RONI Outreach Specialist

Job Details:
Level: Entry |

Location:

Dayton, OH 45402 | Position Type:
Full Time | Education Level: High School | Travel Percentage:
Up to 75% | Job Shift: First | Job Category:
Nonprofit - Social Services

The Outreach Specialist for the RONI (Runaway, Outreach, Notification, and Intervention) Project provides outreach, engagement, intervention, and case coordination services to youth and young adults ages 14-21 who are experiencing housing instability, have run away from home or congregate care settings, or are otherwise identified as at risk of running away. Daybreak serves as the lead non‑police response provider for youth who repeatedly run away, partnering with caregivers, child welfare, congregate care providers, schools, juvenile justice agencies, and community partners to provide a trauma‑informed, youth‑centered response.

The Outreach Specialist conducts outreach, intake, assessment, safety planning, crisis intervention, and ongoing follow‑up services designed to reduce repeated runaway episodes, strengthen protective factors, and connect youth to appropriate supports and resources.

• Respond to runaway and missing youth calls from regional dispatch, law enforcement, agencies, parents, guardians, and community members.
• Conduct street outreach to identify and engage runaways and missing youth, look in encampments, public spaces, and community locations, linking them to prevention, drop‑in, intake, shelter, housing, and supportive services.
• Provide face‑to‑face triage and crisis intervention in shelters, the Drop‑In Center, and community settings to address immediate needs and connect youth to Daybreak’s programs (shelter, employment, behavioral health, and housing).
• Build trusting relationships with youth and utilize evidence‑based practices (Trauma‑Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, Harm Reduction) to support engagement and progress toward stability.
• Conduct trauma‑informed intake interviews and individualized assessments to identify risk factors, service needs, family dynamics, placement stability concerns, and barriers to safety and permanency.
• Complete intakes, coordinated entry assessments, housing needs assessments, and HMIS documentation accurately and within required timelines.
• Complete screening and assessment activities to identify indicators of exploitation, labor trafficking, sex trafficking, grooming, survival behaviors, and other victimization risks, ensuring appropriate referrals and safety planning when concerns are identified.
• Develop individualized safety plans and intervention strategies using evidence‑based and trauma‑informed practices, including Motivational Interviewing, harm reduction, and youth development approaches.
• Collaborate with Daybreak teams (housing, employment, clinical, case management) and external partners (PATH program, Goodwill, Homeless Solutions Policy Board, PLACES, Five Rivers Samaritan Clinic, Children Services, schools, treatment providers, etc.) to connect youth to resources.
• Communicate with out‑of‑home placement providers, juvenile justice, child welfare, and community agencies regarding runaway reports.
• Maintain timely, accurate, and confidential client records in Care Logic and HMIS, documenting progress notes, service provision, and client outcomes.
• Attend and actively participate in staff meetings, case reviews, and engagement team meetings to ensure coordinated services and effective housing placements.
• Participate in multidisciplinary staffing and case review meetings to identify strategies that reduce runaway behavior, address exploitation risks, and improve outcomes for vulnerable youth.
• Represent Daybreak at community outreach events, presentations, and collaborative initiatives to strengthen referral networks and awareness of youth services.
• Follow RONI Project policies, procedures, and workflow requirements.
• Adhere to all grant requirements, reporting timelines, and documentation standards.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA and privacy laws.
• Participate in required trainings related to trauma, human trafficking, crisis response, and missing youth.

• Minimum of High School diploma or GED AND five (5) years’ working experience in a social services, education, behavioral health, or similar setting required.
• OR Associate’s degree in social work, psychology, criminal justice, or related field AND two (2) years of experience in a social services, education, behavioral health, or similar setting required.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience working directly with youth and young adults is required.
• Experience working with runaway youth, youth experiencing housing instability, child welfare‑involved youth, youth in congregate care settings, or youth at risk of homelessness, exploitation, or human trafficking is strongly preferred.