Outreach Coordinator/case Manager - Palm Springs, United States - Jewish Family Service of the Desert

Description

Jewish Family Service of the Desert (JFS) is a nonsectarian provider of social services serving Coachella Valley since 1982.

JFS programs are designed to increase mental and financial stability, reduce senior isolation, prevent homelessness, enhance quality of life, help seniors remain independent and age in dignity, help youth develop beneficial traits and skills, and support our local Holocaust survivors' every need.

Our mission drives us to provide for the social service needs of the Jewish and general community in this region.

Our services are open to all and are dedicated to promoting the well-being of people of all ages, incomes, and lifestyles.

In fact, more than 93% of our clients are from non-Jewish backgrounds, reflecting our inclusivity and our community's diversity.

JFS offers a wide array of counseling and social services that significantly impact the lives of many, and most of these services are free to the community.

Current services include (1) low
- to no-cost, in-person and telecare mental health counseling; (2) case management services that assist with connecting clients to available benefits such as Calfresh, LIHEAP, and others, and offer needs-based emergency financial assistance for necessities such as overdue rent and utilities, food, and medication; (3) Let's Do Lunch senior education and socialization program in six locations that offer free education, a nutritious lunch, cognitive exercises, onsite mental health interns, administration of a quarterly geriatric depression scale (GDS) to assess client mood, and connections to other services with the goal of helping clients remain independent and age with dignity; (4) Cafe Europa education and socialization program for our local Holocaust survivors; (5) Cafe Europa 2.0 events for local children of Holocaust survivors that provide a social forum for sharing of information, stories, and support; (6) monthly food distribution program in collaboration with FIND Food Bank to JFS clients in several locations; (7) weekly "well-check" phone calls to isolated seniors to assess their physical and mental health and offer connections to needed services; (8) Friendly Visitor program connecting individual volunteers with senior clients who are homebound or have limited mobility and may live alone, to provide companionship and support, reducing isolation; (9) needs-based camp scholarships up to $1000 for local youth; and (10) volunteer-based transportation services for medical appointments.

The JFS Outreach Coordinator/Case Manager is a unique non-exempt position, "officially" serving two distinct agency programs, while reporting to the Director of Community Outreach.

Outreach Coordinator
The JFS Community Outreach Department offers programs designed to:

• reduce isolation, especially senior isolation;

- increase understanding of and access to available community resources; and
- help our local seniors age in dignity, remaining independent as long as possible.

The following programs are served by the Community Outreach Department, and assignments in support of the following may be made:


Let's Do Lunch (LDL):

• LDL is a live, twohour event held regularly at six locations throughout the Coachella Valley. Clients receive education, a boxed lunch, connections to other JFS services as needed, and referrals to other local services. LDL clients are administered a quarterly geriatric depression scale (GDS) to assess mood, and clients whose score is deemed "troubling" are contacted by a member of the JFS clinical staff. Assistance in the oversight of LDL programming, with a desire to expand the program to new sites, may be requested.

Friendly Visitor (FV):

• FV connects JFS volunteers to clients in a oneonone program offering live interaction in the client's residence. Volunteers are asked to make "regular" visits to clients and report back any client concerns or successes. Assistance in recruiting volunteers, volunteer training, and client interaction may be requested.

Cafe Europa:

• Cafe Europa is a live, monthly event similar to LDL but specifically for local Holocaust survivors. As with LDL, assistance in event logistics and oversight may be requested; assistance with client transportation may also be requested.

Cafe Europa 2.0

• Cafe Europa 2.0 is a monthly, live meeting specifically for local children of Holocaust survivors. Currently, it is a social gathering, allowing participants a chance to share stories and otherwise interact with each other. Assistance in event logistics and oversight may be requested.

Monthly Food Distribution

• In collaboration with FIND Food Bank, JFS offers a monthly food distribution program on the first Friday of each month. Volunteers meet JFS staff in the JFS parking lot to offload foodstuffs from the FIND truck, and deliver items to various local locations. Assistance with these logistics may be requested.

Call Tree

• To offer regular interaction with i