Street Outreach Specialist

Street Outreach Specialist

Bridge Over Troubled Waters has provided a comprehensive continuum of care for runaway, homeless, and high-risk youth in Boston for over 50 years, and has been a national model in providing innovative youth services. Our mission is to transform the lives of youth through safe, supportive and encouraging relationships, counseling, housing, and skill-building, to guide them towards self-sufficiency and achieving their goals.

About The Role

Street outreach involves moving beyond the walls of the agency to identify and engage with young people experiencing homelessness who may be disconnected and alienated both from mainstream services and supports and those specific to people experiencing homelessness. The Street Outreach Specialist's primary duties occur in the field - on the streets where homeless and at-risk youth gather. Other responsibilities - those involving documentation, data analysis, supervision and training - will occur at Bridge headquarters.

Responsibilities

Your work as a Street Outreach Specialist will focus on the following:

• Regularly assess the "street scene" to maintain up-to-date information on where homeless youth gather, including visiting changing locations, including overnight camps in and around Boston.
• Work with a team of Street Outreach Specialists and participate in regular "foot patrol" on streets and in shelters, including visiting changing locations, including overnight camps in and around Boston.
• Build relationships with street youth, and refer them to Bridge and/or other agencies as needed.
• Assess the needs of street youth, provide on-street crisis counseling and other services to help ensure their safety.
• Work in concert with the Bridge Medical Van Coordinator at medical van locations and facilitate street youth connection to the Van.
• Maintain effective communication channels between Street Outreach Program partners, including City of Boston Homeless Shelter Commission, Pine Street Inn Outreach Van, local Police Department, adult homeless shelters, collaborating agencies, and other parties involved in street outreach in the region.
• Document service statistics and records for accurate reporting and entry of data into both Bridge's Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) system and Boston Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

Please Note: This job description is not intended to describe in detail the multitude of tasks that may be assigned, but rather to give the Street Outreach Specialist a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of the position. As the nature of the business demands change, so too may the essential functions of the position. The candidate who accepts this role is expected to be flexible to meet the changing demands.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in human services or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience working with adolescents and youth.
• Knowledge of youth street culture, crisis prevention and intervention methods, and ability to form positive relationships with diverse populations.
• Experience with and understanding of the human services field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of community resources.
• Valid MA Driver's license required.

Skills And Strengths

• Comfort and confidence working in a fast-paced dynamic work environment.
• Enthusiastic about working with homeless transitional youth population.

Pay And Benefits

Base Pay: $25.00/hour, Weekend Differential: +$3.00/hour (Total $28.00/hour on weekends)

• Paid time off (sick time, vacation time, personal time) as well as 13 paid holidays and a birthday holiday
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(K) with 3% matching of contributions after 90 days of employment
• Employer-sponsored flexible spending accounts, commuter pre-tax benefits, employer paid short-term disability, long term disability, and life insurance
• Ongoing job training, including four off-site half-day trainings each year

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, work at a computer, stand, and walk, and must be able to lift/move weight up to 25 pounds. The employee must be able to walk and work outdoors for extended periods of time, including conducting outreach in the community and navigating various environments in differing weather conditions. The employee also must be able to hear and speak sufficiently to manage phone calls and effectively communicate/converse with others. The employee must have visual acuity and cognitive capacity to read, understand, and draft reports, letters, etc. The noise level is quiet to moderate; however, the employee must be able to perform in various settings, including public spaces and at public events/activities.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status.