Social Worker for Homeless Prevention Program

Mielegalaid; Asheville (NC); On-site; USD 49,471 - 86,890; Full time

Job summary

Pisgah Legal Services (PLS) in Asheville, NC is seeking a full‑time Social Worker for the Homelessness Prevention Program to assist Housing Instability clients and coordinate with attorneys and staff to connect people with housing, benefits, and disaster recovery resources.

The role emphasizes trauma‑informed care, empowerment, and self‑determination, with travel across 18 counties and a commitment to equity and justice for low‑income communities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Social Work or MSW required; MSW preferred.

Responsibilities

• Commitment to PLS’ mission, values and vision.

Skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Interpersonal skills

Cultural sensitivity

Equity and justice

Driver's license

Spanish language

Education

Bachelor of Social Work

MSW preferred

Job description

Social Worker for Homeless Prevention Program

Pisgah Legal Services (PLS) is a community-based non‑profit legal aid agency governed by a local Board of Directors. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina (WNC), Pisgah Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to low‑income people in WNC. The organization currently has offices in Asheville, Brevard, Burnsville, Franklin, Hendersonville, Highlands‑Cashiers, Marshall, Morganton, Newland, Rutherfordton, Spruce Pine, and Waynesville. With over 100 dedicated staff, including over 30 attorneys plus program staff, and an active group of 300 volunteer attorneys, the program provides free services to nearly 20,000 people per year to meet their basic needs, primarily in the poverty law areas of housing, public benefits, domestic violence prevention, health care, immigration, and consumer law. PLS seeks a full‑time Social Worker for the Homelessness Prevention Program to focus on assisting people experiencing Housing Instability and recovery from Hurricane Helene. The position will be based in our Asheville office and will serve clients in all 18 counties of Western North Carolina, with a primary focus on the following counties: Buncombe, Henderson, Rutherford, and Transylvania. This position will partner with attorneys and other staff to help support clients connect with resources to address social determinants of health related to housing, income and disaster recovery. The Social Worker will provide case management to support Medicaid eligible clients in meeting interpersonal violence, housing and other health‑related stability goals.

The Social Worker will:

• Develop relationships with each client based in respect and compassion.
• Utilize an empowerment and advocacy approach to promote and protect their clients’ right to self‑determination.
• Provide case management services to Pisgah Legal Services clients.
• Support clients to make their own decisions and life plans.
• Work within a Trauma Informed Care framework, recognizing that many of their client’s behaviors and responses may be directly related to traumatic experiences.
• Have a deep understanding of the causes and impacts of poverty.
• Understand and apply approaches within the social determinants of health framework.
• Work to understand the discrimination and oppression that impacts their clients, based on race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, immigration status, and other factors, and adapt their work accordingly.

The social worker should have a passion for promoting justice and overcoming barriers facing low‑income people, be a creative and zealous staff member and a team‑player and demonstrate a commitment to achieving lasting results for clients and low‑income communities.

Responsibilities

• Commitment to PLS’ mission, values and vision.
• Document all work in Legal Server case management.
• Build relationships with clients to support and meet immediate needs.
• Connect clients with appropriate services to address safety, health, housing, transportation, employment, food, education, substance use & family care needs.
• Explore options to meet needs when necessary services do not exist in a community.
• Organize and conduct community engagement.
• Develop and maintain community relationships with other non‑profit agencies, government officials, government employees, community leaders and others.
• Travel within our service area and also to meetings or conferences in other parts of NC.
• Adhere to program priorities and case handling policies, procedures and standards of practice, as well as the highest professional and ethical standards.
• Work with volunteers, including volunteer attorneys and social work students.
• Assist with fundraising in coordination with PLS Development Team.
• Maintain confidentiality.

Qualifications

• Passion for and commitment to PLS’ mission, values and vision.
• Bachelor of Social Work or Master of Social Work required, MSW preferred.
• Demonstrated skills at socio‑economic and cultural sensitivity and the ability to work with someone who is angry, upset, or ill.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with teams and independently.
• Spanish language skills strongly desired.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity and justice, including racial equity.
• Possess a valid driver’s license.

Salary/ Benefits

Salary ranges from $49,471– $86,890 depending on experience. Additional language skills that are applicable to this role may qualify for up to an additional $3k upon completing a language assessment test. Our salary scale is predetermined based on the years of relative professional work experience that qualify for this position to ensure equity in pay. Pisgah Legal Services is a Living Wage Certified Employer. Employees are eligible for medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage the 1st of the month following the start date. Pisgah Legal Services (PLS) pays 100% of the Employee and 50% of the Dependent Cost for Aetna Medical and Dental coverage. PLS pays 50% of the Employee Coverage Cost for Aetna Vision coverage. PLS pays 100% of Long‑Term & Short‑Term Disability Coverage, Life Insurance Coverage of 5x base salary + an additional $15,000 Life & AD&D Coverage. 401k Retirement Plan after 6 months of employment. Additional fringe benefits includes Pet Insurance, Paid Parental Leave, Paid Bereavement Leave, 13.5 Company Holidays, 22 Paid Leave Days, Paid Sabbatical Leave for eligible staff, Employee Assistance Program for entire household and a great working environment with work life balance!

PLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.

Pisgah Legal Services is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with our Human Resources department.