Job Description

Housing Empowerment Coach – Permanent Supportive Housing

Southeastern North Dakota Community Action Agency (SENDCAA)

Position Overview

SENDCAA is seeking a Housing Empowerment Coach to provide person-centered, housing-focused case management to individuals and families living in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) throughout Region 5 of North Dakota.

The Housing Empowerment Coach helps individuals maintain housing, increase stability, connect with community resources, and work toward their personal goals. Services are provided through Medicaid Care Coordination, Housing Supports, and other supportive service programs.

This position works with individuals who may have experienced chronic or long-term homelessness and may face complex barriers related to mental health, substance use, physical health, disability, trauma, poverty, criminal-legal involvement, or limited social supports.

SENDCAA uses a Housing First, harm-reduction, trauma-informed, strengths-based, and progressive engagement approach. We believe housing is a foundation for stability and that individuals should be supported based on their goals, strengths, needs, and readiness for change.

The Housing Empowerment Coach builds trusting relationships and provides flexible, persistent support to help participants remain housed and successfully live in the community.

What You'll Do

Support Housing Stability

• Help participants develop individualized housing stability plans.
• Support participants in understanding and meeting lease requirements and tenant responsibilities.
• Identify and address housing concerns before they result in eviction or loss of housing.
• Help participants resolve issues involving landlords, property management, neighbors, or other tenants.
• Assist with rent, utilities, lease concerns, and other housing-related needs.
• Conduct home visits and provide support in participants' homes and community settings.
• Help participants maintain a safe and healthy living environment.
• Respond to housing concerns using a problem-solving, Housing First approach.
• Advocate for participants when systems or circumstances create barriers to maintaining housing.

Provide Person-Centered Case Management

• Build trusting, respectful, and consistent relationships with participants.
• Complete assessments and develop individualized service plans based on participant goals, strengths, needs, and preferences.
• Use motivational interviewing, active listening, and trauma-informed approaches.
• Provide services based on the participant's needs and level of support.
• Help participants identify and work toward meaningful personal goals.
• Provide persistent engagement when participants have difficulty connecting with traditional services.
• Adjust services as participant needs and circumstances change.
• Coordinate services across multiple systems to provide consistent, comprehensive support.

Provide Whole-Person Support

• Help participants access and maintain benefits such as SSI/SSDI, Medicaid, SNAP, and other available resources.
• Connect participants with primary care, behavioral health, substance use treatment, recovery supports, and other healthcare services.
• Assist with transportation, food access, identification, budgeting, household needs, and other barriers to stability.
• Help participants develop natural supports and meaningful community connections.
• Connect participants with employment, education, and vocational opportunities when appropriate and desired.
• Support participants in developing independent living skills based on their individual goals.
• Provide warm handoffs to community resources rather than simply giving participants a list of phone numbers.
• Help participants navigate complex service systems and advocate for their needs.

Respond to Crises

• Recognize early warning signs of housing instability or behavioral health crises.
• Work with participants to develop crisis and safety plans when appropriate.
• Respond to crises calmly, respectfully, and using trauma-informed practices.
• Coordinate with behavioral health providers, healthcare providers, emergency services, shelters, hospitals, law enforcement, and other systems when necessary.
• Participate in team consultation and case conferencing for participants with complex or high needs.
• Follow organizational policies related to safety, mandated reporting, confidentiality, and emergency situations.

Collaborate with Other Providers

• Participate in shared case management and interdisciplinary team meetings.
• Coordinate with SENDCAA programs and external agencies to provide holistic support.
• Build strong working relationships with landlords and housing providers.
• Coordinate with healthcare, behavioral health, substance use, employment, and other community providers.
• Build and strengthen community connections to help participants access culturally appropriate services.
• Participate in case conferencing for participants experiencing complex or persistent barriers.
• Obtain appropriate releases of information and maintain participant confidentiality.
• Promote coordinated, participant-centered services rather than fragmented care.

Complete Assessments and Documentation

• Conduct comprehensive assessments to identify barriers to housing stability, employment, services, and self-sufficiency.
• Develop and maintain individualized service plans.
• Document participant progress, case management activities, contacts, referrals, and outcomes accurately and timely.
• Maintain required program and database records.
• Ensure documentation meets Medicaid, funder, program, and organizational requirements.
• Maintain accurate records while protecting participant confidentiality.

Manage Program Resources

• Process financial assistance requests accurately and in a timely manner.
• Collect, verify, and document participant financial information as required for assistance, benefits, or grant applications.
• Assist participants in accessing available financial and community resources.
• Work with program leadership to ensure program funds are used appropriately and efficiently.
• Follow all program policies and funding requirements related to financial assistance.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is someone who can build genuine relationships with people who may have experienced significant trauma, homelessness, or barriers to traditional services. You should be comfortable working independently, navigating complex systems, responding to challenging situations, and celebrating progress that may sometimes happen one small step at a time.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, psychology, sociology, behavioral health, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness, poverty, housing instability, behavioral health challenges, substance use, or other significant barriers to stability.
• Strong communication, organization, documentation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to build trusting relationships while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to travel throughout the service area and conduct home and community visits.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Permanent Supportive Housing, Housing First, Rapid Re-Housing, homeless services, or housing case management.
• Experience working with individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
• Experience working with individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use needs.
• Knowledge of local housing, healthcare, behavioral health, substance use, benefits, employment, and community resources.
• Experience with Medicaid Care Coordination or Housing Supports.
• Experience using HMIS or other case management databases.
• Training or experience in Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Informed Care, Harm Reduction, Housing First, or Progressive Engagement.
• Social work licensure or other applicable professional credential.

The Approach You'll Bring

At SENDCAA, we believe effective housing support is about more than completing referrals. You'll be expected to approach your work with:

Housing First – Housing is a foundation for stability, not something people must earn.

Participant Choice – Participants identify their own goals and determine the pace of change.

Trauma-Informed Care – We recognize the impact of trauma and prioritize safety, trust, choice, and empowerment.

Harm Reduction – We meet people where they are and focus on reducing barriers and improving safety and stability.

Strengths-Based Practice – We recognize the skills, strengths, relationships, and successes participants already have.

Progressive Engagement – We adjust the level of support based on what each participant needs rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.

Assertive Engagement – We continue building relationships even when traditional approaches to engagement have not worked.

Whole-Person Support – Housing stability is connected to health, income, employment, relationships, transportation, food security, and other areas of life.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this position is not simply measured by the number of referrals completed. Success means:

• Participants maintain permanent housing.
• Housing crises and evictions are prevented or reduced.
• Participants feel respected, heard, and supported.
• Participants have increased access to healthcare, behavioral health, benefits, employment, and community resources.
• Participants build meaningful connections and natural supports.
• Participants make progress toward goals they identify for themselves.
• Providers and community partners work together rather than in isolation.
• Participants have greater stability and the opportunity to live successfully in their communities.

Work Environment

This position involves working with participants in their homes, offices, and community settings. The work can be unpredictable and may involve individuals experiencing significant life challenges or crisis situations.

The position requires frequent communication with participants and community partners, computer and documentation work, travel throughout the service area, and the ability to work in a variety of environments.

Why Work at SENDCAA?

At SENDCAA, we believe that housing is more than a roof—it is a foundation for stability, dignity, and opportunity. Our team works alongside individuals and families to identify strengths, overcome barriers, and build the future they want.

If you are compassionate, persistent, creative, and passionate about helping people achieve housing stability, we would love to hear from you.