Community Outreach Program Coordinator

GENERAL PURPOSE

Under general direction; the Community Outreach Program Coordinator works with multiple agencies to build relationships with residents who are experiencing homelessness, mental health problems, and addiction battles.

Experience in community programs, volunteer programs, or personal experience of homelessness is highly desirable.

The Community Outreach Program Coordinator is responsible for identifying unsheltered homeless through direct street outreach activities.

This position is also intended to create pathways to jobs for local residents and assists in locating pathways for job training and personal growth.

In addition, the Community Outreach Program Coordinator is also responsible for planning, organizing, and coordinating a variety of community outreach activities, functions, and events to attract and inform residents of various programs and opportunities that are available through the County, State, and Federal governments.

Additionally, this person would also be tasked with working with directors to acquire grant funding.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

The Community Outreach Program Coordinator serves participants who are at-risk of homelessness, homeless, experiencing mild to serious behavioral health conditions, and substance use (therapeutics programs).

The Community Outreach Program Coordinator provides services focused on linking individuals to needed resources and services.

This is accomplished through establishing and maintaining trusting relationships with the homeless community and collaborating with drug, alcohol, residential treatment, home placement, temporary housing, permanent housing, and various other providers.

The services are conducted in the community and include outreach, education, crisis management coordination, case management, skill-building workshops, and referral and linkage to resources.

The Community Outreach Program Coordinator is also responsible for tracking and documenting participant engagement and data in order to demonstrate participant engagement and outcomes.

In addition, the Community Outreach Program Coordinator will provide the City with comprehensive data regarding the service providers expertise, accomplishments, failures, and availability.

The Community Outreach Program Coordinator works with the homeless population and others who are experiencing or have experienced homelessness to assist them in finding and retaining sustainable employment opportunities.

This position will cultivate and maintain relationships with employers, outside job resources, vocational training schools to ensure effective employment linkage services and access to resources.

In addition, the Community Outreach Program Coordinator also provides assistance to residents with various government program requirements, policies, and procedures; document direction and completion; file and records maintenance; data entry; screening visitors and mail, and directing questions to the appropriate staff; working with a degree of independent judgment, tact, and initiative within clearly defined work procedures and standards.

The position requires the ability to navigate County, State, and Federal government programs.

This is a full-time classification focusing on supporting individuals who are at-risk of homelessness, homeless, experiencing disabling mental conditions, and experiencing substance abuse.

This program works at resolving the immediate needs for care, engaging individuals in vulnerability assessments, and linking victims to ongoing comprehensive care.

This position will coordinate with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department service area deputies and other local law enforcement resources to provide safe experiences and a coordinated response to these issues of providing assistance, compassion, and positive outcomes.

This position also assists City residents to help navigate the various assistance programs that are available through the County, State, and Federal governments.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed.

The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the class.

• Provides leadership and oversight for the development and implementation of assistance to the therapeutics programs (homelessness, mental health, and addiction) in the City.
• Identifies and analyzes resident needs for service, sets priorities, explores alternatives and works to develop individualized plans.
• Develops relationships with various internal and external stakeholders to create value for the City and enhance understanding of organizational, program, and system issues.
• Provides case management services, including referrals to community resources that will assist in addressing homelessness, substance abuse, and physical, mental health and other needs including financial assistance, legal aid, housing, job placement and/or education and training; helps remove barriers to the utilization of health care services.
• Implements programs designed to educate and inform community residents of the benefits and services offered by the various other government agencies and City opportunities.
• Participates in program and community outreach activities.
• Speaks before community groups and coordinates the use of speakers and resource persons in community education.
• Serves in a resource capacity to residents of the City who need guidance navigating various assistance programs through the County, State, and Federal governments.
• Provides educational sessions to clients and/or community members about homelessness, substance abuse, mental health and/or available community resources.
• Engage with stakeholders and help with the development of plans to turn strategies into actionable items.
• Represent the City on homelessness issues at regional meetings related to homelessness policy including community meetings.
• Creates social media and website postings to educate residents about the various programs available.
• Monitors social media postings and responds to any inquiries received.
• Refers residents to other programs, departments, other help agencies, and community groups, as appropriate.
• Maintain a comprehensive up-to-date resource base for residents.
• Conduct surveys and perform research to identify, track, and report homelessness data and activity.
• Schedule multi-agency meetings/training.
• Provide research, data analysis, and case management support.
• Collaborate with staff and volunteers to complete program goals and objectives.
• Develop relationships with local businesses, organizations, and service providers.
• Liaisons with local law enforcement to identify those in critical need.
• Collaborate with community substance abuse and mental health providers to ensure seamless referral services and ongoing case management.
• Prepare case-related reports including but not limited to demographics, outcomes, successes, and challenges.
• Identify and analyze data to inform strategies for system improvements and enhancements.
• Lead and support the implementation of City initiatives relating to outreach and street-based homelessness.
• Prepare periodic reports, as necessary or requested, to track the accomplishment of strategic goals, evaluate work performed, and systematically report outcomes to the City Council and City Manager.
• Provide linkages to resources available for the homeless population.
• Maintain a comprehensive up-to-date resource base for homeless services and referrals.
• Research community resources that benefit residents experiencing homelessness.
• Perform other duties as they relate to social and behavioral welfare.

QUALIFICATIONS GUIDELINES

Knowledge of:

Basic knowledge of service provision to the therapeutics programs; working knowledge of social, economic and political issues relevant to low-income communities; and trends in the field of homeless and social services; The principles and practices of homeless services strategies, program administration and resources; Community outreach, advocacy and public education; Organizational and management principles; The principles and practices of researching and analyzing the economic feasibility of programs and projects; Methods of financing homelessness projects; The principles and practices of Request for Proposal/Qualification planning, development, administration, evaluation, and contract development; The principles and practices of of grant application, and administration; Marketing, public information, and promotional techniques used in therapeutic programs; The principles of work plan development and implementation; The functions and relationships between private and public sector groups that serve the therapeutic programs.

Basic knowledge of and ability to navigate County, State, Federal programs, policies, rules, requirements, codes, and regulations; methods, practices, procedures, and requirements for drafting a variety of documents, reports, applications, and presentations; methods and techniques to support residents in searching for assistance; public and private community resources available to meet resident needs; office practices, procedures and equipment including computers and applicable software programs; customer service practices and telephone etiquette; proper English usage, including spelling, grammar, punctuation; and report presentation techniques.

Ability to:

Plan, organize, and coordinate one-on-one meetings with residents of the City; conduct research and interpret the programs within the County, State, and Federal level; identify eligibility standards and funding procedures for assistance programs; communicate effectively, orally and in writing; draft and present reports and maintain resident/project records; establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, management, contractors, government officials, and the general public; maintain the confidentiality of the resident's records; operate modern office equipment and computer hardware such as word processing, excel, and outlook.

Assess community needs and evaluate programs using outcome data to determine effectiveness of program components and recommend program modifications as necessary; Plan, organize and promote program strategies, programs and related activities; Research, analyze and prepare technical funding proposals, contracts, and financial reports; Research, analyze, interpret and present findings on complex data, documents, technical studies, and other data and documents related to homelessness projects and programs; Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with City and County officials and private and public entities; Evaluate and recommend changes to policies, practices, and procedures; Analyze problems and identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions and implement recommendations in support of goals; Interpret and apply federal, state and local policies, laws, rules, and regulations; Work effectively with business leaders, financial institutions, citizen groups and department managers; Work effectively in time-sensitive situations to meet deadlines; coordinate multiple projects and complex tasks concurrently; Exercise sound independent judgment and demonstrate initiative and creativity, with minimal supervision; Communicate complex material clearly, logically, and concisely, both orally and in writing, including public presentations to large and small audiences; Proficiently use work-related computer applications such as Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, Outlook, database management and internet communications.

Education/Training/Experience:

Associates and or Bachelor's degree is desired, but not required from an accredited college or university with major coursework in social work, behavioral health, business administration, public administration, human resources, criminal justice, or other research-intensive fields.

Experience working with the homeless population or at-risk population in a capacity that would demonstrate knowledge for what is expected in delivering resources and assistance to assist those in need.

Some responsible administrative, analytical and/or budgetary experience that could be incorporated into the review and assessment of programs that currently exist in the City, County, and State.

Licenses, Certificates; Special Requirements:

Ability to complete the American Red Cross or equivalent CPR, AED, and First Aid Certification within six months of assignment to the position.

A valid Class C California driver's license and the ability to maintain insurability under the City's Vehicle Insurance Policy.

May be required to work a varied schedule of hours that may include early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.

In accordance with California Government Code Section 3100, City of La Puente employees, in the event of a disaster, are considered disaster service workers and may be asked to protect the health, safety, lives, and property of the people of the State.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this class, the employee will be required to stand for long periods of time, and occasionally sit and walk.

Finger dexterity and light grasping are required to handle, feel, or operate computer hardware and standard office equipment; and reach with hands and arms above and below shoulder level.

The employee occasionally bends, stoops, lifts, and carries records and documents, typically weighing less than 20 pounds.

Sensory demands include the ability to see within the normal range, talk, and hear, and use electronic touch keypads.

Mental Demands

While performing the duties of this class, employees are regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; analyze and solve problems; observe and interpret situations; learn and apply new information or skills; perform highly detailed work; work on multiple, concurrent tasks; work with frequent interruptions; work under intensive deadlines; and interact with management, staff, government officials, consultants, the public, and others encountered in the course of work.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
The employee works in both office and field settings.

Occasional travel is required to public and private events as well as user group and public meeting sites.

This position will require coordinating fieldwork with Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department personnel and will require direct contact with the homeless population and other at-risk persons.

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