Community Resource Advisor

Inland Southern California United Way•Riverside, CA

3d•$20 - $25•Hybrid

About The Position

The 211 Contact Center connects over 200,000 community calls annually to expert, caring help with health and human services in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. 211 is the most comprehensive source of information about local resources and services in the country. We are the boots on the ground, the local experts who make finding help easier, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Community Resource Advisors (CRAs) are a passionate team of over 20 people who respond to local community requests for health and human services. As a CRA, you have a unique opportunity to build social sector experience and advanced customer service skills while providing the best quality service to improve lives. Specialized ongoing training equips CRAs with skills, knowledge, and tools to be successful in this position and beyond. CRAs are the frontline of information and referral for community members who need help with housing, food, utilities, childcare, transportation, healthcare, and other needs. Join a powerful team of changemakers!

Requirements

Applicants should have the education, experience, and/or training necessary to fulfill the job duties and responsibilities. Examples of how this requirement may be met include: o Bachelor's or Associate’s degree in health or human services such as social work, human services, sociology, psychology, public health, or a related field with 1 year of relevant experience; OR o High School Diploma, GED, or High School Equivalency with 2 years of relevant experience.
Must have: o Strong computer skills and competence in Microsoft Office environment. o Strong private internet connection when working remotely. o Willingness to become Inform USA Certified. o Commitment to attending in-person requirements such as working in-office when required for training or quality assurance and attending organizational gatherings. o Ability to complete crisis and suicide training within 90 days of hire. o Ability and commitment to using a trauma-informed and equity lens and empathetically respond to the interconnectedness of barriers experienced by participants.
Physical Requirements: Work is performed in an office using standard office equipment such as the telephone, computer, fax machine, and copier. Tasks include moving objects like laptops and chairs, repetitive wrist and hand motions, document preparation and analysis, transcribing information, navigating software, and prolonged sitting. These represent what is necessary to perform the essential duties. Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities will be provided, as required by applicable law.
Reliable Transportation: Employees in this role must maintain reliable transportation that ensures punctual and consistent travel to designated work sites, trainings, and off-site events such as community meetings and outreach events in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Standard commuting is not reimbursable.
Remote and Hybrid Work Requirements: For work performed remotely, employees must have access to a private high-speed internet connection and private work area in which nonemployees cannot access or overhear confidential information. Remote work locations are subject to the same professional conduct and safety requirements as in-person work. While some remote work may be possible; many duties must be performed in-person and/or on-site.
Communication: Demonstrate effective verbal and written communication skills, including but not limited to active listening and the ability to adapt communication style to the audience (e.g., colleague, client, external, in-person, virtual, or written), as appropriate to role.
Lived Experience: Applicants who share lived experience with the communities and populations we serve are strongly encouraged to apply. These are basic qualifications to meet the requirements of the position. However, we encourage individuals to apply if they believe they have the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to perform the job duties, even if their qualifications do not match 100%. We encourage applicants to think broadly about their background and skill set to thrive in the role.

Nice To Haves

Call center or customer service experience.
Social service experience at an organization serving people experiencing housing instability, homelessness, food insecurity, or other needs related to low-income.

Responsibilities

Assist community members by answering incoming calls, texts, chats, and emails efficiently according to established standards, providing community members receive high quality service and ensuring that caller data is collected and entered accurately into the database.
Assess caller needs, screen eligibility, and identify and refer appropriate resources.
Assist callers with enrollment services and any social service needs, using motivational interviewing techniques to understand their immediate expressed needs as well as unexpressed needs that require further identification.
Answer calls involving mental health crisis and suicidality. (CRAs receive specialized training and support before they start to take these calls.)
Proactively identify and report resource issues, such as inaccurate or unavailable information, or call script or other tool issues, using 211 protocols.
Conduct follow-up surveys with callers to determine referral effectiveness and outcomes, customer satisfaction, and other support needs.
Maintain performance level requirements and learn through various methods to maintain appropriate knowledge of programs and services.
Participate in onboarding and ongoing training, department and organizational huddles and in-person gatherings, and monthly Quality Assurance sessions to ensure service quality and continuous improvement.
Community work is ever-changing because the needs of the community are our foremost mission. This list represents the typical responsibilities of the role, but other duties may be assigned. You will be expected to perform other tasks as required by your role and the organization's operational needs.