Job Description

Barrier Free Living (BFL) is dedicated to helping New Yorkers with disabilities live independently in the community. Through its various programs, BFL provides a broad range of residential and non-residential services to disabled survivors of domestic violence, to the disabled homeless, and support to physically disabled individuals with mental health and/or chemical addiction issues.

BFL Apartments (BFLA) is a NY/NY III type supportive housing program. BFLA offers services to vulnerable and needy populations who are survivors of domestic violence, specifically, homeless disabled adults and disabled veterans and families. This program’s facility is located in the South Bronx. There are two buildings: a 70-unit studio apartment building for single adults (SPMI-chronic homeless population A) and a 50-unit apartment building for families (SPMI/MICA-chronic homeless population G).

Barrier Free Living is seeking qualified applicants to join the team. This position reports to the Program Director. 

Responsibilities:

• Hold a caseload of 5-10 SPMI/MICA tenants.
• Complete program Intake/Assessment of new tenants.
• Develop, monitor, and update service plans that are mutually developed with each tenant.
• Follow up meetings with tenant including home visits to discuss related service plan goals and benchmarks.
• Provide individual supportive counseling with tenants to assist in developing skills to stabilize their medical, psychosocial, and behavioral health status.
• Provide crisis intervention and other services to assist tenants to develop better-coping skills.
• Facilitate or co-facilitate groups surrounding harm reduction and smoking cessation for tenants.
• Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to obtain strategies to assist tenants in achieving identified goals to maintain stability.
• Accompany tenants to Family/Criminal/Housing Court hearings and advocate for the tenant as needed.
• Provide referrals for legal assistance and any other service provider within the community as needed.
• Assist tenant with any ACS or Prevention services requirements.
• Complete ongoing apartment inspections, tobacco assessment, and vocational assessments as required by DOHMH contract.
• Monitor tenants’ ability to pay rent and utility bills to ensure housing stability.
• Participate in staff/case conference meetings, supervision, and required training.
• Ensuring timely and accurate entry of progress notes in case management system.
• Comply with all agency and program policies and procedures.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Social Work Psychology, Counselling, or related field. Bachelors’ degree in human services or related field, will be considered based on experience.
• Experience in supportive counseling, harm reduction models practices and stages of change model, motivational interviewing, and trauma-informed care.
• Experience with Crisis intervention and de-escalation.
• Experience working with mental illness, substance users, domestic violence and familiarity with disability issues a must.
• Excellent computer skills (PC).
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, NY/NY III supportive housing environment a must.
• Excellent language skills in American Sign Language or bilingual English/Spanish desired.

Start Date: ASAP
Hourly Rate: $25.07.
P osition Available: Full Time - Non-Exempt.
Hours: 35 hours per week - Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm.
Benefits Package: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Retirement Plan, Paid vacation, Sick days, Personal days, Paid National Holidays, and more.

Cash Assistance recipients are encouraged to apply. 

BFL provides equal employment opportunity to all applicants, with employment-based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status, creed, genetic disposition, or carrier status, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic as established by law.

About BarrierFree Living:

Barrier Free Living (BFL) began its ground-breaking work with people with disabilities in 1978 as a Federally-funded Research and Demonstration Project first known as “Project Outward Bound”. Since then, BFL has gone on to work with thousands of people with disabilities, has launched several successful award winning programs and has become a leader in working with survivors of domestic violence with disabilities. To learn more, please visit our website at

Job Tags

Hourly pay, Full time, Contract work, Immediate start, Monday to Friday

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