Outreach Support Specialist

Outreach Position

PURPOSE. DIGNITY. ACTION. (PDA) strives to build robust support for non-punitive, community-based solutions to many public safety issues. With neighborhood and public partners and in partnership with community members actively seeking to move past experiences of harm and injury, we design and deliver widely supported initiatives that promote safety, restoration, and racial equity.

The Outreach position entails going out into the community to contact, develop rapport, and engage with individuals who are living outside. The position will provide services from a client centered, harm reduction approach, utilizing motivational interviewing skills. Outreach may also connect with community members and business owners to help inform them about current conditions for homeless individuals in the community and help strategize positive solutions to public safety and public health community concerns.

The nature of this position is extremely independent, requiring excellent interpersonal relationship and communication skills, common sense regarding personal safety, creative thinking, multi tasking and conflict resolution skills.

Essential Job Functions:

• Participant outreach and coordination
• Provide trauma-informed outreach, assessment and linkage to appropriate care for unsheltered individuals
• Coordinate individual referrals from outreach to shelter, temporary lodging, or other service resources when necessary
• Participate in case conferencing meetings for outreach and other homeless service providers to discuss clients with high barriers
• Work with Housing Case Manager as needed for CE and other assessments needed for direct housing placement
• Community outreach and coordination
• Outreach and engage community partners, businesses, organizations to foster connection and collaboration to advocate for client needs
• Serve as a liaison to business interests when necessary to communicate model and problem solve around the needs of unsheltered community
• Connect with government and community entities to bring a coordinated system response, which may include:
• Public health assessments and care
• Hygiene and sanitation services
• Waste removal
• Law enforcement coordination
• Benefits Assistance
• Other systemic services
• Program reporting and coordination
• Provide data and reports per contract requirements
• Participate in all outreach and other staff activities as needed
• Other duties as assigned
• General requirements, ability to:
• Implement harm reduction techniques within a participant-centered framework, e.g. motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, and low-barrier assistance
• Respectfully engage with individuals experiencing homelessness and behavioral health conditions
• Maintain confidentiality
• Work cooperatively, harmoniously and respectfully with co-workers, supervisors, participants, public, and customers
• Deal with a variety of people with diverse backgrounds
• Communicate effectively verbally and in writing
• Understand and follow verbal and written instructions
• Handle multiple tasks and priorities with interruptions
• Maintain case files and maintain file information in PDA's case management/data management systems

Essential

Job Qualifications:

• Experience working in programs that serve individuals with mental health disabilities and substance use disorder
• Clinical training or expertise in behavioral health
• Interest or experience in working with program participants who have difficulty engaging with traditional programs and have exposure/involvement with the criminal legal system
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds
• Ability to work effectively with participants displaying a wide range of behaviors
• Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration…