Benefits and Entitlement Specialist -Woodhull II

Comunilife Inc. is looking for a Benefits and Entitlement Specialist for its Brooklyn Residential Program. The Benefit Entitlement Specialist is responsible for ensuring clients have and maintain entitlements Benefits that may be needed include: Public Assistance, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Social Security Supplement Income/ Disability Insurance, Veteran’s Benefits and related support. This position is eligible for Comunilife's generous benefits and paid time off package.

Essential functions

• Provide assistance in obtaining and maintaining all government benefits and services for which the client is potentially eligible.

• Assist clients who are incapacitated to handle their finances to apply for Representative Payee Designation. Also, seek, secure, and maximize all potential offsets, particularly by collecting that portion of income which is set aside by State and/or Federal authorities for rental payments from those clients receiving Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability, veteran’s benefits, or pensions that would be an offset against the amount Comunilife would receive from HRA pursuant to the program budget.

• Conduct initial assessments of current finances including sources of income, history/status of entitlements to determine eligibility in other systems. Collaborate in the development of the service to identify long and short-term goals as it applies to benefits/entitlements

• Provide support services to clients, either in the client’s apartment or in Comunilife offices

• Responsible for conducting weekly seminars for clients/families

• Responsible for conducting in-service training for staff as needed

Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree with a minimum of one (1) to two (2) years experience working with homeless, people living with HIV/AIDS and lack of entitlements. Extensive knowledge of community resources; extensive knowledge of benefits and entitlements.

• Good initiative and learning ability of HRA guidelines, HIV benefits and entitlements regulations

• Communication skills (effective/active listening, verbal and written)

• Ability to perform multiple assignments simultaneously

• Community minded, patient, creative, flexible, compassionate and culturally sensitive to persons who are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, severe and persistent mental illness.

Comunilife is an EEO employer and 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.