Homeless Liaison

Opportunity Center; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 54,000 - 87,000; Full time

Job summary

Hazelwood School District Opportunity Center in St. Louis, Missouri seeks a Homeless Liaison to identify and enroll homeless children and youths under the McKinney-Vento Act, reporting to the Director of Enrollment.

You will collaborate with school staff to provide access to educational services, coordinate outreach events, and ensure families understand transportation options and rights. A Missouri DESE certificate or social work degree is required.

Qualifications

• Valid Missouri DESE teaching certificate or a bachelor’s degree in social work.
• Experience in social services or counseling for children and families is preferred.
• Ability to work cooperatively with diverse stakeholders and communities.

Responsibilities

• Maintain knowledge of the McKinney-Vento Act and related resources.
• Identify homeless children and youths and enroll them under the Act.
• Collaborate with school staff to develop educational access programs.
• Coordinate events providing resources and referrals to services.
• Create trainings on McKinney-Vento Act for school personnel.
• Conduct eligibility assessments for families in transition programs.
• Mediate enrollment disputes under Act guidelines.
• Inform parents/guardians about educational opportunities and transportation options.

Skills

Case management

Community outreach

Collaboration with staff

Resource coordination

Public engagement

Education

Missouri DESE teaching certificate

Bachelor's degree in social work

Tools

Personal computer

Office software

Job description

Homeless Liaison

Hazelwood School District Opportunity Center - St. Louis, Missouri Open in Google Maps

This job is also posted in Hazelwood School District

Job Description

HAZELWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Hazelwood School District is a diverse school district in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, and is the second-largest district in St. Louis County. Faculty and staff educate students in the district’s 19 elementary schools, six middle schools, three high schools, early childhood education programs, gifted programs, and Opportunity Center (alternative learning). In a culture of high expectations and excellence, our students will become lifelong learners equipped with 21st Century skills for success as global citizens.

JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION TITLE: Homeless Liaison

REPORTS TO: Director of Enrollment

POSITION SUMMARY: Performs various duties associated with identifying and enrolling homeless children and youths in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act.

FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB:

Essential Functions

• Maintain proficient knowledge of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act as well as other resources available to local educational agencies.
• Implement and streamline processes that would assist school personnel in better identifying homeless children and youths through outreach and coordination activities.
• Collaborate with school staff/administrators to develop programs for homeless families and homeless children and youths that provide access to educational services for which such families, children, and youths are eligible, including services through Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs).
• Coordinate events to include homeless families and homeless children and youths that provide resources and/or referrals to health care services, dental services, mental health and substance abuse services, housing services, and other appropriate services.
• Create and develop McKinney-Vento Homeless Act Trainings for school personnel to ensure that they are providing services under this subtitle and receive professional development and other support.
• Conduct McKinney-Vento Homeless Act eligibility assessments for students who may potentially enroll in the Families in Transition Program and ultimately ensure homeless children and youths are enrolled in and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed academically.
• Facilitate and/or attend enrollment disputes to ensure they are mediated in accordance with McKinney-Vento Homeless Act guidelines
• Inform parents or guardians of homeless children and youths of the educational and related opportunities available to their children to ensure they are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.
• Promote public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths to be disseminated in locations frequented by parents or guardians of such children and youths, and unaccompanied youths, including schools, shelters, public libraries, and soup kitchens, in a manner and form understandable to parents and guardians of homeless children and youths and unaccompanied youths.
• Ensure the parent or guardian of a homeless child or youth, and any unaccompanied youths, are fully informed of all transportation services, including transportation to the school of origin.
• Inform school personnel, service providers, advocates working with homeless families, parents and guardians of homeless children and youths, and homeless children and youths of the duties of the local educational liaisons. Publish an annually updated list of liaisons on the State educational agency’s website.
• Coordinate and collaborate with State Coordinators and community and school personnel responsible for the provision of education and related services to homeless children and youths. Such coordination shall include collecting and providing the State Coordinator with the reliable, valid, and comprehensive data needed to meet the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act.
• Serve as educational liaison for unaccompanied youths to ensure the following:
  a. Unaccompanied youths are enrolled in school.
  b. Unaccompanied youths have opportunities to meet the same challenging state academic standards as the state establishes for other children and youths.
  c. Unaccompanied youths are informed of their status as independent students under section 480 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
  d. Unaccompanied youths may obtain assistance from the local educational agency liaison to receive verification of such status for purposes of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

POSITION QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education:

Valid Missouri DESE teaching certificate at any grade level or a bachelor’s degree in social work.

Experience:

On-the-job experience in providing social services or counseling assistance to children and their families.

Skills and Abilities:

These skills may be representative but not all inclusive of those commonly associated with this position.

• Possess intellectual, technical and human relations skills needed to work cooperatively with colleagues, parents and community groups to accomplish district goals.
• Demonstrate organization in conducting assessments and demonstrate case management skills.
• Provide families with information related to the needs of their child and act as a resource to parents/guardians by providing family support activities and communicating available services.

Machines, Tools, Equipment and Work Aids:

These may be representative but not all-inclusive of those commonly associated with this position.

• Personal computer and related software, telephone, printer, copier/scanner and other office equipment as required.

Physical/Visual Activities or Demands:

Physical/visual activities or demands that are commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.

• Sitting, walking, standing, talking, hearing, stooping and crouching to access file drawers.
• Normal mental attention and visual acuity at distances of 20 inches or less and 20 feet or more are required.
• Minimal physical effort is required, ranging from handling very light items (1-5 lbs.) by hand to occasionally moving light to average-weigh boxes of paper and other supplies (5-60 lbs.) with assistance.

Environmental/Atmospheric Conditions:

Environmental and atmospheric conditions which are commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.

• Normal office conditions

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow other job-related instructions and perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws.

Certain job functions described herein may be subject to modification in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

“Commonly associated” is not intended to mean always or only. There are different experiences that suggest other ways or circumstances where reasonable changes or accommodation are appropriate.

All activities, demands, conditions, and requirements are linked to Essential Job Functions unless marked with an asterisk, which denotes linkage only to marginal function(s).

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

REVISED OCTOBER 1, 2026/ H.R.

Position Type: Full-Time

Salary: $54,265 to $87,364 Per Year

Job Categories: Other Professional > Other Classified Professional

Job Requirements

• At least 1 year(s) of relevant experience preferred.
• Bachelor degree preferred.

Contact Information

• Kristen Bass , Director of Enrollment
• Opportunity Center
• Email: [e-mail]