REACH Outreach Specialist - South King County

Description

Title: REACH Outreach Specialist

Location: South King County (Burien/Renton)

Pay Range: $72,500-$74,500

Schedule: M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM

Work at Evergreen Treatment Services and make a difference in our community!

• ETS has been working to transform the lives of individuals and their communities through innovative and effective addiction and social services in Western Washington for over 50 years. Learn more about our mission and values.
• Change begins within. We strive to foster and sustain a diverse and inclusive community within our organization. Find out how we are working to achieve racial equity, health equity, and community justice.
• Our Clinic Services and REACH teams bring critical professional expertise and heartfelt compassion to the work they do every day to serve our most vulnerable community members. Check out the compelling stories told by our patients, clients, and staff members that provide more information and a clear picture regarding our organization’s essential work.

REACH Mission and Values:

The REACH Program works with individuals experiencing homelessness and behavioral health conditions to help them achieve stability and improved quality of life. The REACH mission is to foster community health and safety through outreach, relationship, healing interventions and systems advocacy for people who use drugs. REACH provides outreach-based-care coordination, multidisciplinary clinical services, and supports to access and maintain housing. All services are based in principles of harm reduction that offer respect and dignity to individuals moving through stages of change in their lives.

REACH incorporates a racial equity lens that includes naming the impact and actively dismantling systems of oppression rooted in White Supremacy, while addressing the root causes perpetuating historical trauma and immense suffering in individuals’ lives. We are committed to building a robust behavioral health response that diverts people away from jail by rebuilding community and providing services to ensure those presently marginalized aren’t just surviving, but able to thrive.

REACH offers an array of services ranging from survival support provided where folks are living outside to linkages to essential resources such as housing, assistance to resolve legal issues, health care, entitlements and easily accessible treatment for substance use disorders and mental health conditions.

The REACH team is passionate about creating a hospitable and welcoming environment for all people while providing quality services on an individually tailored basis to our clientele. REACH values diversity of lived experience, is committed to racial equity and social justice, and appreciates hard work, creativity, and a good sense of humor. People who have been impacted by the criminal legal system are encouraged to apply.

This dynamic position plays an important role in helping ETS accomplish our mission!

Job Summary:

• The SKC Outreach Specialist role is part of the outreach team that supports REACH’s mission through engaging clients living on streets and encampments with low barrier resource navigation, maintaining engagement with case management services, and establishing partnerships with other providers and organizations to coordinate care. The REACH Outreach Team conducts assessments and provides referrals to services such as shelter, case management, behavioral and physical healthcare, substance use harm reduction resources and education, and housing, if able. REACH services are person-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed, culturally relevant, and respectfully provided from a harm reduction perspective to promote client autonomy and dignity in how they access resources and services.
• The SKC Outreach Specialist will also be responsible for supporting partnerships with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA), community-based organizations, and neighborhood businesses in South King County.
• The SKC Outreach Specialist will work with city and service partners to create a coordinated street outreach strategy in targeted areas in SKC in order to demonstrate an effective, trauma-informed response to people living unsheltered and partner with REACH program staff to support clients enrolled in REACH intensive case management services.
• The SKC Outreach Specialist will work with the REACH Outreach System Coordinator to engage clients across SKC and identify opportunities to provide strategic outreach responses to support resource acquisition and distribution
• Watch this brief video that provides information about this role and working at ETS.
• The position is full-time in office and in the field, the location is at ETS’ Burien and Renton facilities, and the days and hours are Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm.
• The annual salary range for this position is $72,500 to $74,500. ETS strives to achieve pay equity and transparency as part of our goal to create an equitable workplace.

Requirements

Responsibilities:

• Help ETS succeed in carrying out our mission through working together with other staff to transform systems of harm and inequity to create different approaches to improving community health and safety through addressing substance use and homelessness.
• Assist with the organization-wide initiative to reimagine our interconnectedness within our community to overcome the aspects of our society and organizational culture shaped by white supremacy and settler colonialism.
• Provide outreach to folks living outside in South King County to conduct health and needs assessments and provide recommendations for services and resource distribution
• Go to sites where individuals experiencing homelessness are located, to make contact and explain the approach to potential clients.
• Assess client’s needs for mental health, primary medical care, and substance use according to their stage of change, focusing on reducing harmful consequences of behavior.
• Assess scope of need of unhoused client population in SKC and work with government and community partners to advocate for access to or creation of adequate services
• Refer clients to resources and services and support-maintaining engagement with service
• Develop and maintain a positive working relationship with program partners and referral sources to facilitate effective interagency collaboration and prevent duplication of services.
• Participate in case conferencing meetings for outreach and other homeless service providers to discuss clients with high barriers
• Maintain up to date data per REACH Outreach standards to coordinate care for clients and have accurate information on sites
• Document activities according to agency, contract, state and federal requirements.
• Connect with government and community entities to bring a coordinated system response, which may include:
• City and County coordinators
• Public health assessments and care
• Hygiene and sanitation services
• Waste removal
• Law enforcement coordination
• Benefits Assistance
• Participate in relevant stakeholders, government entity, and community meetings to respond to help create an effective system response.
• Maintain professional and ethical confidentiality practices while communicating with community partners to maintain client privacy rights and advocate for client needs
• Utilize clinical supervision, psychiatric consultation and peer support for exploring clinical intervention strategies, countertransference, resource development, self-care and burnout prevention.
• Provide services consistent with ETS/REACH program policies and procedures.
• Local travel on behalf of the Agency is a job requirement.
• Attend REACH team meetings and other required meetings at REACH and with program partners.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Note: New and/or different duties and responsibilities may be assigned to this job at any time.

Qualifications:

• Credential (License, Certification, Provider One, etc.)
• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Education and/or Relevant and Lived Experience (if applicable):
• Undergraduate degree with coursework in the social service field preferred.
• A minimum of two years’ experience in work related to social work or outreach programs.
• Demonstrated ability to respectfully engage with individuals experiencing homelessness and behavioral health conditions essential.
• Understanding and skilled at working with complex governmental and community partners to maintain service provision to clients
• Experience providing services from a harm reduction perspective highly desirable.
• Active, restriction-free Washington State Driver's License
• Required
• Knowledge and Skills:
• An understanding of racial justice and social equity and a commitment to helping create an equitable environment for all ETS clients and patients as well as fellow staff.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, patients, staff, and outside contacts from a wide variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds; good diplomatic skills.
• Ability to prioritize workload and activities of self and complete tasks in a timely and efficient manner.
• Must be able to pass a Washington State Patrol criminal background check.
• Ability to work very independently and seek supervision when appropriate.
• Strong interpersonal skills and verbal/ written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize workload, work independently, and complete tasks timely and efficiently.
• Dependable, able to work under pressure, receptive to change, willingness to learn, cooperative approach to problem solving.
• Flexible team player, with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion when handling highly sensitive information.
• Ability to set boundaries, resolve conflict and de-escalate issues.
• Computer literate, with basic knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, as well as a high level of initiative in keeping current with technological change.
• Ability to read and interpret general business correspondence, policies and procedures, referral information, financial documentation and applicable government regulations.
• Ability to write business letters, uncomplicated reports, instructions and procedures.
• Ability to present information effectively and respond to questions from clients, staff, referral sources and the general public.

Additional Essential Information:

Physical Conditions and Requirements:

• The employee may be exposed to illicit drug residues and fumes or other bio-hazardous materials when carrying out job functions. There is also potential for exposure to bloodborne pathogens. ETS will provide employees with appropriate training to limit the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Policies and procedures are in place addressing each item specifically.
• The employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear; frequently required to stand, walk, and kneel; occasionally to climb balance, or stoop; rarely to crouch or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, color, and peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate.

Equipment Used:

• Computer, photocopier, fax machine, phone, and use of the program vehicles.

Inclusivity and Reasonable Accommodation:

Evergreen Treatment Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

ETS will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation, or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship for ETS. We also seek to provide reasonable accommodation for the interview process.

Check Out ETS’ Excellent Benefits - Part of Your Total Rewards Package in this Role!

Key Benefits:

· Medical and Dental benefits, as well as voluntary Vision benefits.

· 403b Retirement Plan with employer match starting at 2% at 1 year, and Roth IRA.

· Basic Life/ADD/FSA  tax saving accounts for health and dependent care.

· Employee Assistance Program (EAP), voluntary long-term disability coverage.

· Vacation (2 weeks/year, access at 6 months), Sick leave (24 days/year, access at 30 days).

· Mental health leave (12 days/year, access at 30 days).

· Holidays (12 days/year) and one Floating Holiday per year.

Exceptional Perks:

· Wellness stipend ($50/month) to use for wellness benefits such as massage, fitness classes, gym membership, meditation, therapy, park passes, etc.

· Transportation stipend or pass and mileage and parking reimbursement when traveling for work.

· License renewal reimbursement and tuition/training assistance.

· Referral bonus ($100/$250) and sign-on bonuses for some positions at certain times.

· Longevity awards ($50 - $750 over milestone anniversaries, and for REACH programs).

· Discounts for Woodland Park Zoo, Verizon Wireless, and Corporate Shopping.

· Professional development: ETS is committed to supporting all staff in fulfilling their continuing education requirements and on their career paths so that ETS is a place to thrive long-term.

Explore Working at ETS and Apply for This Position!

· To learn more about ETS, visit our website at www.evergreentreatment.org.

· Evergreen Treatment Services acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe.

Salary : $72,500 - $74,500