives in Central Contra Costa County with her sister and son. Beth is a licensed psychologist who has been working with children and families for over 30 years. She is especially passionate about working with young children, ages birth to 5 years old, and their families. She enjoys singing, cooking, gardening, and traveling with her family.

Jasmine—Consulting Director of Strategic Initiatives—lives in Contra Costa County and is married with three children and three dogs. Jasmine has an MS in Organizational Leadership and Innovation. She is the co-convener of the Multi-faith ACTION Coalition and serves on the boards of the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program as well as the Tourette Association of America.

Kristina—Director of Human Resources—lives in Cordelia with her spouse, child, and French Bulldogs. She has over 20 years of experience in leadership, operations, and people management. Kristina has a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources and is SHRM-SCP certified. She enjoys spending time with family, yoga, indoor cycling, and hiking, and loves to laugh. She believes if you look for the good in all things, you will find it.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

Hope Solutions seeks energetic Education and Employment Specialists who are flexible and responsive to support the needs of our clients while possessing the skill set to collaborate with interdisciplinary team members and community partners. We are looking for compassionate service-driven individuals who fundamentally believe in the potential of others.

Education and Employment Specialists provide targeted employment and education support for homeless families enrolled in the Youth and Young Adult Program (YYA) and justice-involved individuals within the Probation Housing Program (PHP). Working collaboratively with program Case Managers, Housing Navigators, and referring case managers, the YYA and PHP Education and Employment Specialists provide individualized, intensive & flexible support to homeless families and individuals to assist them in engaging with opportunities to increase household income.

Initial work includes assessing participants’ employment histories, skills, and educational needs as well as potential barriers to employment, collaboratively creating a Household Income/Employment Plan, and accessing any resources needed to further the goal of increasing household income to remain housed. The Education and Employment Specialist will provide services and referrals to educational and/or employment opportunities on an as-needed basis prior to, during, and post-placement.

All client services are participant-driven and delivered with a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach. Services may be provided in the community and in the home at the convenience of the program participant. Services are designed as short-term support to resolve a housing crisis, offer a flexible level of intensity as needed, and provide warm hand-offs to other providers if families/individuals need further support after becoming stably housed.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Client Support:

• Use a Housing First, participant-driven approach for all services.
• Maintain awareness of culturally diverse consumer populations and perform duties in a culturally competent manner.
• Meet with identified families/individuals, complete assessments of clients’ employment needs and strengths, and create individualized Household Income/Employment Plans that include the goal of sustainable, stable housing after short-term financial and case management support.
• Offer targeted job search and/or educational support based on employment needs assessment.
• Provide educational support to assist participants with job readiness, employment retention, and presenting themselves in a manner to successfully engage with potential employers.
• Assist participants with resumes, interview preparation, skill development, and completing/submitting employment applications.
• Communicate and collaborate with YYA and Probation Housing Program Case Managers to ensure continuity of support to participant families/individuals.
• Offer services at the level of intensity requested by the family/individual, including flexible levels of intensity.

Community Outreach and Engagement:

• Maintain key relationships with community service providers such as CORE outreach workers, county referral sources, Probation Officers, and Coordinated Entry programs.
• Develop and maintain relationships with employers, vocational programs, and educational entities and assist participants with connecting to the same.
• Provide advocacy with potential employers on clients’ behalf to assist with obtaining and/or maintaining employment.
• Create and maintain consistent communication channels between collaborating parties, both verbal and written.

Organizational/Administrative Responsibilities:

• Professionally represent Hope Solutions in all circumstances.
• Comply with policies, procedures, standards of practice, and outcome requirements for the YYA and Probation Housing Programs.
• Comply with all legal/ethical professional guidelines for maintaining consumer confidentiality, adhering to HIPAA guidelines, protecting consumer rights, advocating on consumers’ behalf, and assuring consumer safety.
  
• Comply with all local, state, and federal regulations as well as with Hope Solutions Policies and Procedures.
• Ensure timely and accurate data is entered into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
• Assist with distributing client satisfaction/feedback surveys for all clients served.
• Attend all required meetings, including but not limited to Hope Solutions staff meetings, YYA and Probation Housing Program Team meetings, family case manager team meetings, collaborative probation department meetings, and linkage meetings with other agencies.
• Attend regular individual supervision meetings and provide timely reporting on family/individual progress.
• On-call, after-hours, and backup work may be required.
• Other duties as assigned

Position Qualifications:

• Passion for and demonstrated experience successfully supporting vulnerable populations, especially homeless families with mental disabilities.
• Two years experience in the educational and employment fields, preferably with clients from vulnerable circumstances
• A. degree or substitution of experience for education as follows: Minimum of four years experience in the human services field (with a minimum of two years experience providing vocational support to vulnerable populations, preferably with housing retention barriers such as criminal background, substance abuse, mental health, and/or income challenges).
• Bi-lingual in English/Spanish is a plus.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Computer proficiency in the use of Microsoft and database applications.
• Must have an operational vehicle, auto insurance, a valid California driver’s license, and drive for work.
• Must pass LiveScan screening and TB test. Salary contingent upon skill and experience.

Cultural Responsiveness:

• Awareness of and aptitude to appropriately and effectively understand, respect, and adapt to cultural and identity-based differences within group environments.
• Knowledge of and commitment to concepts and issues tied to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion and belonging.
• Experience fostering and reinforcing an environment that values unique experiences, cultures, and personal humility.

Physical Qualifications:

• The person in this position may make home visits to residents who live on second or third-floor apartments (without elevators) and will need to be able to climb stairs.
• Will frequently accompany residents on walks to local resources (grocery store, childcare, parks) up to ½ mile in distance.
• Must be able to work in a desk setting for 3 hours at a time or longer to make calls to residents, research resources on the internet, and collaborate with community providers with calls/emails.
• Office setting activities are required, such as typing on a laptop/computer to respond to emails, entering case notes into a database, and copying and faxing forms and documents on a copy machine related to maintaining or obtaining housing.
• Occasionally must be able to lift and carry objects weighing up to 25 pounds, including furnishings for new residents, files, holiday gifts, and food donations.
• Ability to drive an automobile and transport oneself and residents to appointments or meet at resident homes, including driving at night.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Flexible, dynamic work environment
• 100% premium paid for employee Kaiser health and dental care.
• Matched 403b retirement savings.
• 10 paid holidays, plus 2 floating holidays.
• Ability to accrue 2-4 weeks' vacation depending on tenure.
• Life insurance and Employee Assistance Program.

We are an equal opportunity employer. If you're a good fit, we want to meet you!