LEAD Outreach Specialist

TITLE:                 LEAD Outreach Specialist     

DEPARTMENT:   Grants & Community Initiatives  

REPORTS TO:    Grants & Community Initiatives Director  

SALARY:             Part-time position, temporary position. 20 hours per week at $30.00 per hour. Grant funded position; employment not                              guaranteed beyond grant period of June 30, 2025.        

*Candidates for this position will need to undergo a background check

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 

The Airway Heights Police Department operates the Law Enforcement-Assisted Diversion (LEAD) model under the Arrest and Jail Alternatives (AJA) grant through state funding. The LEAD model provides case management, outreach, and crisis intervention for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability, unmet behavioral health needs, and frequent law enforcement interaction.

The goals of the program are to reduce arrests, jail time, and emergency service utilization and increase access to non-emergency behavioral health services and overall wellbeing in the target clientele, while reducing overall costs to the justice system. This position will work closely with LEAD case managers, behavioral health service providers, housing specialists, crisis responders, law enforcement, corrections, and other agencies to coordinate wraparound services intended to help generate meaningful change.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The LEAD Outreach Specialist, is tasked to field new requests for individuals to enroll in the LEAD program, conducts intakes and initial assessments, and helps re-engage participants who have become inactive. 

The position will spend time fielding phone calls from referring parties, assist case managers in supporting participants, and provide observations on appropriateness for LEAD at the bi-monthly Operations Work Group (OWG) meetings. Job duties are outlined below.

This position may be exposed to high risk physical and emotionally volatile situations because of the trauma, substance misuse, mental health issues clientele may be experiencing.  Other hazards that this position may have exposure to are agitated and threatening clients, needles used for intravenous drug use, other drug paraphernalia and bodily fluids and refuse. The LEAD Outreach Specialist will outreach with Co-Responders and their officers when safety concerns are present.

The LEAD Outreach Specialist must be prepared to operate independently and utilize critical thinking to make key decisions without an available supervisor to direct them at all times. 

DUTIES     

·         Provide street-based outreach and engagement services to individuals who are or are at risk of becoming involved with the criminal justice system due to a substance use disorder or co-occurring behavioral health issue

·         Meet program participants where they are or via referral from partners, to perform intake on participant applicants interested in enrolling in the LEAD program

·         Collect initial disposition and personal information from potential participants for Case Manager review

·         Be a point of contact and primary liaison with law enforcement, the community, and others making LEAD referrals. This may include "after hours" referrals which will need to be triaged either at the time of the call or the next day. 

·         Provide street outreach to engage referred individuals and help facilitate the transition to the assigned Case Manager 

·         Follow up with individuals who may show signs of disengagement from services and otherwise help Case Managers minimize disengagement among participants

·         Support reporting requirements as needed

·         Ensure confidentiality of all LEAD participants, current and former.

·         Provide timely, accurate, and complete reporting on cases in Julota or other health records systems, subject to regular review by supervisory staff, funding organization staff, and/or project manager.

·         Offer wraparound services to participants for housing support, food and nutritional assistance, workforce re-entry assistance, mental health support, substance use treatment referrals, and other support as needed.

·         Be familiar with the harm reduction model as it relates to the core principles of this model.

·         Attend training and conferences as requested and required by funding organization. All travel expenses will be paid by the City of Airway Heights.

JOB CONDITIONS 

The LEAD Outreach Specialist will work from the Hope and Healing center and community settings. The Hope and Healing center is located next to the Airway Heights Police Department. The work primarily occurs in outdoor areas including sidewalks, unsanctioned homeless encampments, transitional housing, as well as in jails and medical/treatment facilities. Typical work schedule will be Monday – Thursday, 4-hour block in the mornings or afternoons between the hours of 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Regular working hours may vary.

Salary : $30