Outreach Specialist - St. Louis City - SSVF
St Louis, MO, US, 63101-1114
St. Patrick Center provides opportunities for self-sufficiency and dignity to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Individuals and families build permanent, positive change in their lives through safe and affordable housing, sound mental and physical health, and employment and financial stability.
Working collaboratively with individuals, businesses, government and other service providers, St. Patrick Center will end chronic homelessness in the St. Louis region through Housing First, an evidence-based practice that tells us to remove barriers, do intake and assessment early, move people into housing and offer them support to achieve their goals.
St. Patrick Center, a ministry of Catholic Charities, is a USA Today 2024 Top Workplaces winner! We are recognized as a multi-year St. Louis Post Dispatch Top Workplaces for our Purpose and Values, having received this distinction consecutively in 2022 and 2023. We are valued by employees for our culture excellence as demonstrated by winning the Top Workplace's Culture Excellence awards for Employee Appreciation, Employee Well-Being, Work-Life Flexibility, Professional Development, and Innovation in 2023. St. Patrick Center has also gained recognition as a 2023 Top Workplaces Woman-Led organization, Regional award, and Nonprofit Industry award winner.
Job Summary
St. Patrick Center, a ministry of Catholic Charities, is hiring an Outreach Specialist to join our Support Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program. The outreach specialist will provide outreach to social service agencies and unhoused veterans within the St. Louis City region. The outreach specialist will explore and investigate areas where potential clients may be staying and engage individuals in conversations regarding substance use and mental health disorders, as well as, other issues that are keeping them on the street. The right candidate will have experience working in a social service agency and with the unhoused community. The specialist will need to be familiar with appropriate and available community resources and with mental illness and substance use disorders. The core working hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM. The salary range is between $36,000-$46,000
Job Responsibilities
- Explore and investigate areas where potential clients may be staying.
- Engage clients in conversations regarding substance abuse, mental health and other issues that keep them on the street.
- Respond to calls and requests from the community to assist homeless persons when possible. • Be able to complete program assessments where veteran is currently located.
- Transport clients or veterans needing services as needed.
- Make persons in need of assistance aware of community resources, especially from St. Patrick Center’s SSVF program.
- Complete initial assessments on veterans seeking assistance and forward assessments to case managers and the program manager.
- Research various social service agencies to understand intake procedures and criterion. • Conduct regular visits to social service agencies to inform them of the SSVF program and criteria for referrals.
- Refer clients to appropriate community agencies, assisting clients when needed.
- Maintain appropriate documentation of all outreaches provided to agencies and clients.
- Record services provided in CaseWorthy and keep all paperwork updated.
- Attend local Continuum of Care meetings to inform agencies regarding the SSVF program.
- Detailed knowledge of SSVF grant and SPC Policy & Procedures to assist case managers with following grant guidelines.
- Complete all reports including expense reports in a timely and accurate manner.
- Communicate verbally and in writing to case managers and SSVF manager.
- Maintain relationship with related agencies.
- Other duties as assigned.
Job Requirements
- High school diploma or GED required.
- Previous experience and knowledge from working with the homeless
- Experience working in a social service agency.
- Familiarity with the fields of mental illness and drug/alcohol abuse; symptoms, terminology, and interventions
- Familiarity with appropriate and available community resources
- Ability to recognize personal strengths and limitations regarding time, skill, and knowledge.
- Ability to communicate effectively with both clients, social service agencies, and team members.
- Ability to build productive relationships within the community and with prospective clients.
- Ability to set limits with clients.
- Ability to engage new clients.
- Ability to assess persons and situations.
- Ability to work in team environment.
REQUIRED
- Driver license required (MO residents require a Class E)
- Valid and current auto insurance required.
- Reliable vehicle required.
- Ability to work a minimum of 37.5 hours per week.
PREFERRED
- BSW or bachelor's degree preferred.
- Residence within the specified region preferred but not required.
- Veteran status preferred.
St. Patrick Center does not discriminate on the basis of handicapped status in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its federally assisted programs and activities. St. Patrick Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, or disability.
Pre-Employment Screening
All candidates receiving an employment offer must submit a pre-employment screening. The screenings will include criminal background check and other background checks (as needed), Family Care Safety Registration, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, and Covid-19 and Influenza vaccination. Various positions will require physical examination, Tuberculosis screening and Hepatitis A. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.