PDX Outreach Practitioner

Job Details

Location:

Portland, OR 97202

Position Type:
Full‑Time/Part‑Time

Salary Range: $20.00 – $22.00 Hourly

Position:
Outreach Practitioner

Reports To:

Care Coordination Manager

Urban Alchemy is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform people and places through respect, compassion, and love. The organization works to heal communities challenged by extreme poverty, mental illness, addiction, and homelessness. Founded in 2018, Urban Alchemy has grown into a social enterprise with over 1,100 employees and operates in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles County, Austin, Texas, and Portland, Oregon.

The majority of employees, including leadership, have experienced incarceration and/or homelessness.

Urban Alchemy conducts outreach to adults experiencing homelessness in Portland, focusing on those living in encampments or on the streets. The Community Engagement and Outreach (CEO) Teams consist of two Outreach Practitioners and one Care Coordination Practitioner, and they work collaboratively to connect guests to services that meet their immediate and long‑term needs, with a particular emphasis on housing.

The Outreach Practitioner establishes positive relationships with individuals in unhoused communities, leveraging emotional intelligence to respond to crises calmly and effectively. The role requires collaboration with team members to implement evidence‑based strategies that support the well‑being and successful resolution of unhoused individuals experiencing distress.

• Position Specific:
  • Promote health and safety in the assigned area.
  • Build positive relationships and trust with community members.
  • Support unhoused individuals by connecting them with services and referrals.
  • Work collaboratively with Urban Alchemy staff and partners to serve people in need.
  • Help meet immediate needs of guests, including using Narcan for opioid overdose reversal.
  • Complete required data collection using Urban Alchemy’s digital platforms.
  • Provide trauma‑informed, harm‑reduction, strengths‑based, and person‑centered outreach.
  • Use a housing‑first approach.
  • Engage with individuals in distress, assess the cause, and use de‑escalation strategies.
  • Support individuals to resolve identified issues, deescalate conflicts, and manage heightened emotions.
  • Remain calm and attentive during crises, which may occur multiple times during a shift.
  • Practice self‑awareness, cultural humility, and sensitivity to power dynamics.
• Project Specific:
  • Provide transportation for guests to appointments and make home‑visits as needed.
  • Work flexible hours, weekends, and on‑call shifts.
  • Support all staff with meeting the needs of guests.
  • Work primarily in the field at various assigned locations, some of which may be remote.
  • Assist with scheduling and supervision as a Lead Outreach Practitioner.
• General:
  • Treat all Urban Alchemy guests, staff, and stakeholders with compassion and respect.
  • Use emotional intelligence to engage and connect with others.
  • Adhere to established procedures for a safe working environment, including OSHA, state, and local regulations and Urban Alchemy’s policies.
  • Attend orientation and any additional training required.
  • Wear Urban Alchemy uniform and .
  • Carry required safety and communications equipment.
  • Follow all Urban Alchemy policies, including safety guidelines.
  • Complete other duties as assigned in service to guests and stakeholders.

• Position Specific:
  • Work compassionately and respectfully with all backgrounds.
  • Show sensitivity to individuals with substance abuse, mental health issues (e.g., PTSD, psychosis, borderline behaviors, bipolar).
  • Have working knowledge of crisis intervention techniques and ability to implement them.
  • Understand housing‑first, trauma‑informed care, and harm reduction.
  • Demonstrate ability to collaborate and coordinate with other staff and agencies.
  • Maintain ethical and professional standards and boundaries.
  • Handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
  • Work well in a team with diverse populations and provide excellent customer service.
  • Maintain a calm demeanor in a high‑stress, dynamic environment.
  • Listen actively and…