Bilingual Caseworker, English/ Cantonese

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Project Open Hand Bilingual Caseworker helps to provide meals with love through interfacing with clients, assessing and verifying eligibility for our programs, and conducting intake interviews for new and returning clients. This involves meeting with clients in our Grocery Center, answering client calls and performing administrative tasks. This position works closely with the other members of the Client Services Department in serving clients and making decisions about how services will be administered.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

•    BA in Human Services related field

•    Computer literate (MS Office/Outlook)

•    Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain professional boundaries in a social service setting

•    Bilingual in Cantonese

QUALIFICATIONS DESIRED:

•    Mental Health or Social Work experience

•    Experience working with clients with multiple diagnoses (i.e. substance abuse, mental illness, critical illness)

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

•    Process applications for services

•    Perform intake and recertification for clients

•    Verify eligibility for services by communicating with service providers and collecting client documentation

•    Maintain client database including scheduling meal service, documenting client contacts and incident reports

•    Assess needs of clients and provide referrals as appropriate

•    Support clients who do not qualify for services with referrals to external community resources

•    Provide clients a program orientation and assist them in successfully accessing our services

•    Respond constructively to client comments and concerns; effectively resolve client complaints

•    Provide one-on-one follow up to clients regarding behavioral problems

•    Act as liaison between clients and staff/volunteers/other Agency departments

•    Act as representative of POH

•    Perform other duties as may be required

JOB COMPETENCIES:

•    A Team player: Demonstrates cooperative spirit, respects professional boundaries and is successful at sharing responsibilities with others

•    Self-Led: Knows and completes responsibilities in assigned timelines, asks for clarifications when needed

•    Sensitive to the circumstances and needs of the critically ill and seniors, as well as people with mental health and substance abuse issues

•    Customer oriented: Works well with all customers (internal staff and external contacts), promotes a positive image of the agency and works diligently to resolve customer issues

•    Poised: able to maintain a calm, positive and constructive attitude during interactions with diverse populations, sometimes in challenging situations

•    Ethical: Honest, accountable, maintains confidentiality

•    Knowledgeable: Understands facets of job, keeps job knowledge current

•    Well Organized: Information organized and accessible, maintains efficient work space, manages time well

•    A Strong Communicator: excellent verbal and written communication skills

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

Physical demands: While performing duties of job, incumbent is occasionally required to move about the building; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear. Employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus

Work environment: The noise level in the work environment varies from moderate to loud. The work environment will be ever changing with new clients, volunteers and staff members all sharing space and working together in the Grocery Center

Project Open Hand offers a generous employee benefit and wellness package. Eligibility for different programs is determined by the role and employment statuses but may include:
 
 • Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage, and Flexible Spending Account
 • Long Term Disability, Life/AD&D, and Supplemental Life Insurance
 • Retirement Savings Plan 403(b), Commuter Check Subsidy
 • Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Financial Counseling, Cell Phone Discounts, and additional discounts
 • Holidays (11 per year), generous vacation and sick leave, and complimentary lunch
 
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and State and Federal laws, we will consider for employment qualified applicants arrest and conviction records.