Are you dedicated to expanding housing access and strengthening community supports?
Join our team and help lead impactful, quality-driven housing coordination for individuals with behavioral health needs.
The State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is currently accepting applications for the position of Housing Program Coordinator.
HIGHLIGHTS
- FACILITY: Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System (SWCMHS)
- LOCATION: 100 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, CT
- UNIT: Rental Assistant Program
- POSITION NUMBERS: 00154371
- SCHEDULE: Full-time (40 hours per week), First Shift, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
- Visit our State Employee Benefits Overview page!
- Professional growth and development opportunities
- A healthy work/life balance to all employees
IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL:
- Work independently and as a team member to perform technical tasks to support 400 chronically homeless households with behavioral health needs through the goal of maintaining stable permanent housing
- Responsible for reviewing and processing the HUD CoC rental assistance vouchers, completing the Housing Quality Standard (HQS) Inspections for safety standards and inhabitability, completing annual recertifications and on-site visits to conduct re-assessments as required
- Serve as primary point of contact between clinicians, property managers, case managers and landlords regarding tenancy matters, ensure all program plans and housing contracts conform to federal (HUD) state and departmental statutory requirements
- Maintain HMIS database with timely enrollment, exits and annual assessments
- Utilize internal database to monitor and track rent payments to landlords and assist with grant utilization to ensure program effectiveness
- Provide guidance to staff or agencies involved in low-income, rental or supportive housing programs
- Perform program activities accurately, with flexibility and ability to work as part of a team with excellent time management skills
- Serve on CAN (Coordinated Access Network) committees and workgroups
- Make referrals for employment services and case management as deemed necessary and appropriate
- Maintain and update client files and electronic documents per HUD guidelines
- Case conference participants, particularly those who are challenging themselves to remain housed / need higher level of care or are terminated from the program due to repeated lease violations or noncompliance with program requirements
- Perform other program related activities as required
DMHAS is a health care agency whose mission is to promote the overall health and wellness of persons with behavioral health needs through an integrated network of holistic, comprehensive, effective and efficient services and supports that foster dignity, respect and self-sufficiency in those we serve.
The Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System strives to provide high quality, compassionate and culturally competent mental health and substance abuse services to adults with behavioral health disorders who are indigent. With three locations throughout Fairfield County, SWCMHS, promotes and administers comprehensive recovery oriented services in the areas of mental health treatment and substance abuse prevention and treatment. These services include inpatient treatment programs and outpatient clinical services, as well as a wide range of additional supportive treatment services.
PLEASE NOTE:
- A comprehensive medical examination, including a drug screening, will be required of all applicants upon a conditional offer of employment.
- All state employees must adhere to Connecticut's Policy for a Drug Free Workplace.
FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Toolkit for additional support throughout the recruitment process.
BEFORE YOU APPLY:
- Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
- Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below by the closing date listed on the job posting.
- Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency.
- Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
- Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing [email protected].
- Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
- Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.
AFTER YOU APPLY:
- Some email providers may experience delays or issues delivering messages. To avoid missing important updates—such as referral questionnaires or interview scheduling links—please check your Personal Status Board regularly.
- For added convenience, you can also enable text (SMS) notifications. To do this, log in to your Personal Status Board and select “Update My Contact Information.”
- Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).
- Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression!
- Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.
- The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
- Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
- This employer may participate in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm work authorization.
QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP:
Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Anamaria Giangarra at [email protected]
Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!
In the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services this class is accountable for independently performing a full range of technical tasks in program development and housing-related programs for clients served by the Department.
- Reviews, analyzes and processes housing financial assistance program grant and referral applications, budgets, program plans, contracts and revisions to ensure accuracy and conformity with federal, state and departmental requirements;
- Reviews and processes applications for subsidized housing vouchers and other entities;
- Performs inspections and re-certifications, reviews and evaluations to determine quality of program operation, conformance with program plan and effectiveness;
- Prepares clear, technically sound and comprehensive statistical, financial, budget, progress and other reports;
- Meets with officials and groups to explain and interpret department programs and expectations to meet established programmatic goals;
- Coordinates activities of department with other community, regional, state, federal and private agencies;
- May serve on committees and work groups;
- May provide technical assistance to staff and/or agencies involved in housing programs including such program areas as low income, rental and supportive housing;
- May serve as liaison with Case Managers, agency administrative staff, property managers, landlords, service providers and attorneys on housing matters;
- May maintain and monitor program budget and complete related paperwork;
- May monitor the status of payment requests and rent subsidy payments;
- May develop and implement housing training programs;
- May make program referrals;
- May maintain housing data on internal database;
- Performs related duties as required.
- Considerable knowledge of federal, state and community resources available in the area of housing;
- Knowledge of
- problems and programs of housing including permanent supportive housing and other housing related activities;
- social and economic factors, issues and programs related to housing;
- techniques of social, economic and governmental research related to housing;
- Considerable
- interpersonal skills;
- oral and written communications skills;
- Considerable ability to plan, analyze and evaluate housing programs.
Six (6) years of experience providing housing program coordination for persons with behavioral health needs or programmatic and/or financial monitoring of supportive and/or subsidized housing programs or technical assistance to local agencies concerned with housing related issues of persons with behavioral health needs.
- College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equaling one half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
- A Master's degree in business or public administration, housing, urban development or other closely related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.
- Experience with state and federal housing funding sources.
- Experience housing homeless clients and conducting housing inspections utilizing HUD guidelines.
- Experience preparing budgets and managing housing subsidies.
- Experience processing housing applications and serving as a liaison with landlords and property managers regarding lease completion.
- Experience working with individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.
- Experience using the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) database.
- Bi-lingual Spanish and English speaking, with oral and written communications skills in both languages.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to speak a foreign language.
