Diversion Specialist

Summary of the Role

This role reports to the Director of Diversion, and networks with schools and other agencies throughout our county to connect individuals and families to resources and funding to divert them from homelessness. This role supports our grants team in maintaining current funding and securing new funding by working with partnering agencies to provide accurate, timely, required data. The purpose of the Diversion Specialist role is to have a broader reach of the overall mission at Mel Trotter Ministries by demonstrating compassion to families that are at risk of homelessness, with the goal of preventing it from occurring in the first place. This is done by forging partnerships with schools, churches, and other entities to connect families to stabilizations resources.

Job Plan

• Impact diversion outcomes through strong partnerships with community leaders, agencies, schools, and churches.
• Maintain high levels of knowledge of best practices and innovations in diversion efforts.

• Consistently and effectively connect individuals and families to available resources and innovative solutions to divert them from homelessness.
• Consistently provide respectful, compassionate interactions with both those who are at risk of experiencing homelessness and those with whom we partner in our diversion efforts.
• Maintain records and data in support of department metrics goals.
• Accept referrals from the Salvation Army Housing Assessment Program and CHC for diversion - helping families who are homeless, or at imminent risk of homelessness.
• Data tracking to ensure that numbers are represented in our counties HMIS and Community Housing Connect to help with future funding.
• Gain knowledge around the strengths of the community by interacting with businesses, churches, social service agencies, individuals, public safety, and municipalities, bringing awareness about homelessness to help the community thrive.
• Build and maintain relationships to bridge the gap in awareness that exists between rural and urban communities.
• Encourage people to call 211 or visit www.mi211.org at any time to access resources like Section 8, Rapid Rehousing funds, and many others.
• Assist clients with applications when needed
• Assesses whether Shelter Diversion would be a relevant resource for families uncovered in outreach.

Qualifications

• Minimum two years' experience working in proximity with a similar population
• Trauma-informed Care and De-escalation Training preferred
• Competent use of Microsoft Office Suite, comfortable learning additional technology platforms
• Professional communication skills, both verbal and written
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, able to manage multiple projects
• Bi-lingual preferred

Working Conditions

• Understand, speak, read, and write fluent English
• Ability to see 20/20, with vision correction
• Able to lift up to 35 pounds occasionally, and up to 20 pounds regularly
• Able to use fine motor hand functions
• Able to work outside in varying temperatures from 32 degrees to above 80 degrees
• Able to drive and to enter and exit a van repeatedly during each Outreach tour