Background

Since 1976, St. Joseph Center has been meeting the needs of low-income and homeless individuals and families in Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, and surrounding communities.  The Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization that assists people without regard for religious affiliation or lack thereof through comprehensive case management and integrated social service programs.  The Center enjoys broad-based community support as well as a sponsored relationship with its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.  St. Joseph Center serves approximately 6,000 individuals annually.

Brief Description of Principal Activities

Multifaceted intervention, prevention, and education services are carried out at four sites on the Westside of Los Angeles.  St. Joseph Center’s integrated programs provide clients with concentrated and coordinated access to services according to the nature of their needs.

Job Summary

The Problem-Solving Specialist located at the Family Source Center works with the Problem Solving team members to provide services to homeless families on the Westside of Los Angeles. Problem solving is a short-term housing intervention that seeks to assist participants to maintain their current housing or identify an immediate and safe housing alternative within their own network of family, friends, and social support. This role will be working in a dual role of offering this intervention at the Family Solution Center at St. Joseph Center and the Family Source Center in West Los Angeles, also known as the Latino Resource Center.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Problem-Solving Specialist’s key areas of responsibility include: 

• Act as the first point of contact for families at the Family Solution Center in SPA 5
• Engage in deliberate, thoughtful, and individualized conversations that seek to solve a family's immediate or near-term housing crisis.
• Explore and provide needed community resources through information sharing and warm transfers to aid families in linking to supportive services.
• Implement immediate crisis housing planning, including but not limited to, temporarily or permanently staying with family and friends, reunifying families with support systems out side of LA County, and/or reducing barriers to returning to their original housing environment. 
• Negotiate when needed with family, friends, and landlords to keep families out of the homeless system.
• Utilize active listening, coaching, motivational interviewing, mediation, and conflict resolution participants to support a thorough and reality-tested plan to end their current housing crisis. 
• Connect families to supportive services as needed including health, mental health, public entitlements, education, and vocational training, etc.
• Serve as an advocate or liaison for Individuals with community organizations.
• Ensure that those households who do not have alternative housing options are quickly connected to existing emergency or crisis housing services to ensure immediate health and safety needs are met. 

Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed are designed to provide typical examples of the work performed; not all duties and responsibilities assigned are included here, nor is it expected that all similar positions will be assigned every duty and responsibility.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Must be highly motivated and a self-starter. 
• Display an ability to communicate with and relate to a diverse group of people including clients, community, and other staff. 
• Must have keen ability to consider out-of-the-box solutions to complex family system issues.
• Knowledge of case management principles and intervention techniques specific to homeless populations or other under-served groups.
• Skills and experience with conflict resolution and mediation.
• Knowledge of housing market/housing programs is desirable.
• Familiarity with issues surrounding mental illness and substance abuse strongly preferred.
• The position requires an ability to work flexible hours including some early mornings and evenings.
• Bi-lingual Spanish/English is required for this role.

Experience:

• Two years experience providing direct client care serving homeless, at-risk, and/or low-income families.
• Professional and/or lived experience navigating within complex systems. 

Education:

• Associate or Bachelor degree from an accredited college or university in social work, human services, psychology, or a related field.

Direct Reports:

• This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Computer Skills:

• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and widely supported internet browsers.
• Experience with data entry and data management of ability to learn these skills quickly to support day-to-day administrative tasks of the role.

Certificates, Licenses and Registrations:

• Valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.
• Valid automobile liability insurance as applicable.

Travel Requirements:

• 50% field-based

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, sit, walk, stoop, talk, hear, reach above and below shoulders; use hand and finger dexterity, keyboarding and making and receiving telephone calls. The employee may be required on occasion to lift and or carry up to 20 lbs.

EEO: 

SJC (St. Joseph Center) provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetics or status as a veteran. In addition to federal law requirements, SKC complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Status: Full time/Exempt

Salary: $22.00 - $22.50

Employment with St. Joseph Center is contingent on completion of satisfactory background check.

For consideration, please submit cover letter and resume. St. Joseph Center is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. All applicants for employment are invited to voluntarily self-identify their gender, race, ethnicity, and veteran status, by completing the EEO Information. Providing your EEO Information is voluntary and refusal to self-identify will not subject applicants to any adverse treatment. Similarly, applicants who do self-identify will not be subject to any adverse treatment based on the information they provide.

St. Joseph center invites you to review the current "EEO is The Law" poster as part of the application process. A link to the current poster is located here.

 https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf