About This Role
The Life Skills Coach supports people experiencing homelessness by helping them develop essential life skills, especially those related to securing and maintaining housing. This role involves client outreach, counseling, and coordinating housing and services in compliance with HUD guidelines.
Responsibilities
- Develop tools to assess clients' level of functioning in performing life skills
- Conduct life skill assessment and evaluation of needs within 45 days of program entry
- Develop treatment plans/goals with all clients within 60 days of program entry to address life skills concerns and plan training
- Conduct periodic reviews of treatment plans/goals and adjust plans as needed
- Help with client move-ins and assist clients in setting up their apartments
- Work with clients to be good tenants and neighbors; mediate problems to avoid evictions
- Introduce clients to their neighborhood and community resources
- Meet with each client as outlined in the treatment plan and program guidelines to work on identified goals and assess ongoing housing needs (e.g., budgeting, household chores, nutrition/cooking, shopping, laundry, public transportation, hygiene)
- Connect clients to community resources/supports, support clients at appointments, and encourage ongoing participation
- Coordinate care with other involved service providers
- Assess clients' mental/physical health care needs and connect them to appropriate community providers; encourage compliance with treatment suggestions
- Participate in team meetings to review/update regarding clients and set schedules
- Maintain daily progress notes on all clients seen and complete other assigned paperwork
- Provide crisis intervention to clients as needed
- Provide a means of communication that clients may use during work hours
- Help set policy and programming to ensure clients receive needed support and guidelines comply with the grant, in coordination with the team
- Develop new programming as needed to better serve clients
- Help in the preparation of any needed reports
- Work with volunteers/practicum students to better serve clients
- Attend community meetings, network with other service providers as needed and required
- Communicate regularly with the Program Coordinator
- Stay informed of current local and national events, trends, and issues that impact Depaul USA’s work with the homeless
- Strive continuously to develop the role in collaboration with the supervisor to ensure all tasks are undertaken effectively and appropriately, meeting the strategic goals and objectives of Depaul USA
- Participate in internal/external meetings as required and attend training events, conferences, and other functions as necessary
