Community Safety and Overdose Response Specialist - Belltown

Evergreen Treatment Services•Seattle, WA

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The REACH Community Safety and Overdose Response Specialist will support our Integrated Care Milieu Team by providing focused and compassionate overdose response and fatality prevention by building deeper relationships with people who are actively using drugs in and around our drop-in spaces and intentionally integrating harm reduction best practices into our milieu work. As part of the Milieu Team, the Community Safety and Overdose Response Specialist will support the creation and daily maintenance of a warm, inviting environment in our drop-in/milieu space for the purpose of engaging the clients REACH serves. This position helps to set a tone of hospitality and models respectful engagement and clear boundary setting that creates an opportunity for healing-focused experiences for people who use drugs. This position fosters relationships and community building with individuals who have experienced marginalization associated with chronic homelessness and systemic oppression. Client-centered services are provided from a harm reduction perspective, utilizing motivational interviewing and trauma informed care approaches. This position requires exceptional ability to consistently set limits in a respectful manner to ensure the milieu environment remains safe and welcoming for all. It requires excellent awareness of interpersonal interactions and the ability to manage client flow in and around the REACH office space. De-escalation skills and the ability to prevent conflicts by proactively intervening when people exhibit challenging behaviors associated with intoxication or other behavioral health conditions is required. This position requires excellent interpersonal skills, attention to detail and regular multi-tasking as well as the ability to develop systems to maintain safety and the flow of clients in the milieu. The nature of this position is extremely team-oriented, requiring creative thinking, multitasking, time management and organizational skills, and excellent interpersonal conflict resolution skills. The position is a full-time (Monday-Friday, 8-5pm), direct-service based position that will be sited at the downtown REACH office.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required. Undergraduate degree preferred.
Academic training in the social service field and in the area of substance use disorder and mental health services desired. Relevant experience may substitute for degree.
Minimum of three years of direct client service experience in mission-driven programs serving the unhoused community.
Experience providing healing-centered services from a harm-reduction perspective for people experiencing complex behavioral health challenges essential.
Demonstrated conflict resolution and de-escalation skills required.
Knowledge of local resources, community services, harm reduction and overdose prevention principles.
Strong interpersonal and written/verbal communications skills with the ability to build rapport with diverse populations in challenging environments.
Knowledge and Skills: An understanding of racial equity and social justice 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, and staff from a wide variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds.
Training/expertise in the following areas: Compassionate Overdose Response, Naloxone Administration, Motivational Interviewing, Harm Reduction, MOUD Options Counseling, De-escalation
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.

Responsibilities

Community Safety, Client Engagement & Milieu Management: Build trusting relationships with clients who are living outside and using drugs in the immediate vicinity of the REACH office, emphasizing harm reduction practices.
Leverage trusting relationships to proactively intervene, as needed, in situations to prevent escalation and encourage client engagement in supportive services.
Foster a sense of community safety within and immediately outside of the REACH Milieu through respectful interactions and communicating clear behavioral expectations and boundaries.
Help manage the flow of clients in and out of the REACH Milieu; welcoming people in at entry, triaging needs and ensuring safety by managing the right ratio of clients to staff
Maintain up to date knowledge of community resources, especially linkage to overdose prevention and MOUD treatment options, and provide information and referral services to clients and staff as needed in the milieu.
Orient new clients to the milieu, including client rights and responsibilities.
Help orient new staff to the milieu and support all REACH staff in utilizing trauma-informed harm reduction best practices.
Collaborate with Care Managers to set up self-care and crisis intervention plans for all REACH clients
Maintain order in the office by staffing the front desk and checking clients into AGENCY
Answer phones and general inquires.
Coffee-making and associated supply replenishment
Help coordinate and facilitate, in conjunction with other REACH staff, support groups, client and staff trainings, outings, special events, and other group activities. This requires community engagement and the development and maintenance of positive, collaborative relationships with REACH staff and partner agencies to effectively coordinate and deliver services.
Neighborhood Response: Conduct brief needs assessments to understand clients' substance use patterns and mental health status to reduce risks associated with drug use and enhance the overall safety of the milieu and surrounding area.
Coordinate with emergency medical services (EMS), law enforcement and other relevant stakeholders and providers when necessary, ensuring seamless response to emergencies and appropriate after care following emergency situations.
Conduct regular trash pick-up and other activities to maintain a tidy and respectful environment.
Overdose & Crisis Response: Educate clients on safer drug use practices, overdose prevention, and accessing harm reduction resources (e.g., MOUD access & linkage, overdose after-care options).
Act as milieu-sited liaison to the REACH Drug User Health Team, including providing support and coordination of site-based drug checking services, harm reduction supply inventory management, kit making and distribution.
Bathroom Checks as needed to ensure client safety and restroom cleanliness.
Act as the milieu point person for responding to overdoses and behavioral health crises that occur in and around the REACH office. This includes coordinating with external partners and stakeholders when necessary to reduce escalations, prevent fatalities, coordinate care, and respond to the needs of clients and community neighbors alike.
Identify gaps and barriers in available community resources and advocate for systemic changes.
Documentation and Administrative Tasks: Document all relevant client and community interactions in AGENCY according to program requirements; prepare reports as required by funding sources or organizational needs.
Regularly utilize clinical supervision, case consultation and peer support for exploring clinical intervention strategies, countertransference, resource development, self-care and burnout prevention.
Attend REACH Program staff meetings and other required meetings.
Note: New and/or different duties and responsibilities may be assigned to this job at any time.