SOAR Outreach Worker

Join an awesome team of professionals at Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC)! Our friendly staff is committed to providing quality and compassionate services to all people throughout Virginia. We offer a robust benefit package including health, dental, vision, life, short term disability, long term disability, employee assistance programs, legal resources, generous paid time off, fourteen paid holidays, and a cutting-edge retirement savings program. Apply now! Apply now at https://www.cccofva.org/openpositions Commonwealth Catholic Charities is an equal opportunity employer and a drug free workplace.

Job Summary: The SOAR Outreach Specialist provides outreach and high quality application assistance to individuals experiencing homelessness who are applying for disability benefits, using the essential SOAR components.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Outreach individuals experiencing homelessness by providing in-person, community-based assistance and connect with individuals in their physical location - street, hospital, emergency shelter, etc.

Implement a comprehensive client screening process to assess for SOAR eligibility and identify potential SOAR applicants;

Over the course of a year, provide high quality assistance to individuals applying for disability benefits, using all of the critical SOAR components consistent with SOAR performance standards; complete applications for 12 individuals in the first year, and minimum of 15 in subsequent years;

Complete interviews with applicants to gather information to complete quality SSI/SSDI applications;

Draft bio-psychosocial summaries for all SOAR applicants;

Consult with and coordinate visits to medical providers, psychiatrists, and other specialists to obtain evidence for application;

Provide case management assistance, particularly around benefits and insurance, and coordinate complex needs of multiple individuals within the larger continuum of care;

Coordinate care with other community resources and provide in-depth linkage assistance for housing, medical and mental health services;

Support internal colleagues by providing technical expertise and sharing strategies for applying for benefits to expand team SOAR capacity;

Actively participate in the local SOAR Providers team;

Track all SOAR applications from application through completion, including appeals as needed;

Maintain client records in applicable community databases, including demographics, documentation of homelessness and other essential client information, service transactions, referrals, progress notes and applicant outcomes;

Represent the agency and the Homeless Outreach Program at community meetings, conferences, and other venues as needed;

Complete any SOAR trainings/certifications as required;

Develop and maintain positive working relationships with community partners to identify and improve processes that enhance services to clients.

Represents the Agency in the community and workplace in a professional and ethical manner.

Demonstrates sensitivity to the service population's cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.

Demonstrates strong interpersonal, decision-making, problem-solving, oral, and written skills.

Utilizes a basic knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor's Degree required with two years of related experience.

Superior interpersonal, oral communication, writing, and computer skills.

Superior organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to prioritize multiple tasks and meet frequent deadlines.

Ability to build rapport with a diverse population, developing trust and conducting interviews in non-traditional settings and unstructured environments.

Familiarity with federal / state public benefits programs and SOAR a plus.

A writing sample will be requested before an interview.

To apply for our open positions, please visit our website at https://www.cccofva.org/openpositions to submit an application. We only review applications submitted for our current open positions and will contact you if we are interested in moving forward with you as a qualified candidate. Commonwealth Catholic Charities is an equal opportunity employer and a drug free workplace. Thank you for your interest!