North County Outreach Specialists

Outreach Specialists

New Beginnings is seeking a highly motivated self-starter to join our Outreach Team to provide services to individuals experiencing homelessness in Santa Barbara County. Responsibilities include providing outreach and case management to unsheltered homeless individuals, with a focus on our Safe Parking and Supportive Services to Veterans clients. Utilizing New Beginnings’ integrated approach for Street-Based Outreach, the Outreach Specialists provide outreach/engagement and case management services to quickly assess client needs, provide immediate interventions, and consistently connect clients to appropriate services.

Outreach Specialists perform screening assessments, make appropriate referrals, connect clients to social services, and manage substantial documentation requirements.

The Outreach Specialist will be able to represent New Beginnings in a diplomatic and professional manner with partners, funders, law enforcement, and other agencies and government city/county entities. The Outreach Specialist will participate in a cross-agency, multidisciplinary approach to engage the hardest-to-serve homeless individuals and connect them to services.

The selected candidate may need to travel between different sites within Santa Barbara County but will generally be co-located in our Santa Maria office.

The Outreach Specialists will be in the field 70% of the time:

• Understanding of the issues faced by homeless individuals and other marginalized populations in crisis
• Conducting assessments for clients in the field to identify and connect them to proper interventions and services
• Providing street-based case management services to clients in the community with the goal of linking them to long-term supportive services. This includes:
  • Assistance with benefits establishment
  • Assistance with obtaining personal identification documents
• Providing linkages to ongoing services including but not limited to: healthcare, substance abuse, mental health, legal, education, employment, entitlement benefits, or housing waitlist.
• Providing transportation and accompanying clients when necessary to access medical care, obtain shelter, and attend appointments to provide support, advocacy, and assistance
• Collaborating with community providers to ensure a smooth transition from street living to housing and access to all necessary services
• Actively listen to participants and engage in appropriate problem-solving strategies through trauma-informed conversations.
• Ensure all documentation is completed and managed according to policies and procedures.
• Provide emergency service referrals (crisis housing, drop-in centers, domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, mental health, extreme weather)
• Ensure compliance with all documentation
• Attend staff meetings, case conferences, training workshops, and community meetings as needed.
• Participate in audit preparations, assisting with data retrieval.
• Work independently, organize and prioritize work, and meet critical deadlines
• Handle multiple tasks with competing priorities
• Be open to change and new information and adapt behavior and work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, and unexpected obstacles.
• Exercise appropriate judgment in answering questions and releasing information; analyzing and projecting consequences of decisions and/or recommendations
• Develops, implements, and revises individual case plans and consistently monitors
• Maintains a high level of ethical conduct regarding confidentiality, dual-relationships, and professional stature.

• Valid California Class C Driver’s License at time of appointment.
• Access to reliable transportation with required liability insurance for job-related travel.
• Experience in a social services setting with working knowledge of case management systems and planning techniques.
• Knowledge of housing resources, subsidy programs, entitlements, and services for individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Experience working with homeless individuals and families is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders is…