Outreach & Retention Specialist CRED

Compensation Range: $25/hr - $28/hr commensurate with experience

Benefits:
We have three comprehensive healthcare plans to choose from based on your priorities and budget. Housing Works covers most of the plan; you pay a portion based on your salary. Staff begins accruing PTO immediately for a total of up to 30 days earned in the first year. We offer employees an educational benefit. This money is available for tuition loan reimbursement tuition costs and text books.

Overview:

In partnership with the Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD) Housing Works launched the CRED Program a new specialized 24-week paid training program for justice-involved and justice-impacted individuals ages 25 40. The program provides case management connection to wraparound health services industry recognized credential trainings paid internships and employment placement and retention support.

Reporting to the Program Manager the Outreach & Retention Specialist will be responsible for but not limited to engaging in networking and outreaching activities to promote program services and enrollment provide individual and group level counseling support to clients to promote continuity of care and engagement in services and monitor and support employment retention for clients placed upon completion of the program. The Outreach & Retention Specialist role is ideal for individuals seeking to enter the reentry workforce development sector and to work alongside like-minded professionals across an interdisciplinary team.

Responsibilities:

Primary:

• Participate in networking and in-community outreach activities to raise awareness of program services and promote program enrollment.
• Develop referral relationships with community-based organizations faith-based institutions and grassroot organizations in assigned catchment areas.
• Conduct initial screening assessments with individuals referred to the program.
• Facilitate program orientation and work readiness groups.
• Meet with clients assigned to caseload bi-weekly to provide retention support.
• Monitor client employment retention outcomes and provide individual vocational counseling sessions to promote long-term retention.
• Assist program leadership with developing and implementing client satisfaction and program evaluation surveys to gain insights to clients programmatic experiences.
• Participate in quality improvement activities.
• Participate in case conferences as needed.
• Utilize motivational interviewing strategies and techniques.
• Engage in crisis intervention as needed.
• Utilize internal and external data systems to document program services and client engagement activities.
• Submit daily weekly and monthly reports timely and accurately.

Secondary:

• Provide culturally competent services in accordance to Housing Works policies and practices.
• Promotes Housing Works core values consistently.
• Ability to work with clients with diverse clients with varying levels of service needs.
• Works collaboratively with other team members within the Justice Initiatives Department and cross-agency.

Other functions that may be required with this position include:

• Attend and participate staff meetings and trainings as scheduled.
• Responsiveness to emails texts and phone calls.
• Adhere to remote workforce policies procedures and protocols.

Requirements:

• Bachelors Degree preferred in social services psychology social work or other related field.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 1 year experience providing direct client service.
• Experience working with justice-involved or justice-impacted individuals.
• Strong written documentation and communication skills
• Good problem-solving skills and ability to work autonomously
• Microsoft Office Suite particularly Excel required
• Ability to obtain and maintain DOC clearance.
• Experience utilizing EMR systems.

The following additional competencies are viewed as important to success in this position:

• Preferably bi-lingual in Spanish.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent or proficient technical skills to perform tasks related to Microsoft Office email and case management systems.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with the team.
• Dependability and reliability to arrive and depart timely for scheduled shift.
• Ability to frequently travel within the boroughs via public transportation.

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Housing Works was founded in 1990; With a long-term commitment to AIDS advocacy. Housing Works established New York States first harm reduction-based OASAS-licensed outpatient drug treatment program. Other services include Health Home care management behavioral health and syringe exchange programs. A pioneer in the social entrepreneurship movement Housing Works operates 10 high-end thrift shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn and a much-loved Bookstore Cafe in Soho. For more information visit

Housing Works fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing healthcare HIV prevention and treatment among other lifesaving services.

Housing Works provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race color religion sex national origin age disability or addition to federal law requirements. Housing Works complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. Housing Works also does not request prior salary information during the hiring process. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including recruiting hiring placement promotion termination layoff recall transfer leaves of absence compensation and training.

This position is included in a bargaining unit of Housing Works New York City employees represented by a labor union known as the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). Accordingly the RWDSU has the exclusive right to bargain over the terms and conditions of employment related to this position and this position may become covered by the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (a CBA) between Housing Works and the RWDSU

Required Experience:

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