Outreach Specialist

Shelter Specialist, Outreach Job Description

Reports to: Program Manager
Department: Emergency Shelter
Region: Kern County

Schedule:

• Sat & Sun: 5:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
• Mon: 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Wed & Fri: 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Job Summary: The Outreach Specialist is a homeless shelter specialist tasked with common cleaning, logistics, and service-oriented job duties within the shelter, as well as a specific assignment of street-outreach duties during specific hours and days each week. While performing outreach duties, this person will address homeless issues and neighborhood concerns in an area directly surrounding one of Mercy Houses homeless shelters and serve as a point-of-contact for the program to the surrounding community. The main role of this position is to engage with nearby homeless persons on the streets, as well as with neighboring homeowners or businesses and promote safety and cleanliness in the immediate vicinity. The Outreach Specialist will provide referral and resource support to identified homeless individuals and be responsible for reporting daily on the state of the local homeless population and contacts met while on patrol.

Key Functions: The following reflects managements definition of essential functions for this job but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Management may assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. The Outreach Specialist will provide direct shelter support any time they are scheduled to provide logistics, and any time they are unable to complete outreach activities due to not enough staff (Outreach shifts require a minimum of two staff). Shelter Support activities will include but are not limited to:

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Shelter Support

• Assist in the implementation of daily shelter activities to ensure quality, client-focused, and trauma-informed delivery of services
• Encourage and discuss progress toward housing with shelter guests
• Assist with shelter setup, food distribution, and maintenance
• Assist with all cleaning duties and safety of facility including emptying trash cans and cleaning up spills, and general groundskeeping
• Provide safety and wellness checks
• Assist with receiving and verifying orders from vendors, completing tally sheets
• Post and update signs and service calendars
• Assist in the organization of supplies and facilitys needs

Street Outreach

• Canvassing a predetermined area near the facility within an area approximately -1 mile around the shelter, to engage with homeless individuals and local businesses

• Conduct neighborhood patrols to minimize potential impact on the surrounding community and use local maintenance resources to address blight and abandoned property
• Work in collaboration with other social service and shelter providers, including the faith-based community, in order to obtain referrals and participate in collaborative solutions
• Distribute basic needs items such as bus passes and resource referrals, as budget and availability allow
• Provide recent arrivals with information they need to deter them from taking up residency on the streets, such as referrals to shelter, to other service providers from areas they left, or connections to relocation programs
• Assist local police and fire departments in non-enforcement response where appropriate
• Report daily on outreach activities, new contacts made on the street, and the positive impacts the team makes on the community

Miscellaneous

• Perform ad hoc projects as appointed by Supervisor
• Provide additional training and resources for community outreach projects (e.g., point-in-time guidance, etc.)

Requirements:
Experience

• Must demonstrate working knowledge and mastery of trauma-informed care and non-physical de-escalation techniques
• Experience in crisis intervention and the ability to work effectively and safely around individuals suffering from active substance abuse and/or mental illness
Strong communication skills in English; fluency in Spanish or other second languages is of significant value

General Requirements

• Ability to work effectively with a diverse population
• Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize duties
• Ability to speak effectively before small groups
• Ability to clearly communicate information and instructions both verbally and in written form
• Ability to maintain a positive, professional, and safe environment while on duty
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to drive a personal vehicle short distances for targeted outreach
• Ability to walk or otherwise ambulate throughout diverse outdoor environments, including up curbs, staircases, and across various terrains (e.g., hiking down dirt paths or grassy areas)
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds at times

Core Competencies:

• Adaptability: Ability to adjust to different perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds, recognizing the diverse interconnectedness of individuals and communities
• Compassion: Demonstrate empathy and understanding towards others, acknowledging their interconnectedness and inherent worth
• Humility: Recognize ones own place within the larger interconnected web of humanity, showing openness to learning from others and acknowledging the contributions of all
• Build Trust: Excel in building and maintaining trust within teams and across organizational levels, consistently demonstrating integrity and honesty in communication, actions, and decision-making
• Accountability: Take responsibility for actions, admits mistakes, and continuously strives for self-improvement, and encourages a learning mindset within the organization
• Continuous Improvement: Commit to personal and professional development, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and encourages a learning mindset within the organization
• Communication: Excel in communicating clearly and persuasively through verbal, non-verbal, and written communication, conveying complex ideas with clarity, and fostering open dialogue across all levels of the organization
• Confidence: Exhibit courage in making bold decisions, taking action in the face of uncertainty, and embracing calculated risks on behalf of constituents
• Critical Thinking: Possess the ability to critically analyze existing policies related to homelessness and constructively advocate for changes that address systemic injustices
• Collaboration: Build and foster positive relationships with diverse range of stakeholders, including clients, coworkers, community organizations, and affected communities and effectively working toward the shared goal of ending homelessness
• Drive Change: Understand and embodies that every action is an opportunity to be innovative and draw ideas from others; implements valuable change to forward our mission and shares the whys behind changes