Youth Outreach Specialist, RIC

Join an awesome team of professionals at Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC)! Our friendly staff is committed to providing quality and compassionate services to all people throughout Virginia. Turn your passion for helping others into a meaningful career with CCC. Apply now!

SUMMARY: This position is responsible for providing comprehensive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and who may also be living with addictions and mental illness. Successful candidates are committed to ending homelessness and dedicated to CCC's mission of serving the most vulnerable in our community, including older adults, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQIA identifying individuals, and those traumatized by systemic inequities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Engage youth individuals experiencing homelessness and assist them in accessing health, housing, and social services.
Provide in-person, community-based assistance and connect with individuals in their physical location - street, hospital, emergency shelter, etc.
Assist individuals in applying or recertifying for mainstream benefits, including Medicaid, SNAP applications, and Social Security disability.
Assist individuals with connecting to basic needs, including food, clothing, showers, laundry, transportation, obtaining identification, etc.
Conduct client intakes for homeless youth individuals and families and households at risk of homelessness. Determine client needs and most appropriate referrals to ensure a return to permanent housing as quickly as possible, including referrals for housing services, shelter, and other services. Document client's homelessness according to HUD guidelines.
Maintain client records in HCIS (Service Point), including demographics and other essential client information including service transactions, client needs and referrals, reason for homelessness, and summary statement.
Advocate on behalf of clients to obtain essential services and/or support them to advocate for themselves.
Collaborate and coordinate services with appropriate community agencies to address barriers and complex needs of individuals.
Identify other community resources and provide in-depth referrals to housing, medical and/or mental health services.
Assist with crisis intervention and act as a liaison between hospitals and other community agencies.
Provide case management to a core caseload (i.e. assess needs, develop goals with client, coordinate services, monitor progress, and assist in obtaining housing.
Performs street outreach to the local region multiple times per week, connecting youth individuals experiencing homelessness to shelter, permanent housing and other community resources. Conduct outreach via social media as well.
Consult with mental health professionals - nurses, social workers, family physicians, psychiatrists.
Develop and maintain positive working relationships with community partners to work together to identify and improve processes that enhance services to clients.
Represents the Agency in the community and workplace in a professional and ethical manner.
Demonstrates sensitivity to the service population's cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
Demonstrates strong interpersonal, decision-making, problem-solving, oral, and written skills.
Utilizes a basic knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: Bachelor's Degree required with two years of related experience. Persons with lived experience of homelessness or housing instability encouraged to apply.

To apply for any of our open positions, please visit our website at https://www.cccofva.org/openpositions to obtain an application. Be sure to indicate the position for which you are applying in the subject line. We only review applications submitted for our current open positions and will contact you if we are interested in moving forward with you as a qualified candidate. Thank you for your interest!
Careers | Commonwealth Catholic Charities
Turn your passion for helping others into a meaningful career with Commonwealth Catholic Charities.