Outreach Worker

Outreach Worker Position
About Focus on Renewal:
The Focus On Renewal Sto-Rox Neighborhood Corporation (FOR) was founded in 1969. FOR founders led a group of mobilized citizens and community activists to create an umbrella organization for much needed social services now ranging from food security, nutrition, early-childhood education, support groups, crime prevention and mental health services. Also included are arts programs for all ages and access to the Sto-Rox Public Library.
Position Description
The Outreach Worker is responsible for recruiting and engaging directly with identified and referred participants in the Allegheny County Community Violence Reduction Initiative transitional employment program and service delivery program. This program is designed to support participants ages 18 and older who have experienced high levels of trauma, and who are likely to be victims or perpetrators of violence. This program is adapted from the READI Chicago model and developed in partnership with Heartland Alliance.
The Outreach Worker is responsible for practicing relentless engagement, reaching out to the highest risk individuals in the community and working with them to prevent violence by modeling prosocial behaviors. The Outreach Worker engages participants in positive activities, accompanying them through the case management process and connecting participants to additional services that the organization and partners offer. The Outreach Worker addresses barriers to program entry to ensure participants' meaningful participation.
The position requires an innate understanding and personal knowledge of the specific communities as it pertains to gang and group violence, territory, and service providers. The candidate should have experience in working with and engaging at-risk young adults and adults in structured leadership development activities. The Outreach Worker will report directly to the Site Staff Supervisor.
Duties

• Attend regular staff meetings, partner meetings, one-on-one supervision meetings, and community meetings.
• Participate in trainings to learn the principles of trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, conflict de-escalation, harm reduction, and other relevant concepts, and apply that knowledge in daily interactions with participants.
• Practice relentless outreach to ensure continued participant involvement in the program, including frequent attempts/contact with participants through home visits, street level engagement, relationship building activities, and prison or jail visits. Reach out to participants through referrals from approved partner institutions and organizations including (but not limited to the justice system, probation, and parole.
• Work with staff and other approved contacts and partners to identify potential participants who are the most at risk.
• Use assessment tools in the field, in combination with community intelligence, to effectively identify individuals at the highest risk of violence.
• Carry a caseload of approximately 15 participants.
• Serve as a general advocate for participants; provide mentoring and supportive case management services to participants in collaboration with Transitional Jobs (TJ) partner.
• Utilize trauma informed approaches and practices to support participants; establish constructive relationships with participants as a positive role model; facilitate conversations that are participant driven and utilizes restorative practices in all interactions with participants.
• Develop and deliver one-to-one support sessions with participants that support conflict resolution and adoption of prosocial behaviors
• Provide linkage and support for individuals to enhance their use of opportunities and programs in the community (job programs, GED, drug treatment, mentoring, etc.)
• Work with staff to facilitate proper referrals and supportive case management for court advocacy, school enrollment, counseling, substance abuse services, employment, job training, etc.
• Work with staff to support participants' success in the program. This includes, but is not limited to, acting as support staff by attending cognitive behavioral groups, being present during morning check-in, assisting at work sites, etc.
• Ensure timely information about potential and current participants and their safety is clearly identified and communicated, both verbally and in writing, to all staff. This includes but is not limited to hot spot mapping, work crew, providing information in ongoing case reviews, etc.
• Prepare and submit reports per contract and as requested, including incident reports.
• Enter timely program information into the appropriate data management system; document detailed case notes and other items as assigned.
• Outreach to the community (individually and as a team member) to build strong relationships with youth, residents, businesses, and community groups
• Offer support services to participants' families.
• Elevate the field of Street Outreach by modeling professional behavior and honoring commitments.

Requirements
Qualifications

• High School Diploma/GED and two years of formal employment experience working with high-risk, street-involved, or other vulnerable populations, or one year of formal employment experience working with vulnerable populations in combination with one year of volunteerism with high-risk, street-involved populations.
• Bachelor's degree preferred; Associate's degree or 60 credit hours from an accredited institution highly desired.
• Excellent verbal communication skills and ability to communicate effectively in writing.
• Computer literacy commensurate to complete job duties.
• A valid driver's license is required. Must have a clean driving record (including but not limited to no convictions related to reckless driving, DUI, and no license suspensions/revocations in the past three years) as determined via a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) obtained (annually) by the hiring organization.
• Shows initiative in community involvement.
• Has an understanding of root causes of violence.
• Has shown concrete steps in advancing their lives. Areas of advancement include but are not limited to education, vocation, recovery, and/or well-being.
• Demonstrates emotional maturity; good judgment; integrity; tolerance of differing points of view and beliefs; commitment to nonviolence
• Experience or training in crisis intervention preferred.
• Experience working on a team preferred.
• Ability to demonstrate empathy with participants and effectiveness in engaging target population.
• Ability to work one-on-one and in groups with high-risk individuals to resolve conflicts and promote prosocial behaviors.
• Willingness to work on the street and in other unstructured situations.
• Willing to work late nights and on weekends.
• Individuals with criminal records and other lived experience are encouraged to apply.
• No current group or gang affiliations; no pending criminal cases.
• Must have a current Act 33/34 on file.
• Covid 19 vaccination is required.

Physical Demands
The physical 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.

• This position requires travel to sites across the region, including program sites, transitional
• jobs placement sites, unsubsidized employer partners, and other stakeholders
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.
• The employee is required to use hands to key, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee is regularly required to sit, stand and walk.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

Salary and Benefits

• Salary range is fixed and non-negotiable at $40,000 - $44,500
• Benefits medical insurance, dental insurance, 403(b) plan, paid vacation, paid sick time, paid personal time, paid holidays, Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

For more information on READI, a program originally launched in Chicago by the Heartland Alliance, please visit: https:// www.heartlandalliance.org/readi/
For more information on Focus on Renewal, please visit: https://www.forstorox.org
An Equal Opportunity Employer
Salary Description
$40,000-$44,500