Housing Outreach Specialist (Downtown)

Goddard Riverside Community Center•New York, NY

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Goddard Riverside invests in people and strengthens communities, serving over 20,000 individuals across New York City with diverse programs for all ages. Operating within a social justice framework, Goddard aims to create a fair society where individuals can make choices leading to better lives. As a partner in the Manhattan Outreach Consortium (MOC), a city-wide initiative to support the unsheltered, the Downtown team specifically serves lower Manhattan. This team collaborates with various community partners and healthcare agencies throughout Manhattan, covering the area from 23rd Street south, from river to river. The Housing Outreach Specialist will engage individuals experiencing street homelessness using a harm reduction approach, acting as a case manager with the primary goal of transitioning them into transitional and permanent housing. This role requires collaboration across teams and organizations to achieve successful housing placements.

Requirements

Valid driver’s license and a driving record that meets the agency’s auto insurance guidelines (including at least one year as a licensed driver and no suspensions within the last 3 years)
Flexibility in work hours; available to work evening, overnight and weekend shifts when required
Understanding of housing first and other harm reduction models
Ability to multitask
Strong interpersonal skills
Strong written and verbal skills
Team player
Proficient in Microsoft Outlook
Experience with, or ability to learn, computer databases such as Streetsmart, MOCapp, and CARES
Frequent walking and standing
Ability to lift up to 30 lbs

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree preferred
Prior experience with the homeless and/or mentally ill population preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as case manager for homeless adults, with a goal of placing them in transitional and permanent housing
Perform intake, assessment, service planning, advocacy, referral and escort services
Maintain client case records and enter data in computer database using handheld and desktop computers
Provide follow-up case management for clients placed in housing, to promote retention and document outcomes
Attend staff meetings, case conferences, training programs and supervision meetings; participate in program evaluation and improvement
Communicate with evening/weekend staff and with staff of other agencies to coordinate client service
Participate in outreach trips to identify and communicate with homeless clients
Drive outreach van
Participate in the annual HOPE count and quarterly counts of homeless individuals living on the street, 4 overnight counts completed annually
Other duties as required