What is the role of the Housing First Case Manager

A Housing First Case Manager (HFCM) is a trained professional that supports individuals/families in securing and maintaining housing. At the same time, the HFCM is promoting awareness and teaching strategies that reduce the likelihood of a return to homelessness in the future.

The HFCM works in partnership with individuals/families to provide individualized and flexible services to;

  • Engage individuals/families
  • Support individuals/families
  • Integrate individuals/families into the community
  • Facilitate resources and supports to maximize individual/families independence and potential
  • Assist individuals/families to identify strengths and needs and create goals with specific tasks to reach those goals.

HFCM are a key component in the Housing First Program and should work as a team following a few team based approaches:

  1. Collaboration and cooperation — a true team approach, involving several people with different backgrounds, skills and areas of expertise;
  2. Right matching of services — person-centered and meet the participant where they are at;
  3. Relative case management — Housing First Case Managers must take account of age, ability, culture, gender and sexual orientation. In addition, an understanding of a participant’s personal history (of violence, sexual abuse or assault, for instance) to create goals with participant;
  4. The right kind of engagement — building a strong relationship based on respectful encounters, openness, listening skills, non-judgmental attitudes and advocacy;
  5. Coordinated and well-managed system— Advocate when presenting participant files to referral agencies to assist in a solution-focused approach; and
  6. Evaluation for success — the ongoing and consistent assessment of case managed supports.