Provide face-to-face triage services for youth, ages 18 through 24, at the Gettysburg & St. Vincent De Paul Gateway Shelters, Daybreak or other community locations, to connect them to permanent housing. The Engagement Specialist utilizes the Housing First approach to solve the youth's immediate challenges to obtaining housing while reducing the time they spend homeless, avoiding recidivism and linking them to community resources to achieve long term housing stability.

This position has a critical responsibility to represent Daybreak by providing outreach services throughout the Miami Valley Community. Along with Outreach into the adult shelters, this position may be assigned presentations and/or ongoing off-site outreach services throughout the community.

Engage clients utilizing a progressive engagement approach linking them to Daybreak's programs as needed - (Shelter, Employment, Engagement, Therapeutic or Psychiatric services and Housing options) before youth are transferred to a Case Manager.

Engage with youth where they are at in the community such as schools, drug treatment, children services, other homeless providers and partnering agencies in order to get an intake completed or to give them information regarding our programs.

Works with other homeless providers and engages in community outreach activities such as street outreach with the PATH program through Miami Valley Homeless Opportunities, PLACES, Five Rivers Samaritan Homeless Clinic, Goodwill, Homeless Solutions Policy Board, HMIS and any other provider that is appropriate to meet the needs of the youth in our community.

Works closely with Daybreak's Drop-In staff.

Assess youth to identify housing needs and preferences, strengths, and barriers to housing, to effectively provide housing search assistance and advocate for shelter access. Utilize the Housing First approach, focusing on housing needs rather than service needs, when determining the most appropriate housing option, including but not limited to: Rapid Rehousing, Transitional Housing, Permanent Supportive Housing, Bridges housing, Public Housing, Low-income subsidized housing, Mental Health Housing, college housing, friends/family or FMR housing.

Provide CPT, TBS, PSR, CPST services dependent upon education and licensure, as needed. Ensuring program's paperwork and clinical services are completed in CareLogic within 72 hours per agency productivity standards.

Complete Coordinated Entries, Front Door Assessments and Entry/Exits into the county Homeless Management Information System.

Participate in weekly team Engagement meetings as scheduled.

Collaborate with Daybreak staff to gather the necessary documentation to attain the youth benefits eligibility, including but not limited to, Medicaid, POE, FDA, Tax Credit, Food Stamps and SOAR to move them into housing as quickly as possible.

Resolve screening barriers such as credit history, rental history, debt, legal issues, obtaining an ID or other documentation needed to submit rental and utilities applications.

Utilize CareLogic to perform Point of Entry (POE), Entry / Exit Packets and progress notes and, HMIS to enter and exit clients and administer Coordinated Entries and Front Door Assessments (FDAs).

Participates in weekly Incoming Client meetings, to present information gathered during the completion of a FDA and ongoing interactions in order to properly assess the needs and strengths of a client and refer clients to the best Housing Option according to the client's needs and program's expectations.

Utilize a progressive engagement approach maintaining the short-term nature of the assistance and coordinates moves with the client's service team to ensure a warm-handoff transition to their case manager and Housing placement.

Promote positive connections and communicate confidence to the youth when linking them to Daybreak and community resources to ensure housing stability including but not limited to, the Housing team, Employment team, OZ Works, Therapist, Case Manager and to avert potential housing retention barriers.

Emphasize on the youth's ability to remain housed and encourage them to build support and positive connections within and outside of Daybreak.

Meet with clients daily/weekly according to the client's plan and needs, to move them into housing as quickly as possible.

Engage and assist clients with problem resolution, crisis prevention and identify triggers that would put them at risk by providing solution-focused interventions and behavioral management utilizing evidence-based practices like Trauma-Informed Care, Harm Reduction and Motivational Interviewing to advance their progress toward housing goals.

Maintain accurate client's progress notes in Carelogic and updates to their Coordinated Entries in HMIS. This includes but is not limited to, triage assessment, intake paperwork, Medicaid and benefits status, drug screens and transfer documentation.

It is the policy of Daybreak to ensure that the facility is in compliance with all license requirements and that all employees are fit for duty. Once a conditional offer of employment has been given, Daybreak requires that all prospective employees sign a background check release form and pass pre-employment testing before a start date may be given.

Background Check

Daybreak is required by State of Ohio law to perform a criminal background check, which includes fingerprinting, of eligible applicants. In addition to the fingerprints, Daybreak requires the following additional background checks.

• Federal Exclusion databases including:
  • National Sex Offender Registry
  • Office Inspector General (OIG)
  • Nurse Aide Registry
  • SAM
  • of Developmental Disabilities (DODD)
• Motor Vehicle Report

Pre-employment Testing

The following pre-employment tests will be conducted at Daybreak's expense. Tests include:

• A tuberculin skin test or chest x-ray (by a physician of Daybreak's choosing)
• A urine drug screening (by a testing facility of Daybreak's choosing)

Should the pre-employment reviews indicate that the prospective employee does not meet the employment requirements, Daybreak has the option of either not hiring the person or postponing employment until the condition prohibiting employment has been removed.

If the background or pre-employment checks contain information that the applicant has committed, been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to any criminal offense, unless the charge was a minor misdemeanor not involving violence or a sexual offense at least 5 years old, or if the applicant refuses to submit fingerprints for a criminal background check, the conditional offer of employment will be withdrawn immediately.

Pursuant to SB 38 (child-serving agency), if it is determined that the applicant has committed one of the disqualifying events listed on the attached Ohio Revised Code Disqualifier sheet may prevent employment at Daybreak.