Economic Self-Sufficiency Specialist

REPORTS TO: PARTNERSHIP MANAGER

Position Grade: 18

POSITION SUMMARY: A staff position focused on outreach, marketing, recruiting, coaching, and working with families for the Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Program. Works with families to identify basic needs and barriers, establish goals toward financial self-sufficiency, and recommend services, education and training to meet their needs. Monitors and reports on the families' progress and outcomes throughout their participation in the program.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
1. Develops and implements creative marketing strategies and community outreach services for the FSS program to ensure maximum residential participation and increase enrollment.
2. Interviews participating and potential families, conducts assessments and gathers pertinent information concerning their present situations. Works with participants to develop a preliminary Individualized Training and Services Plan (ITSP).
3. Works collaboratively with participants to problem solve and encourage them to achieve self-sufficiency while removing and resolving barriers to employment and education.
4. Provides regular contact with each participating family, monitoring and evaluating their progress, in order to assist them in obtaining their goals. Contacts appropriate support agencies as needed and sets up initial appointments for each participating family.
5. Serves as job developer, establishing and maintaining partnerships with employers to identify job opportunities. Locates job openings for residents based on their individual skills and abilities. Works with participants on an individual basis regarding their job search progress and activities.
6. Establishes and maintains partnerships with community organizations, local service providers, health and wellness providers, and businesses to serve FSS participants. Stays in contact with participating agencies to insure they fulfill their commitments.
7. Works with self-sufficiency team members and partners to identify, coordinate, and increase participation in self-sufficiency activities. Schedules and promotes programs and workshops related to post-secondary education, financial literacy, homeownership, employment and health and wellness. Recruits participants for program participation.
8. Ensures requirements of the FSS program are met. Effectively utilizes NHA's tenant management system and other HUD software systems to update and monitor participation and program outcomes on individual and agency-wide basis, preparing grant reports as necessary. Provides weekly, and monthly reports.
9. Provides financial guidance and referrals to FSS participants interested in financial goals including and not limited to debt reduction, understanding credit score and credit history reports, budgeting, and savings.
10. Provides guidance to NHA residents interested in home ownership including requirements and referrals. Assists qualified participants through the pre-purchase and post-purchase home ownership processes.
11. Revises Family Self-Sufficiency Action Plan for the Agency as required summarizing overall family demographics, estimates of participating families, selection procedures, incentives to encourage participation, and other possibilities for activities and supportive services.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
1. Bilingual Spanish and/or Creole preferred.
2. Ability to develop and maintain cooperative relationships with participating families, authority staff, employers, outside agencies (both public and private), and social service providers
3. Position requires initiative, resourcefulness, experience as a "self-starter" and time management skills.
4. Ability to manage large caseload of families with diverse needs.
5. Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines in an organized manner under limited supervision.
6. Proven ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
7. Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment to ensure that requirements of the FSS program are met.
8. Experience with social media marketing and outreach preferred.
9. Proficient PC skills required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
1. Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in a social science, human services, counseling, or a related field.
2. Minimum of two (2) years of experience in an area directly related to position.
3. Extensive experience in an area directly related to the position may substitute for the college degree requirements, provided candidate for position can demonstrate that he/she has satisfactorily completed at least two (2) years of college.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. Must be bondable.
2. Possession of a valid State of Connecticut Driver's License.