Job Description

Join Elica’s mission and become a part of a team where every day is an opportunity to make a positive impact in your community!

At Elica Health Centers, we share a common goal: provide the best possible patient care to our growing community! Our passion extends throughout Elica, from the exceptional healthcare services we provide to our underserved patients at our Community Health Clinics and state-of-the-art mobile medicine program, Health on Wheels, to our Resource Center where we empower patients and members of the community to connect with resources to help them build healthy and full lives.

We are growing our Community Supports (CS) program at Elica! CS is a key part of CalAIM’s new statewide Medi-Cal benefit available to select members with complex needs and who are facing difficult life and health circumstances. CS services are free and can help members with complex health issues that may be caused or worsened by a lack of housing, food, or transportation. Community Supports at Elica support Medi-Cal Beneficiaries in establishing a basic household and maintain safe and stable housing.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

Under the supervision of Community Supports Supervisor, the Housing Navigator fills a central role in the CalAim Community Supports program by linking eligible Medi-Cal clients experiencing homelessness to housing resources by developing a housing plan focused towards breaking the cycle of homelessness and sustaining housing stability and decreasing their utilization of high-cost services. The end goal for the Housing Navigator is to facilitate clients experiencing homelessness into permanent housing, provide participant advocacy, engage with landlords and other agencies, coordinate with other Case and Care Managers to ensure linkage to benefit establishment, connect with Mental Health and/or Substance Use Services, link to stable housing and all other resources as needed. The Housing Navigator will provide individualized support by helping each client learn how to address their barriers, maintain and sustain permanent housing.

The Housing Navigator must operate in compliance while providing Housing Transition Navigation, Housing Deposits, Housing Tenancy and Sustaining services to clients enrolled in the CS programs. The ultimate goal of all services provided is assisting the client with obtaining fair, safe and permanent housing, sustaining their housing, and providing linkage to resources available to clients.

The CS team is a part of the Social Care Department and works in close collaboration with ECM and other support programs.

BENEFITS:

Elica is proud to offer an exciting benefits package to qualifying full-time employees which can support your health, your family, and help you plan for the future.

• 403B retirement savings account with up to 4% employer matching contribution and 100% immediate vesting.
• Healthcare: Medical (Kaiser or Anthem PPO Options), Dental, Vision - Individual and family plans available
• Company funded Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) to help pay for out-of-pocket costs related to medical coverage
• FSA Plans: 2 options for Flexible Spending Accounts - Health Care FSA and Dependent Care FSA
• Company paid basic Life and AD&D Insurance. (supplemental life and AD&D options available)
• Optional Critical Illness, Accident, ID Theft Protection and Pet insurance potions
• Accrued paid time off and paid holidays.
• Employee Assistance Plan with five (5) free counseling visits, financial services, legal services, and a plethora of online resources.
• Tuition Reimbursement program and CME/CEU program.

Learn more about Elica’s services and mission at our website or check us out on Facebook

Requirements

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

The successful candidate will be willing and able to:

• Collaborate with community housing agencies and landlords to build partnerships with supporting clients transitions to available housing options.
• Support clients experiencing homelessness by engaging harder to reach clients about housing opportunities, often meeting the clients out of the office or clinic environment.
• Coordinated Entry System: Tenant screening and housing assessment, include managing HMIS data entry and use of VI-SPADAT assessments.
• Completions of Needs Assessment and Individualized Housing Stabilization Plan development including breaking down barriers in obtaining/sustaining housing, developing long and short term goals and setting deadlines on tasks and interventions.
• Support the client with housing applications, programs and other housing services, as well as planning the use of housing deposits benefits.
• Work with health plans on housing deposits and other services potentially offered to the client (ex: CS, ECM, medical, dental, behavioral, D&A treatment, transportation, interpretation, etc.).
• Assist with housing search/application completion.
• Coordinate with landlords including setting up viewing appointments, lease completion, and any other necessary efforts.
• Benefits advocacy, including Medi-Cal, CalFresh, SSI, EDD, IHHS, WIC and others.
• Securing housing resources for subsided rent and housing expenses.
• Ensuring that the living environment is safe and ready for move-in.
• Assistance with arranging for and supporting details of unit move in.
• Providing independent living and life skills including assistance with and training on budgeting, including financial literacy, lease compliance, client rights and responsibilities, and connection to community resources.
• Support Elica Health Centers’ patients with medical/dental/behavioral health/D&A treatment referrals and other supports for successful move-in and housing sustainability if patients are not eligible for ECM.
• Documenting encounter notes and services in Electronic Health Records (EPIC) and any other system required (HMIS and payer portals) in a timely and accurate manner.
• Document data required for service authorization and for housing deposits authorizations, including collecting documentation and submitting referral forms to Managed Care Plans. Deliver move-in cost assistance payments when needed.
• Coordinate with outside agencies to place clients in permanent housing and set up any necessary supports, such as childcare, furniture resources, utility set up and discount programs.
• Work with Enhanced Care Management Case Managers within Elica Health Centers or other organizations as necessary for client support.
• Housing Navigator attends regular meetings with the team.
• Attends and represents Elica Health Centers during community outreach events.
• Maintains a maximum caseload of 40-45 active cases.
• Maintains consistent attendance and punctuality.
• Other duties as assigned.

The successful Candidate has:

Education and Experience

• Minimum of High School Diploma and one year of housing navigation or case management with housing experience in related fields. Associates degree or lived experience preferred. Bachelor’s Degree in Social Services or related field preferred.
• Experience working with homeless and/or vulnerable populations preferred.
• Current CPR and first aid certificate or willingness to be trained required within the first (90) ninety days of employment.
• Experience with Electronic Health Record System (EPIC). Experience using HMIS training highly desirable.
• Must have experience writing detailed encounter notes.
• Prior training in Overdose Prevention, Harm Reduction, Motivational Interviewing, Client Centered theory and Trauma Informed Care is preferred.
• Candidate must show commitment to work with underserved and sensitivity working with a variety of people from low-income populations, with diverse educational, lifestyle, ethnic, and cultural origins, including disabled, homeless, substance users, HIV (AIDS) infected, and/or physiologically sensitive.
• Must be able to work collaboratively with others, respecting and valuing the perspectives and experiences of others including team members, clients and outside agencies.

Essential Skills/Abilities:

• Computer and technology skills.
• Knowledge of community resources.
• Better than average written, spoken and listening communication skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal relationship building and communication skills.
• Commitment to HIPAA and ability to abide by standards of professional ethics and maintain confidentiality.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet established goals and objectives.
• Strong interpersonal, persuasion and problem solving skills are required.
• Bilingual Spanish/Farsi/Russian is highly preferred.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work 8-hour daily work schedule between the hours of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
• Ability to work Monday through Friday.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:

The work environment is office, clinic, and field based administering program education and Housing Navigational Services to adults, children, and youth experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Work environment includes office, clinic, hospitals/facilities, client homes, streets and homeless encampments, and homeless shelters. Employees are to adhere to field visit policies, including, but not limited to being accompanied by a colleague while working with clients in a non-public setting. 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. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is also required to stand; walk; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee must also possess hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the phone. The noise level in the work environment can range from quiet to moderately loud; the incumbent must be able to focus in an environment with many distractions.

The employee may be required to run agency-related errands and attend off-site meetings; the employee must be able to operate, maneuver and/or control a motor vehicle. In performing the driving responsibilities, the driver may sit for long periods. This requires intense concentration, particularly in poor driving conditions. The employee may be in contact with individuals and families in crisis who may be ill, using substances and/or not attentive to personal health. The employee may experience a number of unpleasant sensory demands associated with the client’s use of alcohol and drugs, and the lack of personal care. The employee may also be exposed to bio-hazardous materials (bodily fluids including blood and urine) and hazardous chemicals. The employee must be ready to respond quickly and effectively to many types of situations, including crisis situations and potentially hostile situations.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must have a current and valid California driver’s license and the ability to provide proof of personal auto insurance on the vehicle driven during working hours.
• If selected for an employment opportunity with Elica Health Centers, external hires must provide proof of immunizations (Hepatitis B, MMR, Varicella & Tetanus), tuberculosis clearance, and proof of COVID-19 vaccination status prior to their scheduled start date. Please be advised that this position is subject to criminal background investigation and drug screen.

*Elica Health Centers is a healthcare facility that adheres to the mandates issued by the California Department of Public Health including the recent orders regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Medical and religious exemptions will be considered.

Compensation - Dependent Upon Experience - $25/hour