Homelessness Prevention Case Manager

Sacred Heart Community Service; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 67,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully paid medical insurance

Dental & vision benefits

12 paid holidays

Paid vacation starting at 10 days

Job summary

Sacred Heart Community Service in San José, CA seeks a Homelessness Prevention Case Manager to support low-income families with one-time financial assistance, case management, and connections to community resources. The role emphasizes strength-based planning, advocacy, and landlord mediation to maintain stable housing.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in a related field, 1 year of human services experience, and bilingual English/Spanish communication skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in social services or related field.
• One year of experience in human services or related field.
• Bilingual and bicultural in English/Spanish (written and verbal).
• Experience providing culturally competent, strength-based case management.
• Familiarity with intake, assessment, service planning, and case coordination.

Responsibilities

• Conduct prescreens and intakes to determine eligibility and needed assistance.
• Develop goals and service plans with a strength-based focus.
• Maintain a flexible caseload including one-time assistance and ongoing case management.
• Provide referrals and connections to public benefits and community resources.
• Advocate for tenants' rights, mediation with landlords, and connection to legal services.
• Assist families in finding and securing housing when needed.
• Offer budget counseling and financial literacy support.
• Engage families with crisis intervention and problem-solving as needed.
• Document activity in HMIS and Salesforce within 1–3 business days.
• Prepare monthly reports and participate in team planning and collaboration.

Skills

Case management

Bilingual English/Spanish

Strong communication

Advocacy

Crisis intervention

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social work, public health, or related field

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Google Suite

Job description

Homelessness Prevention Case Manager

On Site Position

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Sacred Heart Community Service, located in San José, CA, is looking for a Homelessness Prevention Case Manager to support families at‑risk of homelessness through financial assistance, temporary case management, and connections to resources and supports in the community. This individual must be a self‑starter, highly organized and detail oriented with strong communication skills, experience in case management, understanding of and sensitivity to the needs of low‑income families, and ability to work flexibly and creatively and have a passion for our mission – to change lives and impact poverty. The ideal candidate must be committed to Sacred Heart’s vision of a community united to ensure every child and adult is free from poverty. For more than 60 years, SHCS has been one of the leading institutions fighting poverty in Santa Clara County through a strategy that combines addressing the consequences of poverty through impactful programs while building power with people to push for systemic change.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Homelessness Prevention Case Manager works with low‑income families to prevent or end homelessness by focusing on one-time and short-term financial assistance, strength-based case management, advocacy, landlord mediation, outreach and other supportive services that result in maintaining stable, permanent housing. The Case Manager screens, assesses, and conducts intakes for prospective participants. The Case Manager provides enrolled families with flexible financial assistance, temporary case management, and other support that takes a creative “whatever it takes” approach to ensure that families maintain permanent housing.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Case Management (75-85%)

• Conducts prescreens and intakes to determine participant eligibility and assess appropriate level of assistance needed.
• Engages families through assessment of strengths and needs and development of goals and service plan to ensure families remain stably housed.
• Maintains a flexible caseload of households receiving one‑time financial assistance and households participating in case management. Works with each case managed family to develop and implement a strength‑based case management plan to overcome economic and housing challenges and maintain stable housing.
• Provides and assists households with information, referrals, and connections to develop a support system, including connecting with public benefits and other community resources to maintain stable housing.
• Acts as an advocate in maintaining stable housing, including assisting families with education on tenant’s rights, landlord mediation and advocacy, and connections to legal services, as needed.
• Assists families with finding and securing new housing, when needed.
• Supports families with budget counseling and financial literacy services.
• Assists families with immediate crisis intervention, advocacy, problem‑solving and other appropriate interventions, as needed.
• Connects families to other opportunities and resources at SHCS, including essential services, self‑sufficiency programs, and opportunities to volunteer and to participate in organizing committees.
• Communicates with households at regular intervals after they have received financial assistance or completed case management to assess housing status and provide additional resources or support when needed.
• Develops, tracks, and analyzes monthly goals and objectives in accordance with the operating plan and funder requirements.
• Documents program activity, including prescreens, intakes, financial assistance, and case management into HMIS and Salesforce databases within one to three business days.
• Maintains case files and progress notes, adhering to professional standards and designated time frames.
• Implements program evaluation tools (i.e., pre/post‑tests, satisfaction surveys, etc.), analyzes and reports on outcomes.
• Submits monthly narrative, data, and other reports as required.
• Processes financial assistance payments, as needed.

Participation and Leadership (10-20%)

• Engages and develops program volunteers by providing education, training, feedback, and support.
• Supports the recruitment, engagement and development of leaders through 1:1 meetings, training, and committee support.
• Supports the development and ongoing work of the Family Assistance Advisory Committee.
• Works collaboratively with the Family Assistance Team to ensure appropriate coverage of all team responsibilities, including providing backup staff support for other program activities.
• Supports continuous learning, evaluation, and improvement within the Family Assistance Team.
• Supports the planning and participates in agency‑wide programs, events, and outreach efforts.
• Supports the planning and attends staff meetings, retreats, and other team and agency events.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Outreach and Engagement (5%)

• Participates in efforts to promote the availability of homelessness prevention assistance through SHCS and its collaborative partners, including publicly representing the program and organization with community partners and at community fairs or other events.
• Develops and nurtures collaborative relationships with community partners, including schools and the court system, among others.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Strong commitment to our vision of a community united to ensure that every child and adult is free from poverty.
• Bachelor’s degree in social work, public health, or related field or equivalent experience.
• One year of experience in human services or related field.
• Bilingual and bicultural in English/Spanish written and verbal.
• Experience providing culturally competent, strength‑based case management, supportive services, and linkages to community resources.
• Experience and knowledge in the functions of intake, assessment, service planning, case coordination, case conferencing, service plan implementation, crisis intervention, monitoring and follow‑up, and case closure.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to deliver difficult messages with compassion and to communicate respectfully with families in stressful situations.
• Sensitivity to issues surrounding households experiencing homelessness, substance use, mental illness, or disabilities.
• Ability to thrive in a flexible, fast‑paced environment, while maintaining a positive, solution‑oriented approach.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and to work independently with limited supervision when necessary.
• Computer skills including proficiency in MS Word, Excel, Power Point, Google Suite and ability to quickly learn and develop proficiency with tracking database systems.
• Valid CA driver’s license, reliable personal vehicle, and vehicle insurance.
• Complete a background check.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Two years of experience working in outreach, shelter, or supportive housing programs for homeless or at‑risk households.
• Experience working with landlords, local rental markets, and/or Housing First focused non‑profits.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP

The Homelessness Prevention Case Manager reports to the Family Assistance Manager.

COMPENSATION

This is a full‑time non‑exempt position that pays $29.85/hour. This position is represented by the SEIU, Local 521 bargaining unit. Salary placement is per the union’s negotiated salary schedule beginning at Step 1 and including step increases based on tenure.

Salary schedule:

• November 1, 2024 – October 31, 2025 (3.5% COLA): Step 1 $28.98, Step 2 $29.42, Step 3 $29.86, Step 4 $30.31
• November 1, 2025 – October 31, 2026 (3% COLA): Step 1 $29.85, Step 2 $30.30, Step 3 $30.76, Step 4 $31.22
• November 1, 2026 – October 31, 2027 (3% COLA): Step 1 $30.75, Step 2 $31.21, Step 3 $31.68, Step 4 $32.15

Excellent benefits include fully paid medical insurance for employees and majority paid medical insurance for qualified dependents, dental insurance, vision insurance, 12 paid holidays, 10 paid sick days per year, paid vacation starting at 10 days per year, additional wellness benefits, basic life and long‑term disability insurance, professional development and more.

Sacred Heart Community Service is proud to be an Equal Opportunity workplace and an Affiliated Action Employer. SHCS is committed to building a team of people of diverse ethnic, cultural, and experiential backgrounds. We especially encourage members of historically underrepresented and marginalized communities, people of color, women, people living with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQ+ people to apply. It is the policy of Sacred Heart Community Service to prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type and to afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants, without regard to race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, medical condition or genetic information, veteran status, national origin, disability, marital or other protected status. SHCS will conform to the spirit, as well as the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.

Rev. 06/2025