Outreach Associate Social Worker

Description

About Interfaith Community Services:

At Interfaith, we empower individuals and families in need by providing essential resources and services with compassion and integrity. Together, we foster a community of hope, accountability, and dignity. 

Founded in 1979 in direct response to rising rates of hunger and homelessness in North San Diego County, Interfaith Community Services works to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness by Helping People Help Themselves. Interfaith is the most comprehensive nonprofit social services agency in North County, providing both immediate safety net services and long-term, life-changing programs designed to meet the holistic needs of people in crisis. Together, in partnership with 250+ diverse faith communities, more than 650 recurrent volunteers, and a growing staff of over 200, Interfaith provides a safe haven and pathway towards self-sufficiency for more than 17,000 community members annually. 

If you're passionate about making a difference and thrive in a service-driven environment, we invite you to be part of our mission!

What You'll Do:

In the Homeless Outreach Specialist role, you'll  provide field-based outreach, short term crisis intervention, and intense care coordination to individuals experiencing homelessness within the City of Oceanside. The HOS will ride with and collaborate with Oceanside Police Department’s HOT Team in order to identify and connect individuals experiencing homelessness to resources to support stabilization, such as medical, mental health, substance abuse, income and housing. The HOS will attend and support case conferencing and ensure that clients with ongoing treatment needs are successfully connected with appropriate community-based treatment programs. The HOS will interact closely and support engagement with a multi-disciplinary treatment team that may include other outreach workers, behavioral health clinicians, medical providers, substance abuse counselors and additional community providers supporting the individuals progress towards stabilization through housing. 

• Be knowledgeable about temporary, transitional and permanent housing programs. This will include local shelters, residential/drug treatment programs, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and applicable Interfaith Community Services Programs and resources. 
• Adhere to Interfaith Community Services and the Oceanside Police Department’s policies, procedures, code of conduct and attendance rules. 
• Treat all clients, visitors and employees with caring, kindness, respect and dignity.
• Assist unsheltered clients in obtaining and linking to shelter programs, such as/but not limited to: emergency shelters, transitional/bridge housing, motel vouchers, reunification resources, etc. 
• Assist clients in accessing county benefits, as well as accessing resources with the goal of removing barriers to housing and long-term stabilization. This may include interacting with other agencies to support linkage and client engagement through advocacy.
• Provide resources to support the ability of clients to obtain needed documentation for goal progress towards housing stabilization (i.e. DMV vouchers, birth certificates, social security cards, bank statements/award letters). 
• Serve as a liaison to coordinate care with the Oceanside Housing Authority, ICS Bridge Housing and other agencies in order to best support client transitions from different living situations, for the purpose of obtaining permanent housing. 
• Maintain contact and support care coordination with appropriate multidisciplinary team to ensure due diligence for the individual’s ability to link to appropriate resources and housing programs. 
• Support the individual’s ability to connect and maintain linkage to resources addressing barriers and supports for the individual’s housing plan by providing or obtaining alternative transportation.
• Report critical incidents and/or violations of Housing Voucher Programs to the City Management Analyst overseeing the Homeless Programs and/or Housing Programs Manager immediately. 
• Enter client data into HMIS and Interfaith Community Services data systems for data collection and reporting requirements. 
• Attend all required weekly, monthly, and/or quarterly department and grant meetings as required by City, Oceanside Police Department and Interfaith Community Services. 
• Adhere to all safety and health protocol as defined and outlined by Interfaith Community Services, City of Oceanside and individual departments. 

Requirements

Who You Are:

You're passionate about making a lasting impact, whether supporting individuals directly or enhancing our organizational effectiveness. To thrive in this role, you'll:

• Master's Degree, required 
• Must be currently registered, or in process, with the Board of Behavioral Sciences as an Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW), Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) or Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC), required
• State of California registration, preferred 
• 1+ years of experience working in a Social Services, Non-profit or related setting required
• Experience working with severely mentally ill, medically fragile, and homeless populations, required
• 1+ years of providing case management services, preferred 
• Bilingual (English/Spanish), preferred

SKILLSETS / ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS 

• Ability to establish and maintain professional boundaries with clients 

• Ability to identify problems, and research and recommend solutions 

• Possesses a strong working knowledge of resources in North County San Diego 

• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• Must be highly organized and demonstrate attention to detail 

• Can manage multiple deadlines and work effectively under pressure, uses independent judgment to produce quality work under time constraints 

• Has experience working with a collaborative/multidisciplinary team 

• Has working knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook)

WORKING CONDITIONS / PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. 

• Must be able to perform work in both indoor and outdoor settings
• Must have the ability to sit for long periods of time, stand, walk, bend, and kneel on a frequent basis  
• May be subjected to adverse conditions, including contact from hostile people
• Low to moderate exposure to contagious diseases (hepatitis, HIV, tuberculous, etc.) 
• Low to moderate exposure of unpleasant and noxious fumes, odors, dust, temperatures, noise and inclement weather 
• Occasionally lifts, carries and balances objects weighing up to 30 pounds
• Pulls and pushes such objects as file drawers, computers and similar office equipment and supplies 
• Prioritizes and multi-tasks work and projects requiring good memory, concentration and analytical thinking 
• Occasionally is required to perform the safe operation of a vehicle, office equipment and machines, and recognize and abate safety hazards within the workplace
• Must be able to communicate verbally and in writing frequently with a wide range of people from divergent socio-economic backgrounds and origins 
• The noise level in the work environment is usually low 

Location: In Field

Salary: $70,000-$80,000

Hours: Monday-Friday, 7am-4pm

EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

· Paid Time Off

· Paid Holidays – 13 scheduled

· Flexible Work Schedules

· Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

· AD&D / Group Life Insurance

· Flexible Spending Accounts – Medical and Dependent Care

· Matched 401(k) Retirement Plan

· Early Release Days!

· Work Anniversary Bonuses

· Tuition Reimbursement and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Eligibility

· Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)

· Home Ownership Assistance Program

· Casual Work Environment

· Professional Growth and Career Development Opportunities

Interfaith is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, pregnancy, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, nationality, sex, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Interfaith will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.