Program Specialist – Family Shelter

Overview

Come join our team! Homeward Bound of Marin is Marin County’s primary provider of shelter and housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. We help unsheltered individuals and families transform their lives through emergency shelter, short- and long-term supportive housing, job training and placement, and wraparound services.

Our mission is Opening Doors to Safety, Dignity, Hope, and Independence, which guides everything we do.

We are seeking a Family Programs Specialist to join our family shelter and housing team and help families move toward stability and self-sufficiency.

The Ideal Candidate:

Education or Training Equivalent to:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, social welfare, or a related field OR two (2) years of experience in a related residential or housing program.

• Minimum of two (2) years’ experience working with under-resourced or low-income populations; experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness preferred.
• Experience in residential and/or housing programs.
• Knowledge of Housing First and harm-reduction principles.
• Working knowledge of SSI, SSDI, and SDI.
• Experience with data entry systems (HMIS, Salesforce, or similar).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, cloud-based systems, and Adobe.
• Comfort working in a culturally and ethnically diverse work environment

• Ability to sit and use a computer for moderate periods (1–3 hours per day).
• Ability to stoop, crouch, kneel, or crawl occasionally.
• Ability to lift or move objects up to 40 pounds.

Practical tasks:

• Maintain accurate waitlist and call log for family shelter.
• Enter and update information into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), Whole Person Care and other databases as required.
• Maintain a case load of up to 4 families.
• Prioritize families on waitlists and maintain concise and accurate notes regarding the status of homelessness.
• Conduct vulnerability assessments for families seeking shelter.
• Ensure shelter maintains a minimum of 90% occupancy.
• Assist with building upkeep and maintenance requests.
• Serve on the agency wide safety committee and monitor safety inspections.
• Collaborate and co-lead with regularly scheduled community meetings.
• Support overseeing/monitoring communal chore list and completion.
• Coordinate shelter events (i.e., holiday activities).
• Prevent and/or resolve conflicts skillfully using a strengths-based approach and restorative justice model.
• Able to maintain professional boundaries and set limits.
• Provide supportive counseling, guidance, and referrals to community resources.

• Complete timely, accurate, and compliant documentation, including case notes, assessments, care plans, and progress updates, in accordance with policies and funder requirements.
• Ensure client records clearly demonstrate eligibility, service delivery, engagement, and progress toward housing goals.
• Maintain accurate and timely data entry in HMIS and HIPPO (Salesforce database)
• Meet all documentation and case management deadlines, including intake, enrollment, reassessments, housing goals, and discharge documentation.
• Participate in quality assurance, monitoring, and audit processes, including responding to documentation reviews and corrective actions.

• Develop, implement, and regularly update individualized, client-centered housing and care plans.
• Monitor, document, and adjust plans proactively to address changing needs or barriers.
• Coordinate services with internal teams and external partners to ensure continuity of care and timely referrals.
• Document housing and service outcomes to support program performance measurement and funder reporting.
• Manage a caseload with strong organization, time management, and prioritization skills.

• Participate in weekly supervision, program meetings, all-staff meetings, and required training.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with all agency policies, including HIPAA where applicable.
• Contribute positively as a collaborative, accountable member of the Homeward Bound team.

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