Outreach Specialist
Outreach Specialist
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Not Disclosed
Salary Not Disclosed
1 Vacancy
Job Description
The Outreach Specialist is responsible for conducting street outreach and engagement with runaway homeless and street youth (RHSY) aged 24 and under. This position builds trusting relationships provides direct services and connects youth to shelter housing and essential resources. The Outreach Specialist is responsible to ensure a safe welcoming environment for youth at the DropIn Center. The role requires collaboration with community partners and adherence to a strengthsbased traumainformed approach to support youth in achieving stability and independence. This position will ensure that interactions interventions and environments at The Place are trauma informed and emphasize the physical and emotional safety of youth and staff.
JOB DUTIES
The duties of this position are performed personally in cooperation with your supervisor and/or in coordination with other staff.
- Conduct facetoface outreach in various community locations including downtown areas schools and shelters.
- Distribute outreach materials and raise awareness about available services.
- Provide gateway services such as food clothing hygiene products and transportation.
- Conduct initial screenings and assessments to identify the needs and risks of youth including those related to sexual abuse exploitation and trafficking.
- Connect youth to a case manager who will assist in developing individualized plans to support housing stability and independence.
- Serve as a liaison between youth and case managers to ensure they receive needed support.
- Coordinate with community partners for services such as mental health care substance abuse treatment education and employment support.
- Maintain accurate records and enter data into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
- Conduct followup meetings with youth to monitor progress and provide continued support.
- Provide crisis stabilization deescalation and safety planning for youth in distress
- Make appropriate referrals to emergency services shelters and crisis resources.
- Work closely with community partners including law enforcement schools and health providers to coordinate care.
- Participate in community meetings and task forces addressing youth homelessness.
WORK SCHEDULE
This position typically works between the hours of 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday (with some flexibility required to work evenings or weekends as needed to attend meetings and tend to urgent situations.. Schedule is 40 hours per week.
PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE
- Adhere to all Personnel Policies and Procedures for the Agency
- At all times maintain professional standards of performance demeanor and appearance; act as a role model both at and away from the Agency
- Maintain a creative teambuilding approach to job performance and seek to bring a constructive problemsolving orientation to all tasks
- Performs all tasks and responsibilities with attention to detail and in a complete and timely manner complying with agency policies and standards and conforming to the scheduling requirements of the job and program
- Maintain an awareness of the agencys mission and work to promote the positive individual and social change goals it embodies
- Exercise discretion and professional judgment at all times keeping with the responsibilities carried personally and by the agency for the
- Actively strive to upgrade professional skills through engaging in appropriate professional training and experience
- Actively strive to create and maintain a culturally sensitive trauma informed and appropriate environment through communication and interaction that demonstrates respect for diversity; while promoting the philosophy of trauma informed care in interactions with youth staff and individuals both internally and externally
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Employees in this position may be subject to long hours on their feet in an office outdoor and shelter environment that may frequently include physical conditions such as inclement weather or temperature extremes sharps and paraphernalia and interpersonal contact from nonemployees that include sexual innuendo and raw abusive or threatening language. Employees must be comfortable providing safer sex supplies and bleach kits to youth.
The PLACE provides personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety training to prepare and protect The PLACE employees in these uncontrolled environments. Compliance with safety protocol is required which may include the use of PPE involvement of law enforcement and/or enactment of emergency protocols detailed in The PLACEs Emergency Operations Plan.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Education & Experience:
- Bachelors degree in social work psychology or a related field preferred.
- Experience working with atrisk youth particularly those experiencing homelessness.
- Knowledge of traumainformed care harm reduction and positive youth development principles.
Skills & Abilities:
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Effective problemsolving and crisis intervention skills.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks in a dynamic environment.
Additional Requirements:
- Valid drivers license and reliable transportation.
- Must pass both federal and state background checks.
- Must be insurable as a driver on The Places auto liability policy.
- Computer proficiency including Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook Word PowerPoint Excel).
- Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.
- Ability to act with integrity professionalism and confidentiality.
- Strong analytical and problemsolving skills.
- Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Must be computer proficient and possess experience of Microsoft Office Suite (e.g. Outlook Word PowerPoint and Excel).
- Must pass both federal and state background checks as well as preemployment TB screening.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Employees are frequently required to sit stand walk use hands to handle or feel objects tools or controls reach with hands and arms and occasionally stoop kneel or crouch
- Requires manual and finger dexterity and eyehand coordination
- Able to speak and write the English language in an understandable manner
- Requires the ability to use department equipment such as telephones personal computers adding machines copiers fax machines etc. Position requires frequent use of computer and phone
- Able to hear well enough to communicate with employees and others
- Able to be on feet and mobile up to 8 hours a day
- Able to lift upto 50 lbs.
Required Experience:
Unclear Seniority
Employment Type
Full-Time
