Housing Outreach Specialist

The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization•Portland, OR

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) is a non-profit organization established in 1976 to serve immigrants, refugees, and the broader community in Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to welcome, serve and empower refugees, immigrants and people across cultures and generations to reach their full potential. The overarching goal of Multnomah County Homeless Services Dept Adult System of Care is to provide street-based outreach support to adults living outside or in places not meant for human habitation. Outreach and engagement services must actively provide hands-on system navigation and utilize flexible client assistance and/or rental assistance funds to remove immediate barriers to housing (such as securing vital identification documents or covering application fees). Furthermore, outreach teams are expected to consistently utilize established referral pathways to connect individuals with essential behavioral and physical health services and ultimately facilitate successful hand-offs to placement programs. The Housing Outreach Specialist will offer all reasonable resources to resolve homelessness for unsheltered individuals who are sleeping outside, in vehicles, encampments and other places not meant for human habitation. This may include, but is not limited to client advocacy, problem solving, needs assessments, crisis intervention and de-escalation with a focus on housing placement, as well as providing information and referral linkages to other services such as behavioral health recovery services, physical health services, employment and benefits access services, housing search, housing barrier removal, and housing placement services, as well as supporting individuals in navigating social-services systems.

Requirements

English Required
A second language in any Asian or Pacific Islander, African, Middle Eastern, Russian, or Hispanic language is preferred.
Must be able to pass extensive background check.
Must possess a valid driver’s license, verification of current auto insurance, and have full use of an automobile during work hours.
Ability to work with people from all backgrounds without exception. Good communication is a must.
Experience working with refugee and immigrant communities, hard-to-reach populations and low-income families is a must.
Ability to courteously meet and deal effectively with other employees, organization representatives, vendors, contractors, the public, and others.
Ability to use initiative and judgment in completing tasks and responsibilities.
Ability to function in a positive manner in a demanding work environment, to demonstrate a high degree of flexibility, to respond to priorities and schedules that change frequently, and to meet commitments.
Minimum 2 years of work experience.

Nice To Haves

Strong skills in intercultural, interpersonal, and organizational communication
Communicate effectively in a positive manner verbally, in writing, and by phone
Strong communication skills in a multilingual, multibackground team and organization

Responsibilities

Travel to locations throughout Multnomah County, including the city of Gresham, using ArcGIS to encounter houseless individuals where they are, establish trust with them, and provide appropriate services when needed.
Identify individuals living unsheltered within a defined geographic area, make contact, and establish credibility and trust through consistent and reliable visits and communication.
Evaluate physical and mental health status of unsheltered individuals, identify immediate needs and safety concerns, and determine barriers to housing and services.
Develop a clear and actionable plan based on the main barriers to housing the client has shared, create small tangible next steps with shared and specific responsibilities. This includes referring to various resources such as housing, shelters, food programs, healthcare, and other service providers, coordinating with mental health and substance use services, and assisting with transportation and transportation coordination to service appointments.
Provide housing-focused case management, help gather identification and documentation, support the housing application process, and advocate with landlords and housing programs to enable successful housing placement for clients.
Collaborate with other providers and partners within and outside of the geographic service area, as necessary, to meet clients’ needs and remove barriers to clients’ successful housing placement.
Perform all street outreach and engagement services in alignment with the Multnomah County Outreach Services Manual which codifies the County's guidance and expectations for standardized, housing-focused service delivery, ensuring a consistent approach to street outreach that includes adherence to harm reduction, best practices, and data collection standards.
Adhere to Multnomah County's Homeless Services Department’s Homeless Management Information System (HSD’s HMIS) data entry standards, accurately documenting all active engagements (e.g., service connections, assessments, client assistance) in a timely manner.
Complete all required training expectations for HSD-contracted street outreach.
Collaborate with other partner organizations, other stakeholders, and with those experiencing homelessness.
Ability to acknowledge the existence of illegal or unlawful treatment based on race and the gap in access or outcome that people of color experience.
Foster a culture of safety and social acceptance for those who have been excluded over time, including people of color, women, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA2S+ people.
Ability to be humble, honest, and fair in your role, functions, and actions, and be open and accountable to others and to the communities that you serve.
Ability to approach problems and solutions in new ways, take calculated risks, and try innovative ideas.
Provide high quality work and continuously evaluate and improve your work to achieve the best possible outcomes for our community.
Ability to meet multiple, including conflicting deadlines
Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality
Ability to work flexible hours to meet the availability of clients

Benefits

Many flexible working arrangements and schedule
Amazing opportunity to work with people who come from all over the world
Work that helps your community
3 to 6 weeks of PTO per year
401k match of over 100% on first 5%, immediate vesting
3% match for student loans or college savings
12 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday
Medical & Dental insurance options with 90% coverage for employee AND Families, no deductibles
Employer Paid Life, Short term, and Long-term Disability Insurance
Flexible spending accounts