Housing Outreach Specialist at The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization

Portland, Oregon, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

30 Sep, 26

Salary

48600.0

Posted On

02 Jul, 26

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Street Outreach, Case Management, Crisis Intervention, De-escalation, Needs Assessment, Client Advocacy, System Navigation, Intercultural Communication, HMIS Data Entry, ArcGIS, Harm Reduction, Problem Solving

Industry

Non-profit Organizations

Description

Description The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) is a non-profit organization established in 1976 to serve immigrants, refugees, and the broader community in Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to welcome, serve and empower refugees, immigrants and people across cultures and generations to reach their full potential. Find out more at www.irco.org. POSITION: Housing Outreach Specialist JOB CLASS/GRADE: Specialist 1 / Grade 8 WAGE: Starting at $48,600 per year based on experience FLSA; EEO; WC: Non-Exempt; Professional; 8864 LOCATIONS: Multiple locations in the Portland area; including IRCO PIAFC, 8040 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland OR 97213, IRCO Africa House, 709 NE 102nd Ave., Portland, OR 97220 Hybrid schedule FTE; FT/PT; STATUS: 1.0 FTE; Full-Time with Benefits; Regular NUMBER OF POSITIONS: (2) APPLY AT: www.irco.org STATUS: Full-Time with Benefits PROGRAM(S): Multnomah County Homeless Services Dept Adult System of Care SECTOR/DIVISION: Housing & Supportive Services / Assets & Opportunity Building REQUIREMENTS: English Required; A second language in any Asian or Pacific Islander, African, Middle Eastern, Russian, or Hispanic language is preferred. Must be able to pass extensive background check. Must possess a valid driver’s license, verification of current auto insurance, and have full use of an automobile during work hours. Program Summary The overarching goal of Multnomah County Homeless Services Dept Adult System of Care is to provide street-based outreach support to adults living outside or in places not meant for human habitation. Outreach and engagement services must actively provide hands-on system navigation and utilize flexible client assistance and/or rental assistance funds to remove immediate barriers to housing (such as securing vital identification documents or covering application fees). Furthermore, outreach teams are expected to consistently utilize established referral pathways to connect individuals with essential behavioral and physical health services and ultimately facilitate successful hand-offs to placement programs. Position Summary The Housing Outreach Specialist will offer all reasonable resources to resolve homelessness for unsheltered individuals who are sleeping outside, in vehicles, encampments and other places not meant for human habitation. This may include, but is not limited to client advocacy, problem solving, needs assessments, crisis intervention and de-escalation with a focus on housing placement, as well as providing information and referral linkages to other services such as behavioral health recovery services, physical health services, employment and benefits access services, housing search, housing barrier removal, and housing placement services, as well as supporting individuals in navigating social-services systems. Essential Functions · Travel to locations throughout Multnomah County, including the city of Gresham, using ArcGIS to encounter houseless individuals where they are, establish trust with them, and provide appropriate services when needed. · Identify individuals living unsheltered within a defined geographic area, make contact, and establish credibility and trust through consistent and reliable visits and communication. · Evaluate physical and mental health status of unsheltered individuals, identify immediate needs and safety concerns, and determine barriers to housing and services. · Develop a clear and actionable plan based on the main barriers to housing the client has shared, create small tangible next steps with shared and specific responsibilities. This includes referring to various resources such as housing, shelters, food programs, healthcare, and other service providers, coordinating with mental health and substance use services, and assisting with transportation and transportation coordination to service appointments. · Provide housing-focused case management, help gather identification and documentation, support the housing application process, and advocate with landlords and housing programs to enable successful housing placement for clients. · Collaborate with other providers and partners within and outside of the geographic service area, as necessary, to meet clients’ needs and remove barriers to clients’ successful housing placement. · Perform all street outreach and engagement services in alignment with the Multnomah County Outreach Services Manual which codifies the County's guidance and expectations for standardized, housing-focused service delivery, ensuring a consistent approach to street outreach that includes adherence to harm reduction, best practices, and data collection standards. · Adhere to Multnomah County's Homeless Services Department’s Homeless Management Information System (HSD’s HMIS) data entry standards, accurately documenting all active engagements (e.g., service connections, assessments, client assistance) in a timely manner. · Complete all required training expectations for HSD-contracted street outreach. Secondary Functions · Collaborate with other partner organizations, other stakeholders, and with those experiencing homelessness. · Ability to acknowledge the existence of illegal or unlawful treatment based on race and the gap in access or outcome that people of color experience. · Foster a culture of safety and social acceptance for those who have been excluded over time, including people of color, women, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA2S+ people. · Ability to be humble, honest, and fair in your role, functions, and actions, and be open and accountable to others and to the communities that you serve. · Ability to approach problems and solutions in new ways, take calculated risks, and try innovative ideas. · Provide high quality work and continuously evaluate and improve your work to achieve the best possible outcomes for our community. · Ability to meet multiple, including conflicting deadlines · Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality · Ability to work flexible hours to meet the availability of clients Requirements Education & Experience MINIMUM JOB SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS: · Ability to work with people from all backgrounds without exception. Good communication is a must. Experience working with refugee and immigrant communities, hard-to-reach populations and low-income families is a must. · Ability to courteously meet and deal effectively with other employees, organization representatives, vendors, contractors, the public, and others. · Ability to use initiative and judgment in completing tasks and responsibilities. · Ability to function in a positive manner in a demanding work environment, to demonstrate a high degree of flexibility, to respond to priorities and schedules that change frequently, and to meet commitments. · Minimum 2 years of work experience. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: · Strong skills in intercultural, interpersonal, and organizational communication · Communicate effectively in a positive manner verbally, in writing, and by phone · Strong communication skills in a multilingual, multibackground team and organization Physical, Mental, & Environmental Requirements · Hybrid setting job · Physical: Positions at this level require moderate physical effort and manual labor such as carrying, constant movement, frequent lifting of light items, and some lifting of moderately heavy objects. Driving is one of the major responsibilities. · Mental: There is a regular need for assessment of risks, analysis of options, and decisions without complete information. · Environment: There is a moderately low level of personal risk encountered. Job conditions are occasionally uncomfortable relative to noise, temperature, inside/outside work, dirty conditions, or interactions with angry or hostile people. · Schedule: The work schedule occasionally fluctuates based on organization or customer needs. This fluctuation may occur with or without prior notice. Supervisory Responsibilities Positions at this level are not responsible for any supervisory functions or responsibilities but may occasionally be asked to orient and/or train new employees or volunteers. What We Offer IRCO is a very employee-friendly workplace and offers great benefit packages to our staff: Many flexible working arrangements and schedule Amazing opportunity to work with people who come from all over the world Work that helps your community 3 to 6 weeks of PTO per year 401k match of over 100% on first 5%, immediate vesting 3% match for student loans or college savings 12 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday Medical & Dental insurance options with 90% coverage for employee AND Families, no deductibles Employer Paid Life, Short term, and Long-term Disability Insurance Flexible spending accounts Required Engagement Engage fully in recommended professional development, as well as other assigned or required training activities. This engagement can also include participation in optional activities that embrace IRCO’s mission, vision, and values-based initiatives. How To Apply Complete the IRCO application in our Careers Portal: IRCO Application for Employment. Upload your resume and cover letter addressing your qualifications for this position IRCO Careers. For questions about this position, please email jobs@irco.org Please note that physical applications are accessible from IRCO’s main office, 10301 NE Glisan, Portland, OR 97220. Due to the high volume of applications received, we will not be able to contact applicants or return calls regarding applications. Complete applications should include a cover letter, resume, and IRCO application. IRCO is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any characteristics protected by State and Federal law. We will make reasonable accommodations to meet our obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state disability laws.

Responsibilities

Provide street-based outreach and engagement services to unsheltered adults to remove barriers to housing. Coordinate with behavioral and physical health services to facilitate successful housing placement and system navigation.