BILINGUAL SERVICE COORDINATOR – BENEFITS OUTREACH
Location: Eastern Connecticut – Office, Food Pantry, Community Partner, and Outreach Locations
Employment Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt, Union Position
Schedule: 35 hours per week, generally Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Occasional evening or weekend hours may be required for community events and program activities.
Hourly Rate: $20.00 per hour
POSITION SUMMARY
Access Community Action Agency is seeking a bilingual English/Spanish Service Coordinator to help individuals and families access SNAP, Medicaid, and other resources that support household stability.
The Service Coordinator conducts community outreach, assists customers with benefit applications and recertifications, completes assessments, develops service plans, and provides ongoing case management when additional support is needed. This position works in office, food pantry, and community-based settings and regularly engages with customers and community partners throughout Eastern Connecticut.
The successful candidate must be able to communicate effectively in both English and Spanish and provide respectful, culturally responsive, person-centered services.
This position is supported through time-limited HR1 program funding. Continued employment is contingent upon the availability of program funding.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Outreach and Community Engagement
- Conduct SNAP and Medicaid outreach at community events, partner locations, food pantries, and other service sites.
- Provide presentations and individual education regarding benefit eligibility, application requirements, program changes, and available support.
- Communicate program information clearly in both English and Spanish.
- Build trusting relationships with individuals from diverse cultural, racial, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Distribute outreach materials and document outreach activities in accordance with program requirements.
- Represent Access professionally during community events and interactions with partner organizations.
Intake, Assessment, and Service Planning
- Complete customer intake using the required Community Action Agency intake tool.
- Collect required demographic, household, eligibility, and service information.
- Assess customer needs related to SNAP, Medicaid, food insecurity, healthcare, housing, transportation, employment, and other social determinants of health.
- Develop individualized service plans with measurable and achievable goals.
- Review customer progress and update service plans as needed.
- Maintain accurate and timely case notes and supporting documentation in the required case-management system.
Public Benefits Navigation
- Assist customers with SNAP and Medicaid applications, recertifications, renewals, and required document submissions.
- Help customers use Connecticut’s online benefits system and other required application platforms.
- Explain eligibility requirements, verification requests, deadlines, and benefit-related notices in understandable terms.
- Assist customers with gathering and submitting supporting documentation.
- Help customers address barriers that may prevent them from applying for or maintaining benefits.
- Refer customers to appropriate resources when an issue requires assistance beyond the scope of the position.
Case Management and Follow-Up
- Provide immediate, one-time services such as application assistance, information, referrals, and resource navigation.
- Provide ongoing case-management services to customers who require continued support.
- Maintain consistent communication with assigned customers.
- Complete follow-up contacts within required program timeframes.
- Track progress toward service-plan goals and update customer records after each contact.
- Coordinate services with internal programs, community providers, and government agencies when appropriate.
Customer Stability and Resource Coordination
- Identify barriers related to food insecurity, housing, transportation, healthcare, employment, and other basic needs.
- Connect customers with internal Access programs and external community resources.
- Assist eligible customers with accessing available client-support funds for approved needs such as food, housing, utilities, and transportation.
- Help customers understand and meet applicable HR1 work, employment, or volunteer requirements through referrals and service coordination.
- Advocate for customers while promoting informed decision-making, independence, and self-sufficiency.
Documentation, Reporting, and Compliance
- Maintain complete, accurate, confidential, and timely customer records.
- Track customer services, referrals, progress, and program outcomes.
- Complete required data entry and documentation within established deadlines.
- Support program reporting, monitoring, quality-assurance, and performance-measure activities.
- Protect confidential and sensitive customer information in accordance with applicable federal and Connecticut requirements and agency policies.
- Follow program contracts, funding requirements, agency policies, and established service procedures.
- Participate in required meetings, supervision, training, and professional-development activities.
- Perform other duties as assigned based on program and organizational needs.
REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Associate degree in human services, social work, public health, community health, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- At least two years of experience in case management, community outreach, public benefits navigation, human services, or social services.
- Ability to speak, read, and communicate effectively in both English and Spanish.
- Significant relevant work experience may be considered in place of some educational requirements in accordance with agency policy.
REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Ability to provide professional services in both English and Spanish.
- Ability to build trust and engage individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Strong interpersonal, active-listening, outreach, and customer-service skills.
- Ability to explain complex benefit requirements in clear and understandable language.
- Ability to manage multiple customers, cases, deadlines, appointments, and priorities.
- Strong organizational, documentation, data-entry, and time-management skills.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive personal information appropriately.
- Strong problem-solving, critical-thinking, and decision-making skills.
- Knowledge of community resources and social-service systems.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with agency staff and community partners.
- Proficiency with Google Workspace and the ability to learn program-specific data and case-management systems.
- Reliable transportation and the ability to travel between offices, food pantries, community events, and partner locations.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in human services, social work, public health, community health, or a related field.
- Experience assisting individuals with SNAP, Medicaid, or other public-benefit programs.
- Active Community Health Worker certification or license.
- Experience working in a Community Action Agency, food pantry, healthcare, or community-based outreach setting.
- Knowledge of Connecticut’s public-benefit and social-service systems.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- Hourly rate of $20.00.
- Full-time, 35-hour workweek.
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance effective the first day of the month following the employee’s first day of employment.
- Employer-paid life insurance.
- Employer-paid long-term disability insurance.
- 401(k) retirement plan with an employer match of up to 5%, subject to plan eligibility requirements.
- Generous paid time off.
- Paid holidays in accordance with agency policy and the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
- Reimbursement for approved business travel in accordance with agency policy.
PHYSICAL AND WORK ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTS
This position regularly requires sitting, standing, walking, speaking, listening, reading, writing, and using a computer and other standard office equipment. The position may occasionally require lifting or moving up to 25 pounds.
The Service Coordinator must be able to travel between Access locations, food pantries, community events, partner sites, and other environments that are not controlled by Access. The work environment may include office, pantry, and community-based settings with varying activity and noise levels.
Reasonable accommodations may be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the position.
FUNDING CONTINGENCY
This position is supported by HR1 program funding through the Connecticut Association for Community Action and the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The initial funding period is anticipated to be 18 months.
Continued employment in this position is contingent upon the availability of funding. The position may be modified or eliminated if funding is reduced, reallocated, or discontinued.
ABOUT ACCESS
Access Community Action Agency creates opportunities that empower under-resourced individuals, families, and communities to achieve and sustain economic stability.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Access Community Action Agency is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religious creed, age, sex, pregnancy, marital status, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, workplace hazards to reproductive systems, or any other status protected by federal, Connecticut, or applicable local law.
Access provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities and for other legally protected needs.
Pay: $20.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- AD&D insurance
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
