Neighborhood Engagement Coordinator

Downtown Emergency Service Center•Seattle, WA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Neighborhood Engagement Coordinator works alongside front-line staff to build relationships with clients, service providers, and neighborhood residents. The role is highly independent and requires creative thinking, strong interpersonal relationships, and conflict-resolution skills. The coordinator splits time among DESC’s Clement Place, Aurora House, North Star, Burbridge, and Mary Pilgrim Inn sites in Seattle. The position supports community cohesion between DESC’s permanent supportive housing sites and their surrounding neighborhoods. It responds to neighbors’ concerns, builds relationships with businesses and residents, coordinates appropriately with emergency responders, engages with clients and people staying outdoors, and helps maintain the safety and cleanliness of building premises. The role also supports vulnerable clients experiencing homelessness and crises related to behavioral health or substance use disorders, while applying DESC’s Good Neighbor policy and harm reduction model.

Requirements

At least one year of paid or volunteer experience in human services, preferably working with adults challenged by homelessness, mental illness, and/or substance use disorder.
Basic understanding of homelessness and characteristics of homeless adult populations.
Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds and disciplines.
Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behavior.
Commitment to cooperation and continuity across programs and to consideration and respect for clients.
Commitment to the harm reduction model and incorporating harm reduction into all aspects of the position.

Nice To Haves

Experience in security or milieu management.
Experience with mental illness and/or substance use disorder.

Responsibilities

Build rapport with clients, service providers, nearby businesses, and residents to develop community cohesion and address neighborhood safety concerns related to the housing sites.
Build relationships with neighbors and businesses who may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable with DESC’s clientele, including providing education, listening empathetically, and helping address non-emergency problems.
Develop working relationships with law enforcement, fire departments, and other emergency personnel to help meet client needs and ensure appropriate use of emergency services.
Promptly respond to neighbors’ issues and concerns and help reduce calls to 911 regarding clients.
Take the lead on calling or coordinating calls to 911 when emergencies arise, and coordinate with and direct emergency responders to situations requiring immediate attention.
Strengthen partnerships with outside entities working in the buildings by providing additional staff oversight during events and programming.
Engage and develop ongoing relationships with clients, including people using non-DESC services inside the sites.
Proactively outreach to people camping or staying outdoors in the neighborhood and connect them to services.
Maintain the safety and security of clients and premises by canvassing building areas and communicating and enforcing agency rules and policies.
De-escalate client arguments and altercations on building premises.
Ensure clients understand DESC’s Good Neighbor policy; intervene and remind clients of the policy when needed.
Document and communicate repeated Good Neighbor policy violations for follow-up by clients’ care teams.
Lead coordination of team meetings and care conferences related to neighbor relationships or clients struggling to follow the Good Neighbor policy.
Support single, vulnerable, and/or disabled clients experiencing homelessness and crises caused by behavioral health and/or substance use disorders.
Initiate, model, and maintain appropriate social interactions with clients and encourage appropriate interactions between clients.
Discourage and report predatory and/or illicit behaviors.
Collaborate with staff and clients to improve the safety and cleanliness of building premises.
Participate actively in staff meetings and in-service training.
Perform other responsibilities as assigned.