Outreach Specialist

Housing Outreach Specialist

The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) is a non-profit organization established in 1976 to serve immigrants, refugees, and the broader community in Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to welcome, serve and empower refugees, immigrants and people across cultures and generations to reach their full potential.

POSITION:
Housing Outreach Specialist

JOB CLASS/GRADE:
Specialist 1 / Grade 8

WAGE:
Starting at $48,600 per year based on experience

LOCATIONS:
Multiple locations in the Portland area; including IRCO PIAFC, 8040 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland OR 97213, IRCO Africa House, 709 NE 102nd Ave., Portland, OR 97220

Hybrid schedule

FTE; FT/PT; STATUS : 1.0 FTE;
Full-Time with Benefits;
Regular

NUMBER OF POSITIONS: (2)

PROGRAM(S):
Multnomah County Homeless Services Dept Adult System of Care

SECTOR/DIVISION:
Housing & Supportive Services / Assets & Opportunity Building

REQUIREMENTS:
English Required; A second language in any Asian or Pacific Islander, African, Middle Eastern, Russian, or Hispanic language is preferred. Must be able to pass extensive background check. Must possess a valid driver's license, verification of current auto insurance, and have full use of an automobile during work hours.

The overarching goal of Multnomah County Homeless Services Dept Adult System of Care is to provide street-based outreach support to adults living outside or in places not meant for human habitation. Outreach and engagement services must actively provide hands-on system navigation and utilize flexible client assistance and/or rental assistance funds to remove immediate barriers to housing (such as securing vital identification documents or covering application fees).

Furthermore, outreach teams are expected to consistently utilize established referral pathways to connect individuals with essential behavioral and physical health services and ultimately facilitate successful hand-offs to placement programs.

The Housing Outreach Specialist will offer all reasonable resources to resolve homelessness for unsheltered individuals who are sleeping outside, in vehicles, encampments and other places not meant for human habitation. This may include, but is not limited to client advocacy, problem solving, needs assessments, crisis intervention and de-escalation with a focus on housing placement, as well as providing information and referral linkages to other services such as behavioral health recovery services, physical health services, employment and benefits access services, housing search, housing barrier removal, and housing placement services, as well as supporting individuals in navigating social-services systems.

• Travel to locations throughout Multnomah County, including the city of Gresham, using ArcGIS to encounter houseless individuals where they are, establish trust with them, and provide appropriate services when needed.
• Identify individuals living unsheltered within a defined geographic area, make contact, and establish credibility and trust through consistent and reliable visits and communication.
• Evaluate physical and mental health status of unsheltered individuals, identify immediate needs and safety concerns, and determine barriers to housing and services.
• Develop a clear and actionable plan based on the main barriers to housing the client has shared, create small tangible next steps with shared and specific responsibilities. This includes referring to various resources such as housing, shelters, food programs, healthcare, and other service providers, coordinating with mental health and substance use services, and assisting with transportation and transportation coordination to service appointments.
• Provide housing-focused case management, help gather identification and documentation, support the housing application process, and advocate with landlords and housing programs to enable successful housing placement for clients.
• Collaborate with other providers and partners within and outside of the geographic service area, as necessary, to meet clients' needs and remove barriers to clients' successful housing placement.
• Perform all…