What are the responsibilities and job description for the Outreach Case Manager position at Hope The Mission?
Summary of Responsibilities
Operating throughout the County of Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles for Homeless Street Outreach Program provides immediate case management support and intervention services to our community members experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County. The program is facilitated by a 100% field-based, street base team who implement a "whatever it takes' ' approach to ensure the individuals served gain immediate access to needed services and supports and are connected to long-term services.
As part of the Street Outreach Team, the Outreach Case Manager plays a key role in our work as one of the first points of contact for people experiencing homelessness. Utilizing Hope the Mission’s Street outreach integrated approach, they provide both outreach and engagement and case management services to quickly assess client needs, provide immediate interventions, and connect clients to appropriate services. Responsibilities of the Outreach Case Manager include:
Specific Duties
● Responding to requests to outreach services.
● Provide support and assistance to clients with accessing resources in the community.
● Conduct daily street outreach to develop relationships and build rapport with clients to assist them with finding a home.
-Conduct VI-SPDAT (Vulnerability Index-Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool), on all new clients to connect them to proper intervention and services. Document results, complete match initiation form, and submit all paperwork to CES Coordinator.
● Meet with established clients on a weekly basis to review, evaluate, and support goal completion.
● Provide street based, mobile case management services to connect homeless clients to long-term supportive services:
o Assist clients with the establishment of personal benefits including GR, SSI, TANF, Veterans Pension, etc.
o Help clients obtain various forms of identification including birth certificates and social security cards.
o Provide employment assistance, housing referrals, and health related assistance, as identified on the ISP.
o Assist with applications for supportive and subsidized housing and prospect potential locations for affordable rental housing.
o Provide ongoing information, referrals, linkages, and advocacy for all other identified needs.
o Assisting with housing location, temporary financial assistance, and assistance with benefit applications and accessing health services
● Providing crisis intervention services to the homeless community
● Monitoring client progression through their HSP
● Establish and maintain professional and positive relationships with staff, clients, and community providers.
● Adhere to housing first and harm reduction model of peer advocacy with clients. ● Conduct interactions with clients and other professionals in a respectful and courteous manner.
● Listen attentively to client complaints and suggestions and address their issues fairly and professionally, coordinate with immediate supervisor for supervision.
● Perform wellness check on existing clients and on all new referrals.
● Assist and support clients in maintaining cooperative and effective relationships with fellow case managers and landlords.
● Participate in staff meetings, trainings, conferences, program evaluation and program development.
● May be dispatched via county-wide referral system as needed.
● Must be able to operate a motor vehicle to perform the essential functions of the position. ● Demonstrate cooperative and professional behavior at all times and maintain a professional appearance.
● Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Other Duties
● Perform any other duties, projects and responsibilities as assigned by the Regional Manager.
● Maintain safety of participants, staff, volunteers, and visitors always diffusing potential disputes/confrontations.
● Night deployments as requested by the County of Los Angeles and weekend deployments are a must.
● Observe department guidelines to conduct personal business during breaks and lunch hours.
● Project a positive professional image and adhere to organizational dress code.
● Self identifies potentially unsafe systems/processes/situations and takes initiative to report to manager/supervisor.
● Observe department guidelines concerning absences and reports such absences in accordance with departmental procedures.
Accountability and Review
Position reports to: Outreach Program Manager
Performance Review: 90 days & Annually
Minimum Qualifications
● Two (2) years of experience in healthcare, case management, homeless services, or working with vulnerable populations or a related field preferred.
● All level of education and experience are welcome.
● Experience and general knowledge of working with individuals who may be mentally ill, HIV positive, and/or have chemical dependency issues is highly desired.
● Excellent written and verbal skills
● Ability to speak sufficient Spanish to communicate with homeless clients
● Proven experience teaching Life Skills
● TB test required.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
● Willing and able to work well with no- or low-income homeless individuals
● Have a high sense of morals and compassion for the homeless and their needs ● Demonstrates courtesy, mutual respect and compassion in dealing with others
● Initiates and presents positive solutions to problems
● Demonstrates effective working relations and works effectively as part of the team to facilitate the organization’s ability to meet goals and objectives
● Demonstrates a willingness to accommodate requirements or changing priorities in the workplace.
● Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
● Knowledge of how to work effectively in a harm reduction environment. Employment Classification
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Work Schedule: Full Time
PHYSICAL DEMANDS, ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, EQUIPMENT
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. Employee is required to: walk and climb stairs; Handle, finger, grasp and feel objects and equipment; Reach with hands and arms; Communicate, receive, and exchange ideas, information by means of the spoken and written word; Be mobile by moving oneself from place to place quickly and easily; Repeat various motions with the wrists, hands, and fingers; Be able to have visual activity for (including, but not limited to) administrative and clerical tasks; Drive vehicle in and around Los Angeles County; Be able to enter various buildings that may require climbing stairs. Be periodically subjected to outside environmental conditions. Use a desktop and/or laptop computer, copy, postage and fax machines.
