Job Description
Job Description
Job Title: Supportive Housing Clinician
Classification: Exempt (Salary)
Status: Full-Time
Location: Somerville MA
Department: Supportive Housing
Reports to: Supportive Housing Program Manager
About Us
Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) is a human services agency helping families and individuals in all stages of homelessness and housing insecurity. Services include emergency shelter, housing search case management, daytime drop-in, street outreach, supportive housing, homeless/eviction prevention and connections to supplemental services. SHC also operates Project SOUP, which is a food service program that includes a pantry marketplace, community meals and delivery of groceries to the homebound. The agency environment is fast-paced with the provision of a variety of on-demand services, from crisis intervention to long-term stabilization support. To learn more please visit our website.
Position Summary
The Supportive Housing Clinician provides community- and home-based clinical services, case management, and direct support to individuals and families residing in SHC’s supportive housing units or transitioning from homelessness into housing. This role delivers outreach, engagement, and intensive support to formerly homeless, disabled individuals in SHC’s Supportive Housing program—to foster housing stability, wellness, and self-sufficiency. Responsibilities include conducting mental health assessments, completing disability verifications, and linking clients to a full range of services and resources. The Clinician also provides counseling and coaching around psychiatric symptom management, substance use, trauma recovery, and physical health concerns, while helping clients comply with lease requirements, individual service plans, and program guidelines. This role will support the entire team of Supportive Housing Case Managers with clinical guidance for their clients and will also carry a small caseload.
Essential Functions, Duties and Responsibilities
Supportive Housing Team Support
- Deliver crisis intervention, informal counseling, behavioral health symptom management, and de-escalation for individuals experiencing mental health, substance use, or dual-diagnosis crises.
- Teach and coach clients in essential living, social, and coping skills; support psychiatric symptom management, trauma recovery, and physical health concerns.
- Design, organize, and facilitate peer or therapeutic support groups for residents in supportive housing and those transitioning from homelessness.
- Manage all clinical aspects of the Community Support Program for Homeless Individuals (CSP-HI) for the Supportive Housing team - this includes meeting with Case Managers regularly to discuss client assessments, action plans, etc.
- Design and facilitate regular CSP-HI staff training meetings to discuss various clinical educational topics
- Consult on complex client cases: Provide a clinical lens on behavioral, mental health, or safety concerns/safety planning impacting service delivery.
- Help staff navigate dilemmas: Offer guidance on confidentiality, duty to warn, mandated reporting, etc.
- Crisis intervention: Support staff after critical incidents (e.g., client death, safety threat) through debriefing, safety planning, and grounding strategies.
Direct Case Management Services
- Conduct comprehensive interviews, mental health and biopsychosocial assessments, and disability verifications for applicants and program participants.
- Provide regular home- and community-based visits (multiple times per week as needed) to support clients’ housing stability, wellness, and self-sufficiency.
- Assist clients with budgeting, credit repair, benefits enrollment, healthcare access, court-related issues, medication management, parenting education, education/employment connections, and community reintegration activities.
- Develop, monitor, and update Individual Service Plans (ISPs) in collaboration with clients and their support networks.
- Ensure compliance with lease requirements, program rules, and housing quality standards; help clients maintain clean, safe, and sanitary homes.
- Schedule, accompany, and advocate for clients at meetings, appointments, and service-related activities.
- Act as a liaison with landlords, property managers, housing agencies, and other service providers to support client stability.
General
- Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential client records, including service notes and assessments, in agency databases (e.g., VESTA, Ehana).
- Provide limited after-hours on-call phone support as scheduled.
- Attend individual supervision, staff meetings, and community-based meetings.
- Perform supervised urine drug screening for clients as needed.
- Demonstrate strong and clear communication both written and verbal.
- Abide by handbook rules, policies and code of conduct.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Education, Abilities, Competencies and Experience Required
- Master’s Degree
- LCSW, LICSW or LMHC is required as well as maintenance of licensure
- Car and valid driver’s license required
- Minimum one year relevant experience with homeless, mental health, and substance use services and resources
- Proficient computer and technology skills including, Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Suite and other web-based applications
- Flexible, reliable, motivated and possess positive attitude
- Excellent time management skills and able to meet deadlines
- Organized, able to multi-task and follow-through with tasks to completion
- Work well independently and as part of a team environment
Supervisory Responsibility
This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.
Work Environment
This job operates in an office and professional environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers. On occasion the job will require going out in events or organizations, based on the needs of the business.
Physical Demands
This is mostly sedentary outside of travel in an office space. This would require the ability to sit at a desk, frequent walking, bend or stand as necessary.
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work
Designated days and schedule will be primarily Monday-Friday though will also be based on the needs of the operation and business, may require weekends, nights and early mornings.
Travel
Regular travel to scattered-site apartments in Somerville, Arlington and Greater Boston.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
SHC is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. SHC provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.