Outreach Worker

Outreach Worker

The Homeless Services Division provides transitional housing for people in recovery from substance misuse and is seeking an Outreach Worker to assist individuals undergoing alcohol/drug treatment or other professional counseling while looking to escape the threat of homelessness. This position will provide street outreach to help homeless individuals access needed services to transition from homelessness and will counsel individuals and groups on substance abuse, homelessness and mental health matters while helping with a variety of intake, treatment and discharge procedures. Starting hourly rate is negotiable within the range depending on qualifications, experience, certifications, and training. Hours per week will vary based on operational needs; the position may provide on-call, evening, weekend, and holiday shift coverage. Hours will not exceed an average of 27.5 hours per week. Direct deposit of paychecks is a condition of employment for all City of Gaithersburg employees.

Job functions include:

• Handle admissions and discharges.
• Provide street outreach to homeless individuals and help them access needed services to transition from homelessness
• Transport residents to and from self-help meetings and other meetings and appointments when necessary.
• Prepare counseling assessments and counsel and engage residents.
• Monitor and document patient medication self-administration.
• Facilitate in-house community meetings.
• Provide translation services to assist with call-in/walk-in customers and when assisting with client intake and one-on-one client meetings and street outreach efforts to determine needs, proper referrals and other support services.
• Respond appropriately to emergencies including contacting appropriate staff and supervisors; interact with emergency responders as needed.

Qualifications include:

• High School Diploma, High School Equivalency Diploma or G.E.D. Certificate.
• Some course work or specialized training in social work, counseling, psychology or related field preferred.
• Experience in substance abuse/chemical dependency counseling, treatment and rehabilitation.
• Driver's license valid in the State of Maryland.
• Ability to speak, read and write fluently in a language in addition to English (such as Spanish, Chinese, Korean, etc.).
• Or any acceptable equivalent combination of education, experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to satisfactorily perform job duties.

Interested applicants must submit a complete online application to be considered. Review of applications will begin immediately, so prompt application is strongly encouraged. The position will remain open until filled; recruitment will close without notice when a sufficient number of qualified applications are received or all hiring decisions have been made. Successful candidates will be subject to a background check and drug/alcohol screening. The City has established an alcohol-free, drug-free and smoke-free workplace which applies to any person employed by, conducting business with, or applying for a position with the City. Each employee, as a condition of their employment, may be required to participate in pre-employment and reasonable suspicion testing. Employees classified as safety sensitive are also subject to immediate post accident and random testing.