Assistant Supportive Services Specialist - Gainesville

$3,000 after 30 days of employment for select programs, inquire within!

Welcome! Your Meridian Career Starts Here!

Position Title: Assistant Supportive Services Specialist
Location: Gainesville, FL
Salary: $17.80|Hr. | Non-Exempt

    Join our community of compassionate Meridians, today!

    Why Meridian?

    Meridian Healthcare treats patients who struggle with mental health and substance use disorders. Our team of Meridians has been treating these conditions with humanity and compassion for more than 50 years. We have patient service centers conveniently located in 13 counties throughout North Central Florida. Do you believe in hope, empathy, accountability, resilience, and teamwork [H.E.A.R.T.]? Join our community of compassionate Meridians, today!

    We want you! We welcome your knowledge, experience, story and expertise!

    • Conducts Outreach/Engagement and participants in Tabling/Information Dissemination events within community agencies, emergency shelters, homeless shelters, feeding programs, parks, other places, frequented individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
    • Work as part of a team, makes regular visits to local institutions and other community sites where homeless veterans are known to be present [i.e., community shelters, community access centers, local veteran's services, hospital emergency rooms, local jail, soup kitchens, community parks, other social service agencies, etc]. Establish and maintain good rapport and regular contact with local agency workers and administrators [i.e., police, fire, MET team, emergency room workers, parks & recreation workers, etc.] who are a source of referrals of homeless veterans in need of assistance and services
    • Completes Eligibility Screenings and Verifications with identified individuals/households based on SSVF program guidelines to determine eligibility
    • Assist Veteran Families with obtaining necessary verification documentation required for eligibility.
    • Maintain documentation/databases as required for reporting and goal for community functional zero
    • Refer and/or Link individuals screened with any emergency services and resources identified or needed and document in screening.
    • Assist clients with accessing resources, making referrals, and completing screening; guide and support veterans through the housing search process
    • Assist in obtaining housing readiness documentation such as ID, social security card, income verification, and medical appointments.
    • Adhere to housing first and harm reduction models of advocacy with clients.
    • Practice rapid resolution, motivation interview and trauma informed care principles.
    • Assist veterans with transition to housing case manager, supports in new area of residence, and continue monitoring the veteran's engagement with needed services during initial transition to permanent housing
    • Develop rapport and trusting relationships with clients where they live (streets, woods, etc), with a focus on connecting individuals to the community, health and mental health care, and housing resources.
    • Travel to clients' locations, usually outside, to provide outreach and navigation.
    • Work cooperatively and cohesively with other members of the staff team, including participation in staff meetings, staff trainings and collaborating with agency partners.
    • Work cooperatively with partner organizations to ensure a high level of care for clients.
    • Complete data entry in a timely manner.
    • Assure that all duties are properly tracked and recorded for grant reporting.
      Provide timely and accurate documentation to be entered into HMIS.
    • Participate in regular supervision as required.
    • Participate and Obtain Training and Development as required
    • Submit required weekly and monthly reports as required
    • Perform other duties as required to meet SSVF program and departmental goals and objectives
    • Provide screening reports to the SSVF Program Manager as required
    • Provide community awareness of SSVF services.
    • Develop and maintain a network of contact persons and/or referral persons in the community to receive and provide referrals for eligible individuals to obtain/access services.
    • Performs work according to contract standards
    • Use standard office equipment, including a computer in the course of the work; drive a motor vehicle to visit various consumers, benefit provider and contractor work sites, and to attend meetings.
    • Works effectively with others.
    • Performs other related work, as required.

    Who are we looking for? (Minimum Qualifications)

    • High school diploma or equivalency required.
    • 1 year experience working in community setting, ex: experience dealing with the homeless population, accessing benefits and working in housing with unhoused veterans, organizations and potential referral sources.
    • Must have a current Florida Driver's License with a clean driving record while meeting company insurance requirements.** 
    • Must be able to type at least 27 wpm on prescreen assessment and score at least 65% on general assessment.

    What You Will Love!

    • Friendly, flexible and lively work environment! We also believe in companywide celebrations and blood drives. Our employee engagement committee is always coming up with other fun activities for all.
    • Work-life balance - Generous PTO accrual for vacation, sick leave and holidays.
    • Benefits - Several health insurance plan options available including tax sheltered health savings account. Vision, dental, retirement, life insurance, Aflac and Long-Term Disability insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and accidental death are also available.
    • Wellness Programs - Employees have an opportunity to earn a monthly discount on their medical plan premiums by participating in the Vitality wellness program.
    • Compensation & Retirement - Competitive salaries and 403(b) retirement savings program with a gradual increase in company match, reaching up to 8% after 7 years of service.
    • Growth & Education- Opportunities for growth and career advancement. Tuition reimbursement. Public service loan forgiveness and free clinical supervision.
    • Perks - Cell phone plan discounts, travel reimbursement, LegalShield, pet insurance and more!

    Our Hiring Process:

    • We pre-screen your application. If we find that your skills are a match for the position you applied for, we will then send your resume over to the hiring manager to schedule an interview.
    • If the interview is successful, our talent acquisition recruiter from Human Resources Department will reach out to you with a verbal job offer and send over your background check paperwork as well as your follow up & next steps email.
    • After you have cleared the background screening process our talent acquisition team will then send you an overview with expectations for New Employee Orientation start date.
    • Our team is committed to helping you grow into the best version of yourself you were always meant to be. Thank you for considering joining the Meridian family!

    How to apply:

    If you are interested in making an impact while positively impacting the community apply below.

    Simply apply through this website or visit us directly at https://meridian.e3applicants.com/careers/

    Join us in our mission to bring education about mental illnesses and substance use disorders and the treatment of those affected to the world.

    We transform communities from the inside out.

    Meridian is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We are fully committed to attracting, retaining, developing and promoting the most qualified employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, status as a parent, national origin, age, marital status, disability (physical or mental), family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service or because they are a protected veteran or other non-merit-based factors.