Outreach Worker

Steppingstone, Inc.•New Bedford, MA

7d•$22 - $23

About The Position

The Outreach Worker is an integral part of the Program Team and provides street outreach to homeless individuals and youth, including people with serious mental illness or substance use disorders. The role involves building trust, assessing needs, collecting information from hard-to-reach and chronically homeless populations, helping eligible individuals access services, and supporting their progress toward housing placement. The worker also conducts wellness checks, distributes supplies, provides transportation and coordination as needed, and develops referral pathways through relationships with community stakeholders. The position includes program administration, recordkeeping, interviews and intakes, individualized service planning and monitoring, case reviews, advocacy, telephone coverage, and data entry. The worker participates in supervision, meetings, trainings, and investigations, and must follow program requirements and reporting deadlines. The schedule may be flexible and may include first- and second-shift work; the agency may change shifts based on organizational needs. Business-related travel is required for at least 60% to 80% of the time.

Requirements

A minimum of two years of related work experience with homeless or at-risk youth, as a housing advocate, and/or working with landlords and housing providers.
Valid driver's license due to business-related travel at least 60% to 80% of the time.
Good working knowledge of computers, electronic health records, and data collection.
Ability to climb three flights of stairs to visit consumers in the community.
Ability to respond to emergency situations.
Ability to remain awake during the shift.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or GED preferred.
Education or experience in cultural competency.
Bilingual Spanish/English.

Responsibilities

Provide street outreach to homeless individuals and youth, including those with serious mental illness and substance use disorders.
Build trust with homeless people in the Project catchment area and identify their needs.
Collect data from hard-to-reach, chronically homeless populations.
Conduct wellness checks of unsheltered homeless individuals to help ensure their safety in dangerously cold temperatures.
Distribute available outreach supplies, including blankets, clothing, and hygiene products.
Collaborate with staff and the coordinated intake system to engage individuals in services and begin the housing placement process.
Partner and collaborate with volunteers to meet program objectives.
Conduct brief interventions and non-clinical verbal communications to determine potential eligibility for services.
Assist consumers with applications for benefits and services.
Engage eligible homeless individuals in services and encourage further assessment and counseling with treatment staff; provide transportation and coordination as needed.
Assist consumers with storing belongings while they await housing placement.
Maintain community relationships and referral pathways to homeless and treatment services.
Provide program materials about shelter services to potential consumers and community partners.
Develop and manage working relationships with stakeholders, including providers, clergy, elected officials, police, community activists, and potential consumers.
Complete required documentation in a timely manner; maintain program records and files and organize vital documents.
Provide telephone coverage for the assigned program and direct calls to other programs as needed.
Participate in required supervision, staff meetings, and trainings.
Participate and cooperate in investigations conducted by internal and external agencies.
Use a computer to enter information into data systems, including collecting GRPA data for each enrolled consumer.
Remain awake throughout the shift, attend mandatory trainings, maintain licenses and certifications, adhere to program requirements, and meet reporting deadlines, including completion of Confidential Incident Reports.
Respond to emergencies by contacting Fire, Rescue, Police, Medical, or other appropriate services.
Climb three flights of stairs to visit consumers in the community.