TEMPORARY OUTREACH SPECIALIST I

People Loving Nashville

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Job Summary

THE POSITION 
This position will be responsible for providing street outreach to individuals who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Outreach responsibilities include: canvassing mapped areas, engaging in basic conversation, assessing an individual’s needs, discussing available services including housing and disability assistance, providing informal 1:1 care, housing navigation, making referrals to other service providers or agencies, and engaging in other activities that may promote recovery or stability for the individual; offer assessment and recovery services for persons with co-occurring disorders of mental illness and substance use disorders. We are part of an “Outreach Group” where select agencies will be pooling their resources together to provide the best assistance to our community.  This group is led by Park Center.  As part of this team, you will work as an employee of PLN and part of this group.  As part of the PLN team, you will also support the ongoing weekly programming as needed as well as developing your own engagement within the mapped area.

The Outreach Specialist I role will report to the Outreach Manager. This position is a temporary grant-funded position through Park Center ending Oct 30, 2022.

Job Responsibilities

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Work mainly with the population that is in alignment with People Loving Nashville mission.
• Work closely with the Park Center project supervisor.
• Work with the Homeless Impact Division (HID) for full training on Homeless
  Management Information System (HMIS) including Coordinated Entry (CE) and
  Vulnerability Index Services Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT).
• Conduct outreach with at least 80 people experiencing unsheltered
  homelessness in downtown Nashville (designated by the Team 10 PIT along with N. 1st St along the river, Titans stadium, etc. on the north side of the river) to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Outreach services include:
  • Canvassing mapped areas of downtown on foot consistently to locate and engage people experiencing unsheltered homelessness on the streets and in encampments.
  • Engaging people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in order to reduce the risk of harm and to enhance safety (e.g. increasing access to cold-weather gear, crisis services, etc.)
  • Attempting to engage people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in a manner that promotes trust, safety, and autonomy while developing relevant goals.
  • Guiding people to achieve and maintain positive change. Reinforcing healthy behaviors and supporting skill-building and the development of needed supports.
  • Interviewing people experiencing homelessness to gather needed information and documentation for housing and services including the VI-SPDAT, universal data elements for HMIS, and other required HMIS data elements for Coordinated Entry and ESG-CV program-specific data.
  • Linking people experiencing homelessness to mainstream services like housing navigation, healthcare, SNAP, SOAR services, etc.
  • Preparing people experiencing homelessness to transition successfully to other services through in-depth referrals (“warm handoffs”). Guiding transitions to new resources, services, and housing.
• Attend Coordinator/Rapid Re-Housing/Housing Navigator Meetings that are held for Nashville Partners, weekly outreach coordination meetings for this project, and all other care coordination meetings.
• Respond to the forwarded inquiries from the Downtown Outreach Line (DOL) Monday-Friday during regular office hours.
• Rotate with other Outreach Specialists to conduct street rounds with Street Medicine Program to reach people that are more at risk of contracting COVID-19.
• Follow the fiscal procedures for spending and reimbursement provided by Park Center.
• Conduct outreach 2 nights per week
• Attend staff meetings and retreats
• Participate in weekly PLN programming, providing leadership and/or support to volunteers, as needed
• Perform other duties to support PLN, as assigned

Qualifications

ABOUT YOU

• You have at least 1 year of experience in street outreach serving individuals experiencing mental illness, substance use, and/or homelessness.
• You have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, or a related field; or equivalent experience in the social services field.
• You have a desire to meet people where they are and a passion for service.
• You are an effective communicator, whether that’s in person, by email, or phone and you’re able to communicate easily with people from varying walks of life.
• You are patient and an attentive listener.
• You are flexible and adaptable to the needs of a grassroots organization and willing to jump in where needed.
• You’re a team player.
• You have excellent time management skills and the ability to independently meet deadlines.
• You have a valid driver’s license and personal auto insurance
• You are willing to work outside conventional business hours; including nights (and weekends, as needed).

PREFERRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS 

• You are bilingual (Spanish language)

Additional Information

Benefits

How to Apply

HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please send your cover letter and resume to jobs@peoplelovingnashville.com and include your last name and the job title in the subject line. Include your cover letter and resume as pdf files entitled “YourNameLetter” and “YourNameResume.” In your cover letter, please tell us how you found out about this opportunity.

Details

• Date Posted: January 11, 2021
• Type: Contract / Temp
• Job Function: Other
• Service Area: Social / Human Services
• Start Date: 02/01/2021
• Working Hours: 40