Job Description IF YOU ARE HIRED PROVISIONALLY IN THE CASEWORKER TITLE, YOU MUST TAKE AND PASS THE CIVIL SERVICE EXAM WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT. The Department of Homeless Services is comprised of 2,000 employees and with an annual operating budget of over $1 billion. DHS is one of the largest organizations of its kind committed to preventing and addressing homelessness in New York City. Collaborating with other public agencies and not-for-profit partners, DHS works to prevent homelessness before it occurs, reduce street homelessness, and assist New Yorkers to transition from shelter into appropriate permanent housing. Housing Emergency Referral Operations (HERO) Unit is the sole 24/7 DHS organizational unit that identifies and secures shelter for families and single adults who apply for emergency housing assistance. HERO is composed of eight sections: Placement, Transfers and Transportation, Vacancy Control for Families with Children and Single Adults, Data & Systems, Strategic Initiatives, Care Day Certification and Portfolio Management and the Serious Incident Unit. The selected candidates will report directly to the HERO shift supervisors as a Placement Specialist. S/he will be responsible for matching families at Intake for conditional and overnight placements to available shelter units using a combination of CARES automated reports and email/verbal communications with shelter liaisons and Intake staff in line with HERO placement protocol. S/he will be responsible for updating CARES and for processing exits, updating family compositions, reconcile facilities units in CARES, update unit status, various transfer, and vacancy control tasks to ensure the accuracy of lodging and vacancies. Review the vacancy control sheets and reports for available vacancies. The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is recruiting for one (1) Caseworker to function as a Placement Specialist who will: - Liaison with two or more agencies by obtaining and conveying information and providing feedback to facilitate cooperation; coordinate activities; maintain current records. - Assess each family’s needs to match them appropriately to shelter vacancies within the DHS portfolio. - Coordinate referrals, arrivals, and transportation for conditional families and/or eligible families for temporary housing throughout the five boroughs. - Prepare standardized summary reports, vacancy forms, records, enter codes and information obtained from Intake Centers and facilities to ensure that records are complete and accurate. - Analyze and solve problems that arise from placements, transfers, and room vacancies. - Ensure that all families who are processed through the Intake Centers each day are given a placement. Salary Range: $46,689-$ 53,692. Hours/Schedule: Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM. *ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION* Newly hired Caseworkers are now eligible to receive a bonus of up to $6000 during a two-year period between April 2024 to March 2026. Caseworkers hired and onboarded by April 1,2024 and who remain active on payroll through this period will have the opportunity to earn up to four (4) bi-annual $1,500 bonus payments, for a possible maximum of $6,000. Criteria are that staff remain on active status during the entirety of each six-month period listed here: *RETENTION BONUS* - April 1, 2024 - September 30, 2024 - October 1. 2024 - March 31, 2024. - April 1, 2025 - September 30, 2025. - October 1, 2025 - March 31,2026. *ASSIGNMENT DIFFERENTIAL* DHS CASEWORKERS RECEIVE A YEARLY DIFFERENTIAL OF $1,540. Qualifications 1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university accredited by regional, national, professional, or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U.S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Additional Information: Section 424-a of the New York State Social Services Law requires an authorized agency to inquire whether a candidate for employment with child-care responsibilities is or has been the subject of an indicated child abuse and maltreatment report on file with the State Central Register for child abuse and maltreatment. State Central Register screening will be conducted prior to considering a candidate for employment as a Caseworker. Candidates who have been the subject of an indicated child abuse and maltreatment report will not be assigned to any position which requires child-care responsibilities. Employees who have been the subject of such a report may be reassigned or terminated from employment from their positions as Caseworker. Additional Information The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.