Risk Assessment Specialist (Social Services)

Job Title: Risk Assessment Specialist (Social Services)

Job Status: Full Time, Non-exempt

Location: 239 West 49th Street

Compensation: Competitive with Market Rate

About Encore: For over 40 years, Encore Community Services has provided care and services to the elderly of the Clinton, Times Square, and Midtown communities, so that they may live with dignity and decency in a safe and caring environment. Encore provides a comprehensive array of services for older New Yorkers including supportive and affordable housing, home delivered and sit down meals, case assistance, education, recreation, and friendly visiting. By nurturing, respecting and enabling, Encore hopes to improve the quality of an older person’s life, in an approach that emanates from the core of Encore’s commitment: a belief that what they do comes from the heart, and the heart is the center of it all.

About Position: Encore seeks an experienced social service professional to oversee our new client “risk assessment program.” Encore serves thousands of older New Yorkers through our Senior Center and Home Delivered Meals program. The risk assessment specialist will be a member of Encore’s Social Service Team and will work closely with Encore’s case workers, meal delivery staff, friendly visiting staff, and our partner Case Management Agencies (CMAs) to ensure that our senior members are assessed and triaged appropriately. The Specialist will, initially, work to develop Encore’s homebound and senior center member risk assessment tool. The Specialist will administer the risk assessment tool directly and also train a variety of other staff members to conduct the assessment. Once assessed the specialist will work collaboratively with other staff members and the seniors to determine the appropriate referrals and program supports and interventions. As part of this work, the Specialist will work directly with seniors – delivering meals and engaging with them in our senior center, as well as supporting other staff members and helping to build Encore’s capacity to meet a wide-variety of senior needs.

Job Responsibilities: 

• Assist in developing and refining Encore’s older adult risk assessment survey and other tools, such as “loneliness scale” for both homebound and senior center members used to assess the needs of homebound and senior center members; 
• Work with management to develop a system to reach as many homebound and senior center members as possible, and work to ensure that Encore maintains a “no wrong door” approach so that seniors can easily and effectively access our services; 
• Assess homebound client’s meal needs and partner with Encore’s Case Management Agencies to determine the appropriate type of meal (hot, frozen, chilled, or customized) for our HDML clients; 
• Visit HDML client homes and participate with meal delivery staff on their daily delivery routes;  Conduct intakes with seniors to assess needs such as personal, family, finances, employment, food, clothing, housing, and physical and mental impairments and determine the nature and degree of need;
• Use client assessment information to determine the appropriate type of service at Encore, whether that be case assistance, case management, financial management, and/or determine if an external service referral is warranted; 
• Train other Encore Case Management, Friendly Visiting and Home Delivery staff on use and implementation of risk assessment tools 
• Refer seniors to community resources and other organizations as needed; 
• Facilitate, at least twice a month, an engaging group activity for Members at the Encore Senior Center
• Provide information and referrals to seniors via phone or in person, as requested; 
• Keep accurate worker logs, case notes, and file records of all interactions with seniors;

Required Qualifications: 

• High school diploma required,
• BA in Social Work or related field of human services preferred;
• At least 3 years’ experience in the field of human services, preferably in the field of aging;
• Bi-lingual: Ability to speak, read and write in English and Spanish;
• A New York State driver’s license is strongly preferred
• Experience with or willing to learn advocacy skills; benefits & entitlements and referral systems;
• Ability to communicate with program participants and related staff;
• Ability to coordinate and schedule services for participants;
• Demonstrate excellent organization and communication skills;
• Good record keeping abilities and proficient in computer/web based programs;
• Have a sensitivity and empathy for participants in the programs;
• Work well under supervision

To apply email cover letter and resume to jobs@encorenyc.org with the subject line of "Risk Assessment Specialist".

Due to the high volume of applicants, only qualified candidates will be contacted. No phone calls please. Encore Community Services is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, socio-economic status, marital status, national or ethnic origin, age, religion or creed, disability, or political or sexual orientation.