The Perch/Yellow Brick Road of WA - Outreach Coordinator

Position Summary:

This position is responsible for conducting street, mobile, and stationary outreach directly with youth and young adults (12-24), as well as providing administrative support for Clark County outreach and drop-in center programs. Direct outreach includes in-person engagement with young people on the streets or in community-based settings, in-person stationary outreach at The Perch drop-in center, and phone/text engagement with young people via phone or social media messaging apps. Administrative support includes tracking/recording daily program data, inputting all data into HMIS, managing food-service activities, tracking donations, updating social media pages, coordinating internal and interagency outreach plans, and coordinating volunteers/interns to support program operations. As time allows, the person in this position may also attend relevant community meetings as a representative of Janus/YBRW/The Perch.   

Education and Experience Requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalency required.
• Minimum of three years’ experience working with programs or services that support young people or marginalized groups.
• College coursework or a degree in a human services or social science field may be substituted for up to two years’ worth of experience.
• Experience with data tracking and data entry required; experience with HMIS preferred.
• Knowledge of local service systems strongly preferred.
• Preference may be extended to current employees of Janus Youth Programs, Inc. 

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Genuine concern for young people and the ability to treat all people with dignity and respect. 
• Ability to work effectively within: culturally diverse populations; team dependent models; crisis management; strength-based theoretical orientation; adolescent development; and family reunification. 
• Openness to learning and commitment to the principles of Positive Youth Development, Trauma Informed Care, Harm Reduction, and Stages of Change. 
• Strong active listening and critical thinking skills, including the ability to utilize Motivational Interviewing and Progressive Engagement models in working with young people experiencing homelessness. 
• Ability to work effectively as part of a shifting team model, and to provide support to direct care staff and volunteers in a manner that models motivation, inspiration, and respect.  
• Ability to act on the agenda of the program.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships with a variety of individuals, including management staff, direct care staff, administrative staff, community partners, and youth.
• A commitment to on-going training and a willingness to receive and act upon feedback.
• Ability to accurately read, record, and interpret contracts and other information, and to complete written documentation that meets contract and program guidelines.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with a broad variety of people, including youth, families, staff, supervisors, and community partners.
• Ability to stay calm and emotionally available in an environment serving young people who require a high level of supervision and redirection from staff.
• Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries working with youth and in handling confidential information. 
• Ability to regularly attend and be punctual for scheduled work commitments and meetings, and to be in a condition suitable for assuming responsibilities of position.
• Manual dexterity allowing performance of routine office tasks such as writing, phone use, filing, copying, and use of computer keyboard.

Other Requirements:

• Personal transportation that allows timely travel within the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area. 
• Ability to drive an agency vehicle.  All employees who drive for work purposes must have and maintain a valid driver’s license for state of residency, have a driving record that permits coverage under the corporate auto liability policy, and complete the agency’s driving approval process before driving for work. If driving a personal vehicle for work purposes drivers must also have personal auto liability coverage ($100,000/$300,000 levels strongly recommended). Employees are not to drive for work purposes until they have received written authorization to do so.
• Bloodborne Pathogens training is required on the first day of employment and annually thereafter.
• Must complete Mandatory Reporting Training within the first 30 days of employment and annually thereafter.
• Provide emergency first-aid, as needed, and must have and maintain standard first-aid/CPR certification.
• Must pass Washington DCYF Child Abuse and Neglect background check and criminal history background check.
• Food Handler’s Certification is required within two weeks of hire.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Direct Outreach & Engagement
  
  • Using basic needs supplies as a tool for engagement, carry an outreach supply bag and distribute hygiene and first aid supplies, snacks, water, safer sex supplies, and cold weather gear to young people on the streets or in other high-risk situations.
  • Develop trusting relationships with youth and young adults who are on the streets or in other areas targeted for mobile or stationary outreach, including The Perch drop-in center.
  • Communicate program expectations and maintain the safety of the milieu during open drop-in hours. 
  • Provide site-based and street-based crisis intervention services.
  • Act as an advocate for young people and assist them with eliminating barriers to higher level services, such as mental/behavioral health, employment support, or housing programs. 
  • Understand and be knowledgeable about local referral agencies and develop professional working relationships with staff from these community agencies.
  • As needed or to increase cross-program collaboration, provide staffing support to other outreach teams within Janus, including the Cowlitz County outreach team and Yellow Brick Road in Portland, OR. 
  • Provide monitoring/coaching to volunteers/interns who are supporting the program.
• Outreach Planning & Coordination
  
  • Foster relationships with outreach providers from other community-based agencies to aid in interagency referrals and build possible outreach partnerships.
  • Plan and participate in dual outreach opportunities with outreach workers from other community-based agencies to expand the reach and capacity of outreach services.  
  • Track outreach locations and shifting trends to ensure outreach is occurring in locations with the highest needs and/or numbers of youth.
  • Assist with training and coaching volunteers to support outreach efforts.
• Data Collection/Management
  
  • Ensure that all street and stationary outreach data and narrative logs are completed daily.
  • Enter new client intakes and service transactions into HMIS as soon as possible, but no less than once per week.
  • Assist program director with revising recordkeeping strategies for efficiency and updated data needs.
  • Review outreach reports monthly to ensure timely exit of youth who have achieved stable housing, aged out of services, or not engaged for 90 days or longer. 
• Social Media & Community Outreach 
  
  • Update social media pages as needed to reflect new information and events related to YBRW and The Perch. 
  • Post content to social media pages at least once per week, including but not limited to program news, community news/events, and information about local homelessness and housing efforts.
  • Update and maintain outreach cards, flyers, or other printed communications to include QR codes and links to social media pages.
  • Attend tabling events or other community outreach platforms as a representative of Janus/YBRW/The Perch.
• Grocery and Donation Management
  
  • Using agency resources (e.g. store gift cards or Janus credit card), purchase food and household supplies that are needed for outreach and drop-in center operations.  
  • Submit all receipts to their appropriate location according to agency finance schedules. 
  • Ensure timely completion (including dollar amounts) of in-kind donation receipts for all non-cash donations provided to The Perch and YBRW. 
  • Plan and coordinate meals for special events at The Perch.
  • Coordinate with the Oak Bridge Program Coordinator to place and pick up bulk food orders from the Clark County Food Bank.    
• Meetings & Supervision
  
  • Participate in monthly supervision meetings with the program director.
  • Participate in regular outreach staff meetings.
  • As time allows, participate in periodic Janus leadership team meetings.
  • As time allows, attend community-based meetings that are focused on relevant topics. 
• Other Duties as Assigned

Working Conditions:

• May involve exposure to communicable diseases, including a variety of illnesses and infections such as the common cold, TB, Hepatitis, flu, meningitis, and HIV.
• May involve exposure to upset, angry, severely traumatized or emotionally disturbed children, adolescents, adults, and families.
• May involve time in excess of routine schedule and/or overtime, including evening/overnight, weekend hours, and/or holidays.
• May involve exposure to information that graphically describes physical, sexual, and emotional abuse of children, which could lead to the experience of vicarious trauma. 
• May require working and providing services at locations other than program site (i.e., schools, cafés, clinics, etc.,) and may, therefore, be exposed to environments not under agency control (i.e., second-hand smoke, varying hygiene practices, etc.).

This position description is intended to give the reader a general idea of the overall purpose and the main activities and responsibilities that are intrinsic to this position. While this description is intended to be representative, it is not intended to be limiting.