Public Benefits Coordinator - Community Justice Support Center

The Public Benefits Coordinator (PBC) will be part of the multi-disciplinary team at the Community Justice Support Center (Support Center). Support Centers provide treatment, education, career counseling, and case management support to people that are justice-involved as an alternative to jail and prison. The PBC will be the Support Center subject matter expert on accessing public benefits such as Mass Health, SNAP, emergency and short-term housing, SSI or SSDI, and all other state or federal benefits for which Support Center clients may be eligible. By ensuring that clients are engaged with appropriate public benefits to address emerging needs the PBC will help clients become more responsive to treatment, education, and employment services delivered by Support Center staff as part of a treatment plan.

Responsibilities

The Public Benefits Coordinator shall:

1. Conduct intake interviews with Support Center clients to ascertain essential needs such as housing, food, healthcare, and personal finance.
2. Receive information from staff and actuarial risk/needs assessment tools to assist in determining client essential needs.
3. Within a Counselor Designated Organization (CDO), (By example, the CDO is Baystate Community Services Inc or Old Colony YMCA) be a Certified Application Coordinator to submit electronic benefits applications to MassHealth.
4. Under the auspices of the vendor organization, access DTA Connect to submit electronic benefits applications to SNAP for the client.
5. Have a mastery of eligibility requirements for SSI and SSDI and support eligible clients in their application for SSI or SSDI benefits.
6. Have a mastery of eligibility requirements for veterans benefits and support eligible clients in their application for such benefits.
7. Engage in continuing outreach to develop the latest information about benefits programs.
8. Engage in community outreach, as needed, to develop leads on benefit programs, whether public or private, to address unmet essential needs of clients.
9. Cross-train in actuarial assessment tools for risk/need, treatment planning, and contingency management protocols as needed.