Downtown Women's Center Posting - BSW

Benefits Case Manager

The mission of the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) is to provide permanent supportive housing and a safe and healthy community fostering dignity, respect, and personal stability, and to advocate ending homelessness for women. Founded in 1978, DWC was the first organization to exclusively serve mentally ill and elderly homeless women on Los Angeles’ Skid Row. The DWC Day Center now offers 85,000 meals, case management, and other supportive resources on a drop-in basis to 4300 homeless women each year, while the DWC Residence provides a permanent home and a range of services to 119 women who were once without safe, affordable housing. Please visit www.DWCweb.org for more information. 

Position Summary

The Downtown Women’s Center seeks a full-time Benefits Case Manager to provide individualized benefits enrollment assistance and advocacy for homeless and low-income women. This position works to link women with public benefits programs for which they may qualify, including but not limited to SSI/SSDI, MediCal, Veterans Affairs and CalFresh benefits.  The Benefits Specialist is a member of the Clinical Health Services team and works as part of a team of case managers, clinicians, and health professionals at DWC to help women achieve and maintain personal stability.  This position reports directly to the Health Program Manager.

Essential Functions

·         Provide individualized, direct service to clients to assist them with the public benefits enrollment process at DWC and with partner agencies as assigned

·         Conduct assessments of benefits that participants and residents currently have and gaps in benefits; document these assessments in a system that enables ease of coordination

·         Research and obtain documentation necessary to support the application process.  Assist clients in securing documentation, including proof of identity, financial records and past and current medical and mental health records

·         Oversee all aspects of the benefits application process by providing case management, participating in multi-disciplinary team activities and case conferences, coordinating consents and releases, scheduling appointments, and communicating with staff at DWC and public agencies

·         Maintain contact with clients throughout the determination process, assist clients in responding to requests for further information to support the application process, assist with reconsideration filing when needed

·         Develop and maintain working relationships and serve as a liaison to the SSA, Disability Determination Service, County departments, and other public, private and non-profit agencies serving homeless individuals

·         Develop and provide staff regular trainings related to documenting disabilities, homelessness and other related areas that improve client outcomes

·         Collaborate with the case management team to maximize client linkage to services in the community

·         Conduct outreach and public education activities to the Day Center client base to encourage client access to public benefits

·         Provide general case management assistance to help clients resolve additional non-benefit related barriers as needed 

·         Maintain accurate and timely records of activities and services provided to each client, including client file maintenance, program tracking and reports

·         Other duties as assigned to support the mission of the organization

Necessary Skills/Qualifications:                                                             

·         Bachelor’s degree in social work, human resources or related field preferred

·         Two years experience working as a Case Manager/similar position with homeless, low-income, and/or disabled individuals preferred

·         Experience working with public agencies and assisting individuals in applying for public benefits preferred

·         Knowledge of medical terminology and experience in a healthcare setting preferred

·         Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills; proven ability to communicate with diverse audiences

·         Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities, including proficiency in balancing direct service responsibilities with effective record keeping

·         Must be able to work well independently and as part of a team

·         Strong administrative skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) required

·         Current valid California state driver’s license, insurance, and vehicle with good driving record

·         Criminal background check and clearance required

·         Oral and written fluency in Spanish and English a plus

Schedule and Salary:  This is a full-time, exempt position. Office hours are 8:30am to 5:00pm, with flexibility to work evenings and weekends when necessary. Salary range $30,000-$35,000/annually depending on qualifications and experience.  To Apply: Please email cover letter and resume to HR@DWCweb.org. Please include “Benefits Specialist” in the subject line of your email.