Outreach Worker

St. Vincent De Paul Village•San Diego, CA

10h•$24 - $31•Onsite

About The Position

Outreach services at Father Joe’s Villages are a critical access point for individuals experiencing homelessness who are not yet connected to shelter, housing, or clinical care. The Street Health and Outreach team provides low-barrier, trauma-informed engagement in community settings, with a focus on harm reduction, dignity, and rapid connection to medical, behavioral health, housing, and Enhanced Care Management (ECM) services. The program serves individuals with complex needs, including serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and chronic health conditions, and significant barriers to housing stability. The Outreach Worker provides street-based and clinic-linked outreach services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. This role engages clients directly in the community, conducts needs assessments, and supports connection to internal Father Joe’s Villages programs, Enhanced Care Management (ECM) services, and external service providers. Working as part of a multidisciplinary Street Health team, the Outreach Worker supports care coordination, participates in case conferencing, and helps ensure consistent follow-through on treatment, housing navigation, ECM engagement, and supportive service engagement.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required
Minimum of 1 year of outreach, case management, or direct service experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness or other underserved populations.
A valid California driver’s license, with current vehicle registration and insurance, and an acceptable driving record, are required due to the essential functions of this role.
Demonstrated ability to build trust and engage individuals experiencing high levels of vulnerability and complex needs.
Strong skills in crisis response, de-escalation, and maintaining safety in dynamic, unpredictable field environments.
Ability to work independently in the field while maintaining strong coordination with multidisciplinary medical, behavioral health, housing, and care management teams.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a collaborative, mission-driven approach.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage an active caseload and maintain accurate, timely documentation.
Cultural humility and demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse communities and lived experiences.
Comfort and resilience working in outdoor, street-based environments, including exposure to variable weather and physically demanding conditions.
Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office and willingness to learn internal systems.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Public Health, Human Services, or related field strongly preferred.
Experience supporting individuals with complex health and social needs, including substance use disorders, serious mental illness, trauma histories, chronic medical conditions, and/or co-occurring conditions strongly preferred.
Prior experience in street outreach, mobile services, shelter programs, or harm reduction settings highly desirable.
Familiarity with care coordination models, Enhanced Care Management (ECM), CalAIM initiatives, or integrated community health programs preferred.
Experience using electronic health records (EHR), HMIS, or similar documentation systems preferred.

Responsibilities

Conduct compassionate street and community-based outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness, building trust and engagement with those who may be disconnected from services.
Complete field-based needs assessments and connect clients to housing resources, primary care, behavioral health services, substance use treatment, and Enhanced Care Management (ECM) services.
Provide trauma-informed engagement, including crisis intervention and de-escalation, with a focus on safety, dignity, and relationship-building.
Support clients with benefits enrollment and navigation of public and community-based resources.
Coordinate care with Street Health, Village Health Center, ECM, housing, and external community partners to ensure timely referrals, warm handoffs, and continuity of care.
Maintain an active caseload and provide ongoing outreach follow-up to support continuity of care, ECM engagement, housing stability, and service connection.
Participate in multidisciplinary case conferencing and care coordination meetings.
Document outreach activities, client interactions, and case progress in electronic systems accurately and in a timely manner.
Support field operations, including driving the outreach vehicle as needed and assisting with clinic-based outreach and re-engagement efforts.
Uphold all training, safety, and compliance requirements while contributing to a collaborative, harm reduction–oriented team environment.