EMP Family Advocate

Who We Are

Solid Ground (SG) is an award-winning nonprofit organization whose proven, holistic approach helps families build the strong foundations they need to emerge from homelessness into a brighter future. Through safe, affordable housing and innovative supportive programming, Solid Ground helps families transition to a higher-level of self-sufficiency and break the cycle of homelessness and poverty for the next generation.

Why You'll Love Working Here

At the heart of Solid Ground is the belief that housing stability is fundamental to the healthy development of children and to a family's ability to be contributing members of the community. Solid Ground currently runs eight programs in suburban Ramsey and Washington Counties and housing over 660 individuals annually. Our mission is to prevent and end homelessness for families with children in the communities we serve through housing, resources, and opportunity.

Wages and Benefits

$23.00 - $25.00 per hour; Paid vacation time, sick time, plus ten paid holidays and two floating holidays; competitive health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings account (HSA), and options for flexible spending accounts (FSA). There is employer paid basic life insurance with the option for additional coverage paid by the employee. The employer pays for Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) and short and long-term disability insurance. SG sponsors a retirement plan with automatic enrollment at 3% and a 3% employer match after one year of service, plus immediate vesting.

SCHEDULE

This position requires in-person work Monday-Friday to support East Metro Place supportive housing clients.

A Typical Day in the Life...

A typical day as Solid Ground's EMP Family Advocate is meeting families where they are and working with them to address their barriers to stability, conducting in-depth family assessments and aiding participants in accessing the appropriate community resources to assist them in attaining both economic goals and housing stability. Responsibilities will include the following:

• Providing intensive, supportive services and community referrals to give families the necessary resources and skills to achieve self-reliance, housing stability, and their self-identified goals.
• Attempting to meet with participants at a minimum of once per week (including in-home visits at least monthly) to assist them in developing and achieving goals in the areas of budgeting/finances; education; employment; physical, mental and chemical health; transportation; housing; parenting and children's goals; and providing ongoing support.
• Developing an individualized goal plan for each family within 60 days of the participant's entry into the program.
• Complying with Mandated Reporting Standards and Responsibilities.
• Encouraging and supporting participants in attending the various services Solid Ground offers for their participants such as budgeting, tenant training, job searching, DBT groups, etc.
• Assist in providing social, recreational, and educational activities for participants and their children.
• Managing time and self-care effectively to ensure quality service for participants.
• Collaborate with Child and Youth Advocates to help children and youth achieve their goals.
• Managing client assistance funding for each family; ensuring spending is allowable and within budget.
• Partner with property management as needed to promote housing stability and success.
• Providing support during site based and client related crises; de-escalating residents when needed.
• Coordinating and documenting all work done on behalf of participants to maintain accurate progress and recordkeeping for participants, agencies, and funders.
• Recording all participant interactions in the Solid Grounds internal database within the week they occurred.
• Completing all required intake and exit paperwork as required by funders and partners ensuring participants have the necessary documentation to be qualified for their housing unit.
• Working with participants to develop clear goal plans and financial evaluations once every six months and document all progress and changes.
• Recording all direct client assistance spending in the ClientTrack database.

Who You Are

• You hold a bachelor's degree in human services, social work, or a related field, plus one year of experience in a social service advocacy position; or you bring a combination of education and experience that provides equivalent knowledge.
• You have experience working with diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds in a homeless or housing setting, or related experience.
• You have experience working with underserved communities and families experiencing behavioral and/or mental health issues, chemical dependency/substance abuse, homelessness and/or other barriers that affect participants.
• You are skilled in crisis intervention and trauma informed care.
• You are skilled in motivational interviewing, or willingness to learn and apply knowledge.
• You have an understanding and commitment to 'Housing First' philosophy and Trauma Informed practices.
• You have the ability to effectively communicate and work with diverse populations to encourage full participation in Solid Ground programs.
• You have the knowledge and understanding of how poverty, domestic violence, mental illness, chemical dependency, affordable housing and other issues affect program participants to ensure that programs and services are designed to meet participants' needs.
• You have the knowledge of community resources and/or the ability to research and learn more about area resources.
• You have the knowledge of laws governing rental housing and the ability to locate affordable housing for program participants.
• You have the ability to communicate effectively and persuasively in oral and written communication on an interpersonal and group level.
• You have knowledge of laws governing rental housing and the ability to locate affordable housing for program participants.

• You have understanding of boundaries, ethics, confidentiality, and professionalism.

• You have the ability to transport participants as needed and travel to various locations for day and evening meetings and events. You have a valid driver's license, have access to reliable transportation, and meet Solid Ground's driving record requirements. If your license was issued outside of Minnesota, you apply for a Minnesota driver's license within 60 days of becoming a resident (not applicable for new hires living out of state).

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of Solid Ground. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We value the contributions of a diverse workforce, and we welcome and encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, disability, marital status, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, genetic information or a protected veteran's status.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

Solid Ground participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. See E-Verify's official poster at https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf. See E-Verify's Right to Work poster at https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RightToWorkPoster%20Eng_Es.pdf.