Senior Housing Outreach Specialist (Downtown)

Organization Overview: The Goddard Riverside Community Center (Goddard Riverside) and the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center (Isaacs Center) are well-established Manhattan community-based agencies that support services to approximately 30,000 New Yorkers. We are two of New York City’s leading human services organizations meeting the needs of children, youth and families, homeless individuals, and older adults through-out Manhattan and New York City. We work every day for a fair and just society where all people have the opportunity to make choices that lead to better lives for themselves and their families. The Isaacs Center focuses primarily on the needs of children and low-income families, out-of-school and out-of-work youth, and aging New Yorkers. We operate at community centers located in the neighborhoods of East Harlem and Yorkville, and seek to deliver programs that are impactful, innovative, and intergenerational.

Program Description: Goddard Riverside invests in people & strengthens community, serving more than 20,000 people throughout New York City with a variety of programs for all ages. We work within a social justice framework to create a fair and just society where all people have the opportunity to make choices that lead to better lives for themselves and their families. Goddard is a partner within the Manhattan Outreach Consortium (MOC) a borough-wide initiative to serve the unsheltered community. The Uptown team serves the UWS and UES of Manhattan and collaborates with various community partners and healthcare agencies throughout Manhattan. The catchment area includes W. 59th – W. 110th Street & E. 59th – E. 96th Street, river to river.

Purpose of Position: The Housing Outreach Specialist works creatively and effectively in the community to engage individuals living on the street through outreach by utilizing a harm reduction approach. The position serves as a case manager for adults experiencing street homelessness, with the goal of placement into transitional and permanent housing. The position works collaboratively across teams and organizations to achieve this goal.

Schedule: Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Salary: $41,987

Roles, Responsibilities, and Essential Duties

• Serve as case manager for adults experiencing homelessness, with a goal of placement into transitional and permanent housing
• Perform intake, assessment, service planning, advocacy, referral and escort services
• Maintain client case records and enter data in computer database using handheld and desktop computers
• Provide follow-up case management for clients placed in housing, to promote retention and document outcomes
• Attend staff meetings, case conferences, training programs and supervision meetings; participate in program evaluation and improvement
• Coordinate teams multiple referral sources for caseload additions
• Ensure referred clients are properly documented in MOCapp and connected to an assigned Housing Outreach Specialist
• Participate in outreach trips to identify and communicate with unsheltered individuals
• Perform additional duties such as working with a peer, assisting with their integration on the team or other administrative tasks
• Drive outreach van and take public transportation when needed
• Participate in at least four (4) overnight quarterly counts of homeless individuals living on the streets of Manhattan, including the HOPE count
• Other duties as required

Qualifications/Educational Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree preferred
• Prior experience with the homeless and/or mentally ill population preferred
• Valid driver’s license and a driving record that meets the agency’s auto insurance guidelines (including at least one year as a licensed driver and no suspensions within the last 3 years)

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Understanding of housing first and other harm reduction models
• Ability to multitask
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong written and verbal skills
• Team player
• Good judgement

Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should be:

• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook
• Experience with, or ability to learn, computer databases such as Streetsmart, MOCapp, and CARES

Physical Requirements

• Frequent walking and standing
• Ability to lift up to 30 lbs, including client belongings

Work Environment

• Indoors and outdoors; all weathers

This position is classified as a union position under the Collective Bargaining Agreement between Goddard Riverside and the United Service Workers Union Local 74 Collective Bargaining Unit. The union represents employees in the bargaining unit (i.e. Goddard employees in Local 74 union positions). The Collective Bargaining Agreement is a written contract that defines the agreed-upon terms and conditions of employment, including wage increases, paid time off and other benefits, and the grievance process. All employees in Local 74 union positions at Goddard Riverside are subject to and covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Membership in the union includes the collection of union dues on a monthly basis, to be deducted from the member’s Goddard paycheck at a rate to be determined by the union.

We are committed to building an inclusive workplace community grounded in respect for differences. We support hiring a broadly diverse team of qualified individuals who will contribute to our organizations.

Goddard Riverside and Isaacs Center provide equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of duties and responsibilities that will be required of this position and title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be requested to perform job related task other than those specifically presented in this description. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.