Emergency Shelter Case Manager

This position offers a flexible, partially remote work arrangement, combining remote work with in-person support for women at the emergency shelter location.

Position Summary

The Housing Case Manager is the primary point of contact for every woman who receives Ohana Beginnings temporary emergency shelter. This role exclusively serves women experiencing housing crises, guiding each one from enrollment through her stay in temporary emergency shelter and into stable, permanent housing.

The Case Manager screens women for eligibility, places and transports them to temporary emergency shelter, assesses each woman's needs and risks, and builds an individualized service plan aligned with DWS-OHS Case Management Standards. The Case Manager also connects each woman to Ohana Beginnings’ wraparound services and to community resources that support her housing, education, and employment goals. The role calls for trauma-informed, client-centered practice and strict attention to client safety and confidentiality.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Assessment and Service Planning

• Screen each referred woman to determine program eligibility, then complete intake, including required forms, consents, releases of information, and signatures.
• Complete a Needs & Risks Assessment with each woman within seven days of enrollment.
• Develop a comprehensive, individualized service plan aligned with DWS-OHS Case Management Standards.
• Build each woman's Housing, Education, and Employment Pathway, with specific goals and timelines for permanent housing, educational progress, and stable employment.
• Identify needed wraparound services, including financial and legal assistance, medical and mental health referrals, parenting education, SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, TANF, and other resources.
• Conduct screening, intake, and case management in person or virtually, including temporary emergency shelter visits, temporary emergency shelter room phones, and program-provided laptops for women without reliable technology.
• Ensure background checks and urinalysis have been completed before a woman is placed in temporary emergency shelter.

Placement, Transportation, and Belongings

• Meet each woman in person at check-in, provide her hygiene kit and other immediate necessities, and explain what to expect during her stay.
• Transport women and their children to and from temporary emergency shelter and to appointments and services as needed, using program-provided car seats.
• Help move client belongings to secure storage, which may include driving a rental moving truck. Other staff or contracted help may also assist with moves.
• Coordinate storage units and packing supplies, and keep each woman's belongings labeled and separated from other clients' belongings.
• Work with the Executive Director/CEO and Administrative Manager each week on the voucher renewal process, sharing each woman's progress and engagement.

Ongoing Client Contact and Progress Monitoring

• During the temporary emergency shelter stay, provide a daily text and/or phone check-in with each woman.
• Hold at least one 30-minute in-person meeting with each woman every week to review progress and adjust her plan. Meetings are in person or virtual for women placed at distant locations.
• Administer drug testing on the program's required schedule throughout each woman's stay.
• Report to the Executive Director/CEO any criminal activity the Case Manager learns of that may affect a woman’s continued eligibility.
• After a woman transitions out of temporary emergency shelter, continue check-ins at a reduced frequency, primarily by phone or video, with in-person meetings as needed.
• Use program-provided transportation vouchers and virtual-contact options to reduce transportation barriers to services.

Service Coordination and Client Assistance

• Serve as each woman's primary point of contact throughout her time in the program.
• Make and follow up on referrals to connect each woman to the services in her plan, including both Ohana Beginnings' own wraparound services, including parenting and prenatal classes, baby supplies, education support, housing support, employment support, and the mentor program, and outside resources such as SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, TANF, financial assistance, childcare, and legal, medical, and mental health services.
• Partner with Ohana's Resource Coordinator and licensed School Counselor when specialized support is needed, and coordinate with Local Homeless Councils, partner agencies, and other community organizations as needed.
• Distribute client goods and assistance, including hygiene kits, clothing, food per diems, client-use laptops, and payments for childcare, medical appointments, and legal services. Track all distributions for inventory and grant reporting.
• Provide services directly in Spanish to Spanish-speaking clients, reducing reliance on translation services (if bilingual).

Engagement and Disengagement Protocol

• If a woman becomes unresponsive, conduct an in-person well check within 24 hours.
• If she cannot be located after 48 hours, discontinue temporary emergency shelter access and arrange for her belongings to be securely stored for retrieval.
• Inform her that she remains eligible for Ohana's other free statewide services and may be reconsidered for future temporary emergency shelter assistance, based on the circumstances of her disengagement.
  

Documentation, Data, and Compliance

• Keep accurate, timely case notes of each client contact, and keep assessments, service plans, and contact logs current and accurate
• Collect required UHMIS data, client forms, consents, and signatures, and work with Ohana’s data manager and administrative manager on data entry and reporting. Track each woman's outcomes, including length of stay, engagement, progress toward her housing, education, and employment goals, exits to permanent housing, and returns to homelessness.
• Report suspected child abuse or neglect as required by Utah law and Ohana Beginnings policy.
• Follow DWS-OHS Case Management Standards, grant requirements, and Ohana Beginnings policies and procedures.
• Protect client confidentiality and safety in all records and communications, including the confidentiality of temporary emergency shelter locations

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, psychology, or a related field, or equivalent experience in case management.
• Experience providing case management to individuals or families in crisis, such as housing instability, homelessness, or domestic violence.
• Working knowledge of community resources and public benefits, including SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, and TANF.
• Ability to complete needs and risk assessments and write goal-based service plans.
• Strong organization, documentation, and time-management skills across a rolling caseload.
• Commitment to trauma-informed, client-centered practice and strict confidentiality.
• Comfort using phone, text, video, and electronic case records.
• Reliable transportation and a valid driver's license, proof of current auto insurance, and an acceptable driving record for client transport, temporary emergency shelter visits, and in-person well checks.
• Ability to pass a background check.

Preferred

• Bilingual in English and Spanish (strongly preferred; Ohana will prioritize bilingual candidates).
• Familiarity with DWS-OHS Case Management Standards or other emergency shelter and homeless services standards.
• Experience helping clients secure permanent housing, education, or employment.
• Master's degree in social work (MSW) or related field.

Working Conditions and Schedule

• Part-time, approximately 29 hours per week, spread across the full caseload.
• This is an hourly, non-exempt position. All work time must be recorded, including evening or weekend calls and texts with clients.
• Work combines office, virtual, and field settings, including client transports and visits to clients' temporary emergency shelter locations.
• Daily client check-ins mean some flexibility is needed, including occasional evening or weekend contact.
• Well checks must be completed within 24 hours when a client becomes unresponsive.
• Fieldwork follows Ohana Beginnings' safety procedures, including checking in and out with a supervisor before and after well checks and other field visits.
• The Executive Director/CEO and Administrative Manager provide support and coverage as needed.
• The role involves exposure to clients in crisis and to emotionally difficult situations; self-care and supervision are supported.