Calfresh Outreach Specialist - Bilingual

Are you a skilled professional who believes in lending your skills to end hunger during these unprecedented times? If so, consider being the CalFresh Outreach Specialist - Bilingual for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. Join our friendly, collaborative, and hardworking CalFresh team, reporting to the Associate Director of Programs Outreach - Bilingual. The CalFresh Outreach Specialist is responsible for increasing participation in San Francisco City and County’s CalFresh Programs through in person and virtual community outreach and education, direct services to clients, client advocacy, and collaboration with new and existing partners to promote services and programming. This role would work with a cross-agency team to create and staff mobile CalFresh enrollment events throughout SF City and County. This is a nationally funded project through Share Our Strength and the America Public Human Services Association in collaboration with SF Human Services Agency. The project runs through June 30, 2025, and employment beyond this date is contingent on funding. The internal application deadline for this role is 12/8/23.
Who We Are:
Our mission is to end hunger in San Francisco and Marin.
We envision a just and equitable society that nurtures a resilient community. We envision a community where everyone will have access to nutritious food of their choosing and will be uplifted by a network of support. We work with our community to create lasting solutions to address both the hunger we see today and the root causes that perpetuate food insecurity in our society. Every week, over 50,000 households count on us for food assistance. 60% of what we distribute is fresh fruits and vegetables.
Who You Are:
To excel in this position, you will need to approach the work with the following habits and values:
• Must have sensitivity to the needs of individuals who have experienced economic and educational disadvantages and/or who are from historically marginalized communities.
• Enjoy meeting new people in community settings; Ability to quickly build trust to promote the CalFresh program and application assistance services.
• Ability to maintain client confidentiality, diligently follow through with client-related tasks, and comfort with de-escalating challenging customer service situations.
• Comfortable working in diverse environments and interacting with people from a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
• You are bilingual and fluent in English and either Spanish or Cantonese. The ability to speak, read, and write in other languages beyond the above is a bonus.
• Interest in hunger or food issues, social justice, and community advocacy.
What You Would Be Accountable for:
The CalFresh Outreach Specialist - Bilingual will be responsible for the following key pieces of work:
• Outreach, Screening, & Application Assistance through mobile enrollment project and other CalFresh Outreach program initiatives. Provide Medi-Cal program outreach, screening, and application assistance as needed.
• Client Data Management & Tracking.
• Elevating best practices and escalating potential barriers to accessing benefits.
What You Would Be Doing Right Now:
Outreach, Screening and Application Assistance
• Develop an understanding of CalFresh and Medi-Cal program rules and regulations, as well as application and enrollment procedures (training will be provided).
• Outreach to diverse groups and individuals in person in community settings, over the phone, and virtually, to create awareness about the CalFresh food benefits program.
• Educate clients on eligibility for the CalFresh and Medi-Cal Programs and provide pre-screening and application assistance as necessary.
• Provide case management for clients requiring assistance to complete application process and maintain benefits.
• Network with other CBO staff while attending outreach/community events to find potential new outreach, education, and application assistance locations.
• Adapt existing educational and marketing materials for outreach to specific communities; For example, editing a PowerPoint for a 20-minute (presentation to Spanish speakers from content originally intended for English speakers
• When resources are available, provide all potential participants for eligibility to other food bank programming and make referrals or offer application assistance as appropriate. Participants will also be screened face to face.
Client Data Management and Tracking
• Track outreach activities, pre-screens, applications submitted, outcomes and other data from mobile enrollment project and other CFO initiatives.
• Track applications and referrals to other food bank programming.
• Maintain accurate database of client information.
• Maintain client confidentiality.
• Assist in identifying clients who could be helpful in media related events.
• Maintain accurate files and contribute to preparation of monthly reports.
Other Responsibilities and Expectations
• Assume responsibility for understanding and learning about CalFresh and other public benefits as well as their impact on clients’ lives. Training will be provided.
• Provide feedback to internal and external stakeholders regarding barriers faced by clients in accessing and maintaining CalFresh benefits.
• Share feedback and learnings with team regarding ways to strengthen program policies and procedures and tools to serve more people efficiently.
• Availability to work evenings and weekends, as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.
What Else You Should Know:
All internal candidates must apply using their Food Bank work email within 10 business days of posting to be considered.
PREFERRED
EXPERIENCE: Lived experience using social services, public government benefits, or having faced multiple barriers to accessing public benefits. One or more years of experience in the non-profit or social services sector working directly with clients and/or community engagement is preferred. Experience working with clients facing multiple barriers to receiving services is preferred. Knowledge of Bay Area food security landscape preferred.
KEY KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:
• Fluency in Cantonese, Spanish, or another of the core languages spoken in SF county is required. Proven record of accuracy in completing, tracking, and reviewing data.
• Dependable in maintaining a flexible schedule and communicating changes when needed.
• Demonstrated ability to follow established procedures and organize, plan and carry out activities to meet specific timelines.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:
• College graduate or equivalency preferred.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: This position is set in a Hybrid environment. The physical and environmental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
POSITION COVERED BY OPEIU LOCAL 29 BARGAINING UNIT.
SALARY: The position is Fulltime. The starting salary for this position ranges from $54,441.57 to $57,306.54 per year, with exact salary depending on experience.
BENEFITS: All positions are offered generous holiday and sick time as well as retirement savings. This position also qualifies for medical, dental, life, long-term disability, and vacation time.
The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we value having staff who come from communities that we serve. We especially encourage people of color, folx from the LGBTQIA2+ community, and people with disabilities to apply. In accordance with and support of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we encourage formerly incarcerated individuals and those with arrest and conviction records to apply.