Community Justice Screening and Outreach Coordinator - Burien

Community Justice (L.E.A.D.) Screening and Outreach Coordinator

Working at Evergreen Treatment Services makes a big difference in our community! ETS has been working to transform the lives of individuals and their communities through innovative and effective addiction and social services in Western Washington for over 50 years. Learn more about our mission and values.

Change begins within. We strive to foster and sustain a diverse and inclusive community within our organization. Find out how we are working to achieve racial equity, health equity, and community justice.

Our Clinic Services and REACH teams bring critical professional expertise and heartfelt compassion to the work they do every day to serve our most vulnerable community members. Check out the compelling stories told by our patients, clients, and staff members that provide more information and a clear picture regarding our organization's essential work.

The REACH Program of Evergreen Treatment Services works with individuals experiencing homelessness and behavioral health conditions to help them achieve stability and improved quality of life. The REACH mission is to foster community health and safety through outreach, relationship, healing interventions and systems advocacy for people who use drugs. REACH provides outreach-based-care coordination, multidisciplinary clinical services, and supports to access and maintain housing. All services are based in principles of harm reduction that offer respect and dignity to individuals moving through stages of change in their lives.

REACH incorporates a racial equity lens that includes naming the impact and actively dismantling systems of oppression rooted in White Supremacy, while addressing the root causes perpetuating historical trauma and immense suffering in individuals' lives. We are committed to building a robust behavioral health response that diverts people away from jail by rebuilding community and providing services to ensure those presently marginalized aren't just surviving, but able to thrive.

REACH offers an array of services ranging from survival support provided where folks are living outside to linkages to essential resources such as housing, assistance to resolve legal issues, health care, entitlements and easily accessible treatment for substance use disorders and mental health conditions.

The REACH team is passionate about creating a hospitable and welcoming environment for all people while providing quality services on an individually tailored basis to our clientele. REACH values diversity of lived experience, is committed to racial equity and social justice, and appreciates hard work, creativity, and a good sense of humor. People who have been impacted by the criminal legal system are encouraged to apply.

This dynamic position plays an important role in helping ETS accomplish our mission!

Job Summary:

• The Screening & Outreach Coordinator role is part of the REACH team that supports ETS' mission through acting as the contact point for all referrals to LEAD case management.
• As such, this position must ensure effective and efficient communication and collaboration between all the partners involved in referring and receiving referrals for LEAD. This position will provide screening, outreach, and engagement to individuals referred to LEAD. They will provide consistent response to the local police department and manage referrals from law enforcement and city officials.
• The Screening & Outreach Coordinator will conduct street outreach as needed to engage referred individuals who have yet to engage with their assigned case manager.
• The Screening & Outreach Coordinator must develop and maintain positive, collaborative relationships with all LEAD partners and other service providers in order to best serve LEAD participants.
• The position is full-time in the field and will utilize our office space, and the days and hours are M-F; 8:30-5:00.
• This position requires holding an on-call referral phone after-hours during the work week one week per month, staff in this role must be available to respond to diversion calls in during on-call shifts as designated.

What you contribute to this role – Responsibilities:

• Help ETS succeed in carrying out our mission through working together with other staff to transform systems of harm and inequity to create different approaches to improving community health and safety through addressing substance use and homelessness.
• Assist with the organization-wide initiative to reimagine our interconnectedness within our community to overcome the aspects of our society and organizational culture shaped by white supremacy and settler colonialism.
• Active point of contact for all referrals to respective LEAD team.
• Manage number of referrals based on capacity.
• Complete initial screening with all new referrals.
• At time of screening, assess and address emergent/immediate client needs including need for medical care, shelter, food, and clothing.
• Provide street and home outreach to engage individuals who have been referred to LEAD with the purpose of facilitating completion of intake process.
• Complete client intake as needed.
• Manage and coordinate the assignment of new referrals to a case manager.
• Provide case managers with completed paperwork and share additional, relevant information.
• Ability to track and enter into database all program referrals. Update demographic information, referral date, type of referral, arrest charge and case manager assignment.
• Develop relationships and liaison with police department, city officials, and other relevant partners.
• Work in tandem with case managers to provide street outreach to engage participants when needed.
• Provide immediate response police officers regarding LEAD participants when LEAD case managers are not available.
• Develop and maintain positive, collaborative relationships with LEAD partners and other service providers including chemical dependency treatment providers, mental health providers, health care providers, shelter providers, landlords, detox centers, DSHS workers.
• Identify gaps and barriers in available community resources and advocate for systemic changes.
• Attend all LEAD Program staff meetings and other required meetings.
• Document all activities according to agency and contract requirements.

Requirements

What you bring to this role – Qualifications:

Education and/or Relevant and Lived Experience (if applicable):

- High school diploma or equivalent required. Undergraduate degree preferred. Relevant experience may substitute for degree.

- Demonstrated ability providing street-based outreach and engagement services to individuals suspected of low-level drug involvement and persons who have experienced trauma and marginalization.

- Demonstrated experience developing positive, collaborative relationships with law enforcement and social services providers to effectively serve mutual clients.

- Understanding of substance use disorders and harm reduction strategies along with a demonstrated passion for serving people experiencing homelessness and co-occurring behavioral health conditions required.

Knowledge and Skills:

- Have an understanding of racial justice and social equity and a commitment to helping create an equitable environment for all ETS clients and patients as well as fellow staff.

- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, patients, and staff from a wide variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds.

- Strong interpersonal skills and verbal/ written communication skills.

- Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize workload, work independently, and complete tasks timely and efficiently.

- Dependable, able to work under pressure, receptive to change, willingness to learn, cooperative approach to problem solving.

- Flexible team player, with excellent attention to detail.

- Ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion when handling highly sensitive information.

- Ability to set boundaries, resolve conflict and de-escalate issues.

- Computer literate, with basic knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (or equivalent suites such as Google Workspace), as well as a high level of initiative in keeping current with technological changes. Skills needed include basic functions such as utilizing MS Outlook email and calendaring programs (or equivalent) and sending attachments, using MS Teams or equivalent chat, call, and videoconference features, and navigating search engines such as Edge or Google and carrying out browser searches and website benchmarking steps.

Additional Essential Information:

Physical Conditions and Requirements:

• The employee may be exposed to illicit drug residues and fumes or other bio-hazardous materials when carrying out job functions. There is also potential for exposure to bloodborne pathogens. ETS will provide employees with appropriate training to limit the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Policies and procedures are in place addressing each item specifically.
• The employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear; frequently required to stand, walk, and kneel; occasionally to climb balance, or stoop; rarely to crouch or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, color, and peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate.

Equipment Used:

• Computer, photocopier, fax machine, phone, and use of the program vehicles.