Outreach Specialist-Sonoma County

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 cold-weather shelters

·        Comprehensive Veterans’ services

·        Rapid Re-Housing programs

·        Bridge Housing Communities

·        Emergency Interim Housing

·        Affordable permanent housing

·        Permanent Supportive Housing

·        Street-based 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 POSITION SUMMARY:

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 high-traffic 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 office-based work, and is self-driven and flexible in a day-to-day 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 problem-solving barriers.
• The Outreach Specialist is highly collaborative and enjoys a team-orientedand 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%)

• Provides linkage and coordinate services to community resources, including health care and shelter, vital documents and benefits applications, family reunification, Housing Problem Solving, etcetera.
• Utilizes best practices in homeless services including: Housing First models with a strength-based 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 necessary documentation.

• Ensures homeless verification for participants follows HUD and contract standards.
• Conducts a warm handoff of the program participant to the identified supportive services provider.
• Refers located participants to service providers immediately and no later than one business day.
• Understands and engages in executing various outreach strategies to locate and re-engage participants in services.
• Provide access and coordination to emergency shelter, meals, showers, and laundry services to unsheltered program participants.
• Makes timely and accurate decisions in emergency or crisis situations with awareness of the need for the safety of all clients, staff, or volunteers involved.

• Ability to listen, comprehend, and effectively communicate information both in writing and orally with all individuals.
• Communicates effectively with service providers to complete warm hand off with clients.
• Other duties as assigned.

Documentation (25%)

• Documents, via progress notes in HMIS, all outreach activity within five usiness days.
• Maintains detailed, consistent case notes in HMIS and regularly updates necessary touchpoints.
• Gathers and uploads scanned documents and verifications.
• Tracks collections of documentation.
• Tracks located and unable to locate referrals through internal trackers etc.

• Monitors and updates outreach list/referrals trackers.

• Maintains physical case file paperwork and documentation as needed.
• Assists with data quality management of participant information and CES touchpoints in HMIS.
• Participates in ongoing analysis of and program alignment with industry best practices.
• Proactively and consistently improves the quality and effectiveness of program services.
• Additional data quality auditing duties assigned as needed.

General (15%)

• Attends all meetings and training relevant to this position.
• Assists with office-related tasks as needed.
• Works collaboratively with Program Manager and utilizes supervision appropriately, maintaining open lines of communication and providing updates on participants’ progress towards goals.
• Attends the regional By-Name-List meetings and reports out on progress with participants as needed.
• Properly reports any suspected cases of abuse.
• Maintains professional relations and conduct.

• Participates in training and education opportunities to maintain and improve proficiency.

• Knows and implements agency, program, and applicable county standards and policies and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

HomeFirst is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. Additionally, HomeFirst participates in the E-Verify program, as required by law.

HomeFirst is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please let your recruiter know.

HomeFirst mandates that all employees be vaccinated or render a religious or medical exemption effective September 13, 2021.