Downtown Ballard Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator - Aurora/North Seattle

Evergreen Treatment Services•Seattle, WA

26d•$82,500 - $96,500•Onsite

About The Position

As a part of the REACH Outreach Team, the Downtown Ballard Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator will focus on engaging clients living on the streets of Downtown Ballard and in nearby encampments with low barrier resource navigation, maintaining client engagement with case management services, and establishing partnerships with other providers and organizations to coordinate care for people who suffer from behavioral health issues, substance abuse disorders, and/or live outside. Place Based - The Neighborhood Coordinator will proactively outreach all clients living unhoused in Downtown Ballard to get to know unhoused community needs, barriers, and any possible points of tension between the client and surrounding community, including local businesses and residential buildings. The Coordinator will assess client service needs and engagements to reconnect to existing services or coordinate referrals to appropriate providers. The Coordinator will work primarily with the Ballard Alliance, local providers and neighborhood safety ambassadors, or other community groups, interacting with client populations to navigate clients’ needs and confidentiality while resolving issues related to unmet behavioral health needs or survival-based behaviors in neighborhood. Inter-Agency & Community Collaboration - The position is housed within the REACH program but is part of a dynamic and close collaboration with the Ballard Alliance, a nonprofit place management organization that oversees and spearheads programs and services for Downtown Ballard including cleaning, safety ambassadors and homeless outreach services. The Coordinator will work closely with the Ballard Alliance Clean & Safe Manager to prioritize workflow and client focus. The collaboration with the Ballard Alliance is part of a larger, multi-neighborhood impact framework that is operating in the U District and the Chinatown-International District, and which may expand to Pioneer Square and Capitol Hill. Centered on person-based, neighborhood-level coordination, the framework brings together ambassador teams, outreach and case management providers, community-based organizations, and City of Seattle partners to create targeted, responsive strategies. By narrowing the geographic focus and aligning local priorities with available resources, this model aims to reduce public safety impacts while delivering more effective, individualized support. Office and Hours - The position is a full-time (Monday-Friday, 8:30AM -5pm, with a 30 min lunch break), in person direct-service based position that will conduct outreach to people who use drugs, live outside, and are experiencing behavioral health needs in Downtown Ballard. The Coordinator may be able to flex hours to provide targeted outreach services outside of these hours as discussed and agreed upon by ETS REACH and Ballard Alliance (i.e. weekend community event support). The Coordinator will spend most of their time conducting outreach within the neighborhood, will have office space primarily co-located in the Ballard Alliance office, as well as office space access at the North ETS REACH Office. The Coordinator is expected to attend meetings at the REACH offices as required.

Requirements

Minimum 3–5-year experience working within healthcare, social, and housing/ shelter systems
Understanding of addiction and harm reduction practices required.
Minimum 3-5 years’ Experience practicing outreach and service delivery to various sub-populations of people who use drugs and/or people experiencing homelessness
Experience with case management, homelessness and co-occurring disorders preferred.
3-5 years’ experience conducting outreach to variety of community populations, including business, government, client, and partner provider audiences
Experience providing community education and training
Knowledge and Skills:
Have 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, and staff from a wide variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds.
Ability to communicate effectively and compassionately with community members in Downtown Ballard may be impacted by people suffering from deep and unaddressed behavioral health issues.
Ability to navigate various communication platforms and manage appropriate levels of communication with a team of multidisciplinary partners
Understanding of HIPAA/ 42CFR privacy practices and use of ROI, informed consent, and communication and privacy practices with client care
Understanding of crisis care coordination and documentation practices
Strong training and facilitation skills to train variety of audiences of set ETS Community Education Program materials and support provider meeting facilitation
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 (or equivalent suites such as Google Workspace), as well as a high level of initiative in keeping current with technological changes. Skills needed include basic functions such as utilizing MS Outlook email and calendaring programs (or equivalent) and sending attachments, using MS Teams or equivalent chat, call, and videoconference features, and navigating search engines such as Edge or Google and carrying out browser searches and website benchmarking steps.
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, and phone. Possible use of a program vehicle, for which a valid Driver’s License and acceptable driving would be required.
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. Note that a Washington State Patrol criminal background check will be conducted periodically as a condition of ongoing employment, and candidates with prior criminal convictions will be invited to provide additional context as needed. 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.

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, mental health 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.
Advance mission of fostering community care by facilitating a safer environment for clients and community members.
Support community relationship building between ETS and community partners in Downtown Ballard to advance community and client safety and health needs.
Conduct brief assessments to understand clients' substance use patterns, mental health status, and social determinants of health and community-based assessments to understand local resource availability and access.
Utilize clinical supervision, psychiatric consultation and peer support for exploring clinical intervention strategies, resource development, self-care and burnout prevention.
Participate in case conferencing meetings for outreach and other homeless service providers to discuss clients with high barriers to accessing services.
Utilize Motivational Interviewing to provide brief, ongoing counseling and support to help clients set achievable goals related to their mental health, substance use and overall well-being.
Educate clients on safer drug use practices, overdose prevention, and accessing harm reduction resources (e.g., syringe exchange programs, MOUD, co-occurring outpatient programming etc.).
Develop community-based harm reduction plans in collaboration with clients, focusing on reducing risks associated with drug use and unmet mental health needs for groups of clients in neighborhood or encampment.
Provide deescalation and client care support training to interested community members, including volunteer groups, local providers, and clients.
Conduct daily street outreach to engage with individuals who may be hesitant to access traditional services, spending approximately 4-6 hours in the field and remaining time in coordination meetings or completing documentation.
Develop and maintain productive, respectful relationships with community stakeholders and other resources including BIA staff, ambassador teams, business and residential stakeholders and other community groups.
Maintain regular communication with Downtown Ballard stakeholders, ambassador teams, and other care providers.
Manage client privacy and service information communication with a variety of stakeholders, balancing linkage to care and crisis coordination needs and client information privacy laws
Meet weekly with Ballard Alliance staff and coordinate with Ballard Alliance Safety Ambassadors to coordinate client care and prioritize focus.
Support community stakeholders with managing privacy protection and communication practices to ensure client confidentiality and complete care coordination
Daily coordination with Ballard Alliance staff and timely communication, while supporting field-based work with clear documentation, case notes, and coordination.
Identify gaps and barriers in available community resources and advocate for systemic changes that will facilitate easier access to care for individuals facing the most barriers.
Participate in local meetings or initiatives related to addressing the behavioral health needs of people experiencing homelessness or housing instability in Downtown Ballard.
Provide community-based education and training to increase knowledge and understanding of social systems and client need and increase community engagement and awareness of local programming efforts
Maintain accurate and confidential client records in compliance with organizational policies and legal requirements.
Collect data and prepare reports on activities per agency and contract requirements.
Participate in program evaluation and quality improvement activities to enhance service delivery and outcomes.
Provide services consistent with ETS/REACH policies and procedures.
Note: New and/or different duties and responsibilities may be assigned to this job at any time.