Housing Navigator (Alternatives to Incarceration)

Company: NAMI San Diego
Location: Lemon Grove
Posted on: April 2, 2026

Job Description:

Company Description: NAMI San Diego & Imperial Counties (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is a nonprofit organization that provides free education, support services, and advocacy to improve the quality of life of everyone affected by mental health conditions. Primary Responsibilities and Accountability : NAMI SD/IC is in partnership with UPAC (The Union of Pan Asian Communities) with UPAC as the lead agency and NAMI SD/IC as the subcontractor for the Alternatives to Incarceration program, a program that provides "comprehensive care coordination, service navigation, peer support, and housing-related assistance to individuals who have interacted with the legal system or are at risk of justice involvement, and are at risk of/or experiencing homelessness." Our multi-disciplinary team includes Peer Support Specialists, Housing Specialist, Case Managers, Admin Support and a Program Manager. This position will work at a UPAC office, work collaboratively with UPAC Staff, and report to UPAC's Program Manager for Alternatives to Incarceration. Given that this program provides support 24/7, this position may include weekends and overnight shifts. Under the supervision of the Program Manager, the Housing Specialist provides housing assessment and conducts outreach and field-based services to provide housing using housing-first principles to the clients and participants of the program. Duties and Responsibilities : Responsible for assessment eligibility, coordinated outreach, and overall accurate and timely completion of all required reports/documentation, including housing subsidy application, VISPDAT, CES, and HMIS. Assist individuals/members in obtaining required supportive documentation. Provides outreach and navigation as a member of the interdisciplinary team to homeless individuals in field based/community-based sites within San Diego County. Develops, maintains, and reviews housing plan file/needs assessment with the Program Manager, ensuring required documentation adherence. Works closely with direct service staff to coordinate person-centric housing options. Facilitates housing-related groups or trainings as identified by the Program Manager. Demonstrates knowledge in cultural and linguistic competency, co-occurring disorders, gender responsiveness, and trauma-informed care practice. Participates in homeless outreach events such as organized homeless encampment cleanups, Point in Time Count, Veterans Stand Down, and Project Homeless Connect. Conducts outreach to and engagement of homeless individuals in San Diego County Participates and attends staff meetings, trainings, and other meetings as assigned. Utilizes evidence-based practices, including, but not limited to Motivational Interviewing, Housing First, Harm Reduction and Trauma-Informed Care. Provides culturally competent services. Works well with TAY, PEH, clients involved with the justice system, immigrants, refugees, and other culturally diverse participants. Provides all documentation compliant with agency, state, and county requirements in a timely manner. Completes assigned work in a timely and effective manner for the program to meet contracted annual performance goals and objectives. Provides all other related services required by the county contract's Statement of Work. Other duties as assigned. Accountability: Reports to UPAC's Program Manager for Alternatives to Incarceration. Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with qualified disabilities to perform the essential functions. Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Prolonged periods of standing and walking. Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times. Minimum Requirements, including linguistic and cultural skills, education, experiences, licenses and certifications: Minimum of one year working with individuals experiencing homelessness and/or justice-involved populations. Experience developing a network of property owners, landlords and other housing providers who are agreeable to rent to clients. Ability to establish and maintain supportive relationships with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Demonstrated experience in housing needs of individuals with mental health diagnosis and/or substance use disorder and ability to generate a variety of housing options. Familiarity with harm reduction, trauma-informed care, housing-first, and COACH principles. Demonstrated success completing accurate and timely documentation. Must have a satisfactory driving record. Able to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing. Intermediate knowledge of computer software (Microsoft Office, Word, Excel) and web navigation. Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality. Reliable and consistent attendance. Preferred: bilingual and bicultural in one of the County of San Diego threshold languages: Spanish, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, Persian, Somali, Filipino (Tagalog), and Vietnamese. Due to our work with vulnerable populations and county contractor requirements, applicants will be required to undergo a background check following a contingent offer of employment and must receive satisfactory results prior to a final offer of employment. If you have any questions regarding this requirement, please feel free to reach out to HR@namisd.org.

Keywords: NAMI San Diego, Lake Forest , Housing Navigator (Alternatives to Incarceration), Social Services , Lemon Grove, California