Outreach Specialist-sonoma County - Rohnert Park, United States - HomeFirst Services

Description

POSITION:
Outreach Specialist


LOCATION:
Santa Rosa/Sonoma County


HOURS:8:30am-5pm weekdays


SUPERVISOR:
CES Program Manager


STATUS:
Full-time, Non-exempt


COMPENSATION:
$23.10


AGENCY SUMMARY:

Established in 1980, with 40+ years of experience, we are the premier Silicon Valley provider of homelessness services. We believe that everyone has the potential to get housed and stay housed. We relentlessly focus on eliminating barriers to housing and creating stability for everyone we serve.

HomeFirst Services serves more than 6,000 adults, veterans, families, and young adults each year at multiple locations from Santa Clara County, southern San Mateo County, and Sonoma County.

Services include:

• Homelessness prevention
• Emergency and coldweather shelters
• Comprehensive Veterans' services
• Rapid Re-Housing programs
• Bridge Housing Communities
• Emergency Interim Housing
• Affordable permanent housing
• Permanent Supportive Housing
• Streetbased outreach
• Coordinated Entry System Operation

Benefits of joining the HomeFirst Team:

• Professional growth opportunities within the organization
• 100% medical coverage for employees with an opportunity to add dependents for a shared cost
• 401k match up to 5%
• 12 observed holidays
• PTO accrual begins with 120 hours annually and increases with tenure
• 4 hours of Community Engagement PTO provided annually
• Access to our Emergency Assistance Program (EAP) services
• Pet insurance options available

PROGRAM AND:

HomeFirst Coordinated Entry System Outreach team's purpose is to locate participants who have been identified as eligible for a housing intervention through the Coordinated Entry System who are not already connected to a provider for case management.

This team will reach vulnerable participants who have so far not been successfully referred to a housing opportunity because they are difficult to find within Sonoma County.

The CES Outreach team consists of two Outreach Specialists and a program manager.

The team will be headquartered in the HomeFirst Santa Rosa office and will respond to CES outreach needs throughout Sonoma County.

The Outreach Specialist is accountable to a high participant contact success, documentation and policy compliance, and maintaining effective partnerships in the community.

QUALIFICATIONS:


_ Knowledge and Experience_

• People with lived experience encouraged to apply.
• 1 years experience in human services preferred, not required.
• Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) degree or related human services field preferred, not required.
• Bilingual in Spanish and bicultural preferred, not required.

_ Skills and Abilities_

• Understanding of and sensitivity to the needs of the unhoused population.
• Ability to develop relationships with community partners and outside agencies.
• Ability to develop and maintain priorities and meet established deadlines.
• Ability to present oneself and the agency professionally to internal and external audiences.
• Ability to walk long distances on rough terrain (such as trails, creek sides, and hightraffic areas.
• Ability to lift and carry outreach supplies (usually in a backpack, up to 30 lbs.).

_ General_

• Other duties as assigned.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and basic elements of Excel.
• Valid CA driver's license and insurance, and reliable vehicle to use on the job (mileage provided).

QUALITIES:

• The Outreach Specialist prefers fieldwork over officebased work, and is _selfdriven and flexible _in a daytoday that rarely follows expectations.
• The Outreach Specialist has a "_whatever it takes_" approach to moving people into housing, meeting barriers with _creativity_ and meeting clients where they are.
• The Outreach Specialist is _persistent_ and takes an _inventive_ approach to locating participants and problemsolving barriers.
• The Outreach Specialist is highly collaborative and enjoys a _teamoriented_and _collaborative_ They actively drive progress towards shared goals for their participants among varying service providers.
• This position will connect highly vulnerable individuals with referred housing opportunities and various providers; the Outreach Specialist must be _organized and accountable _to multiple priorities.
• HomeFirst is a diverse company in a diverse field, and the Outreach Case Manager desires to work with people from a variety of social and economic backgrounds.

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:


_ Direct Services (60%)_

• Utilizes best practices in homeless services including: Housing First models with a strengthbased approach, Harm Reduction, Trauma-Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, Crisis Prevention and Intervention, and Safety Planning.
• Proactively advocates for participants and collaborates with community partners to successfully connect the participant with the referred housing opportunity and gather necessar