Volunteers of America–Greater New York (VOA–Greater New York) is a leading anti-poverty organization serving neighbors in need across New York City, Northern New Jersey, and Westchester. Through 70+ programs, we support over 35,000 adults and children each year, including individuals experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic violence, youth aging out of foster care, veterans, seniors, and children with developmental delays.
Our staff are at the heart of this work, creating meaningful change every day. If you’re passionate about making a difference and joining a mission-driven team, we invite you to explore this opportunity.
We are currently seeking qualified candidates for the following position:
Position: Benefits Specialist
The Benefits Specialist offers support to eligible formerly homeless clients living in Permanent Supportive Housing to promote well-being and stability. The Benefits Specialist is part of a specialized team working across four SRO sites in The Bronx and Brooklyn. The Benefits Specialist will be assigned a caseload of clients at one of those sites and will coordinate closely with case management, recreational and operations staff at the building to which they are assigned
East 119th Street Veterans Residence is a single room occupancy (SRO) residence that provides permanent, supportive housing to formerly homeless single veteran men and women, including those diagnosed with a mental illness. To learn more about the program, copy and paste this link into a browser https://www.voa-gny.org/our-vets-programs
Location: New York, NY 10036
Minimum Qualifications:
- Associate's degree or 60 college credits courses in Human Services field or High School Diploma or GED with 2 years of related experience helping low-income clients access and maintain benefits including Public Assistance, Disability and Veterans benefits.
- The position also requires a demonstrated ability in verbal and written communication, including basic computer skills.
Benefits Specialist Principal Responsibilities:
- Conduct benefits assessments and provide individualized education, assistance, referrals and advocacy to help clients obtain and retain any and all benefits to which they are entitled, including accompanying clients to appointments as needed.
- Work with clients and their medical and behavioral health providers to document disability to support SSI/SSD applications and appeals.
- Provide individualized money management and budgeting coaching and as needed connect clients to services to adult guardianship or representative payee services.
- Develop and deliver workshops on topics related to benefits, budgets and money management.
- Utilize best practice approaches and evidence-based interventions to maximize client outcomes.
- Maintain service documentation to include client progress notes, observations and interactions about clients and incident reporting when necessary.
- Participate in internal and external case conferencing activities.
We are committed to offering our employees an exceptional comprehensive benefits package that supports their health, well-being, and personal growth. Full-time employees enjoy:
- Medical, Dental, & Vision Coverage
- Prescription Coverage
- Life Insurance
- Retirement Plan
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Paid Time Off, including a Paid Birthday Holiday
And much more!
To learn more about our staff, culture and much more, copy and paste our website link into a browser: https://www.voa-gny.org/our-staff-and-culture/
VOA-Greater New York is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Vets/Disabled/Other Protected Categories. Apply today!
Skills Required
- Associate's degree or 60 college credits in a Human Services field
- High school diploma or GED plus 2 years of related experience helping low-income clients access and maintain benefits
- Experience with Public Assistance, Disability, and Veterans benefits
- Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills
- Basic computer skills
What We Do
Volunteers of America-Greater New York (VOA-GNY) is an anti-poverty nonprofit serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness across New York City, Northern New Jersey, and Westchester County. Through more than 60 programs, it provides emergency, transitional, and permanent supportive housing, along with health, wealth-building, veterans, disability, youth, and other human services. Its vision is to end homelessness in Greater New York.
