Homeless Outreach Specialist 1

Description

About Interfaith Community Services:

As North County's largest social services agency, Interfaith Community Services has been "helping people help themselves" since 1979. The organization provides a wide range of programs designed to empower hungry, homeless, and low-income community members to begin a pathway towards self-sufficiency. Each year, Interfaith Community Services impacts more than20,000 community members by providing basic needs and nutrition support, social services, shelters and housing, employment development, senior services, veterans programs and addiction recovery support.

Together, in partnership with 250+ diverse faith communities, more than 1,700 recurrent volunteers, and a growing staff of over 275, Interfaith provides a safe-haven and pathway towards self-sufficiency for more than 20,000 community members annually.

If you're passionate about making a difference and thrive in a service-driven environment, we invite you to be part of our mission!

What You'll Do:

In the Homeless Outreach Specialist 1 role, you’ll provide field-based outreach, short-term crisis intervention, and case management to individuals experiencing homelessness with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and Serious Mental Illness (SMI). The Homeless Outreach Specialist will provide outreach and short-term case management to the North County region to connect individuals experiencing homelessness to housing, health, and other supportive services. The position will attend and support case conferencing and ensure that clients with ongoing treatment needs are successfully connected with appropriate community-based treatment programs. The position will interact closely with the interdepartmental treatment team of behavioral health clinicians, clients, homeless outreach workers, community partners, program leadership and staff.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Conducts outreach and engagement with individuals experiencing homelessness
• Identifies, engages and links underserved populations with SUD and behavioral health services
• Provides direct services to homeless clients and families, which include: intake, assessment, referrals and case management as well as client advocacy with the goal of supporting self-sufficiency
• Outreach teams will employ a regionalized, neighborhood-based model to build collaborative relationships with unhoused individuals as well as community stakeholders
• Provides direct services to clients including short term counseling, crisis intervention, an linkage with longer term services
• Participates in outreach events for the purpose of engagement and client linkage
• Participates, when appropriate, in case conferences for clients receiving counseling services
• Develops and maintains effective relationships with mental health providers to ensure that clients with ongoing treatment needs are successfully transferred to longer term services
• Maintains accurate records and files and prepares reports as required by funders and agency administration
• Enter data into the regional Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) client database, the Coordinated Entry System (CES) and/or other electronic data systems as required by funders and Interfaith
• Monitors compliance with grant and contract requirements. Makes recommendations to supervisor regarding any program changes needed to meet grant benchmarks
• Ensures the confidentiality of client information and health records
• Meets regularly with supervisor and participate in agency meetings and staff trainings
• Provides trauma informed and culturally competent client services
• Performs additional duties as assigned

Requirements

Who You Are:

You're passionate about making a lasting impact, whether supporting individuals directly or enhancing our organizational effectiveness. To thrive in this role, you'll:

• High School Diploma, required 
• Bachelor’s degree in related social services or equivalate years of relevant work experience, preferred
• Experience working with severely mentally ill, medically fragile, and homeless population, preferred
• Bilingual (English/Spanish), preferred

SKILLSETS / ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must have experience and knowledge of working with disenfranchised individuals, families and cultures
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple deadlines and working effectively under pressure, using independent judgment to produce quality work under time constraints
• Demonstrated experience working with a collaborative team to drive successful projects to completion
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret quantitative information
• Advanced knowledge of Windows operating systems as well as Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint)
• Ability to communicate effectively among a diverse workforce population and maintain sound working relations with all levels within the organization
• Work with spirit of enthusiasm, teamwork, cooperation and a sense of urgency
• Maintain a high degree of confidentiality over all matters in the course of business operations including client and employee information
• Ability to multi-task in an efficient, thorough, and prioritized manner
• Ability to work quickly, accurately and independently
• Ability to anticipate needs, prioritize work and solve problems

WORKING CONDITIONS / PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

• Must be able to perform work both in a climate-controlled office setting
• Must have physical ability to walk outdoors in weather conditions year-round; traveling in the community, parking lots, sidewalks, alley ways and within canyons, freeway underpasses, fence lines along canals and behind private property
• Must have the physical ability to sit for long periods of time, stand, walk, bend, and kneel on a frequent basis
• May be subjected to adverse conditions, including contact from hostile people
• Low to moderate exposure to contagious diseases (hepatitis, HIV, tuberculous, etc.)
• Low to moderate exposure of unpleasant and noxious fumes, odors, dust, temperatures, noise and inclement weather
• Occasionally lifts, carries and balances objects weighing up to 30 pounds
• Pulls and pushes such objects as file drawers, computers and similar office equipment and supplies
• Prioritizes and multi-tasks work and projects requiring good memory, concentration and analytical thinking
• Occasionally is required to perform the safe operation of a vehicle, office equipment and machines, and recognize and abate safety hazards within the workplace
• Must be able to communicate verbally and in writing frequently with a wide range of people from divergent socio-economic backgrounds and origins
• The noise level in the work environment is usually low

Location: Onsite/Escondido

Hours: Monday-Friday: 8am-5pm

Hourly Rate: $24.89- $27.83

EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays – 13 scheduled
• Flexible Work Schedules
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• AD&D / Group Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts – Medical and Dependent Care
• Matched 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Early Release Days!
• Work Anniversary Bonuses
• Tuition Reimbursement and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Eligibility
• Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
• Home Ownership Assistance Program
• Casual Work Environment
• Professional Growth and Career Development Opportunities

Interfaith is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, pregnancy, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, nationality, sex, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local