Minimum Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) plus 2 years’ experience in social/human services (providing services to individuals with psychiatric disabilities a plus), entitlement or related area of service, or Associate degree plus 3 years of above experience, or High School diploma/G.E.D. plus 4 years of above experience. Experience working with public benefits (HRA/SSA) in NYC, ideally supporting individuals with severe mental illness, homelessness, or special needs populations. Willingness to travel extensively throughout the five boroughs via public transportation to support clients across different team territories. Strong adaptability is required to manage scheduling and cross-coverage for seven teams.
- Work Eligibility: Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
- Work Location Requirement: Specify onsite/hybrid/remote.
Compensation
Annual Salary
$63,000
What we Offer
We provide competitive benefits, including:
- Comprehensive Health Benefits: Medical (HSA), Dental and Vision plans
- 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan with employer match
- Generous Paid Time Off: Vacation, Personal, Sick, Mental Health Days and 12 paid holidays
- Employee Wellness Programs: Employee Assistance Program and mental health resources
- Learning & Development Opportunities: Educational Leave and Tuition Assistance, Training and Career Development Tracks
- Additional Perks: Commuter Benefits, recognition programs, discount programs, flexible spending plans, voluntary benefits including pet insurance, identity theft insurance, legal plans, and voluntary ancillary benefits.
About the Role
The ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) program provides intensive, mobile mental health care to individuals with severe mental illnesses. The ACT Entitlements Specialist helps clients enrolled in Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams navigate, secure, and maintain government benefits and financial entitlements. This role can be mobile at times, requiring hands-on advocacy directly in the community. The ACT Entitlements Specialist works as a centralized or shared resource supporting clients across all seven of the agency's ACT teams. Because clients often face significant barriers to navigating bureaucratic systems independently, this role involves providing coverage across teams and actively accompanying individuals to appointments throughout New York City
Primary Responsibilities:
Multi-team support & coverage:
- Manage caseload demands, intake requests, and client updates fluidly across seven distinct ACT teams, maintaining seamless communication with each team's clinical staff.
Field advocacy & accompaniment:
- Meet clients in the community and accompany them to various public offices: including NYC HRA, federal SSA, DMV, and housing authorities - to provide direct support and ensure appointments are successfully completed.
Benefit procurement:
- Assist clients with initial and renewal applications for SSI, SSDI, Public Assistance (PA/SNA), SNAP, and Medicaid/Medicare.
Department liaison:
- Act as an advocate and primary contact when dealing with NYC agencies like the HRA (Human Resources Administration), HASA (HIV/AIDS Services Administration), and the federal SSA (Social Security Administration).
Documentation & Compliance:
- Maintain up-to-date client records, complete entitlement assessments, and log data in electronic health record (EHR) databases.
Crisis/immediate support:
- Secure emergency grants, replacement identification (birth certificates, social security cards), and expedited food or cash assistance.
ATTEND ALL SCHEDULED ENTITLEMENT SUPERVISORY AND BENEFITS TRAININGS:
- Actively participate in the supervisory process. The Specialist can utilize supervision by taking direction regarding the daily processing and completion of assigned departmental tasks. Through trainings, the Specialist should enhance and expand their entitlement knowledge and the skills necessary to effectively work with residents, agency staffs and the various benefit systems.
- Attend various benefits training sessions, be able to understand and comprehend the ever-changing NYC entitlements operation procedures, relay the subsequent information to the co-workers and utilize it in Specialist’ day-to-day work.