Who we are:

Friendship Place is a nonprofit organization, serving the Washington, DC region.  We empower individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness to rebuild their lives with the involvement of the community.  Friendship Place offers the most effective model for addressing homelessness, with innovative, customized programs that have positive, demonstrable results and a lasting impact on the community and beyond.  Our programs are person-centric and individualized to meet the needs and goals of individuals, families, youth/young adults and Veterans experiencing homelessness. We provide outreach, hospitality, health care, case management, housing, job placement services, and advocacy.  We are committed to living out our core values both within our organization and the community.

Summary:

The “Youth Connect “Youth Street Outreach (YSO) Specialist position is a key position of the Welcome Center Division of Friendship Place. This position will engage with homeless, at-risk, or runaway Transition-Age Youth (TAY) who are experiencing unstable housing situations (s.a. street homelessness, shelter, doubled-up, in transitional housing, etc) and offer one-on-one outreach and supportive services to these youth age 24 and under. Through one-on-one outreach engagements and supportive services, the YSO Specialist will seek to connect engaged TAY individuals (age 24 and under) with basic needs services and other key supports throughout the District of Columbia.  The YSO Specialist must have the ability to build relationships across a diverse population of TAY individuals through empowerment practices and be culturally competent with the LGBTQ+ community. A working knowledge of trauma-informed care principles and an understanding of and ability to identify human trafficking characteristics are also vital.   This position also serves as a primary assessor for TAY individuals experiencing homelessness in order to be connected to the Coordinated Entry Systems for both Youth (24-and under) and Single Adults (18+).  The position is funded through a grant from the District of Columbia Department of Human Services (DHS) Youth Hope Division.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide outreach based supportive services to TAY Individuals and work actively to assist participants in being connected to opportunities for stable housing, employment, public benefits, education, behavioral health services, basic needs, and others as identified

• Assess eligibility for youth-specific services and provide “warm-handed” referrals as needed to ensure comprehensive services for youth

• Assess readiness for shelter or stable housing opportunities/services through completion of Coordinated Entry Assessments for Youth (TAY-VISPDAT) and/or Single Adults (VI-SPDAT)

• Actively participate in carrying out annual Point-In-Time Count (HUD) and Homeless Youth Census (DC/DHS)

• Attend and participate in routine Youth Provider, Youth Street Outreach, Youth Coordinated Entry, and DC Homeless Outreach (ICH) meetings to support the Provider community and share best practices

• Participate in the planning and development of new projects as they relate to participant services

• Assess the safety/well-being of participants and activate emergency services and other necessary supports as needed.

• Connect, collaborate, build, and maintain positive relationships with external agencies that provide services to Friendship Place participants

• Actively participate in case conference meetings, staff meetings, and supervisions.

• Actively participate in trainings and other events

• Complete HMIS documentation, outreach logs, and other key documentation with detail and in a timely manner (48-hours)

• Support positive youth development practices and participant well-being through:

• Engaging participants, assessing safety, and activating emergency services as needed

• Providing basic need items (food, clothing, toiletries, hygiene products, etc) and assistance to maximize participants’ wellbeing

• Building trusting relationships and rapport

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education/Experience:

• High School Diploma or Equivalence required4; Bachelor’s degree in Human Services or related  field preferred

• 2+ years of experience working with at-risk youth, people experiencing homelessness, and/or in mental health

Qualifications:

• Strong knowledge of human development, harm reduction methods, mental health, and addiction recovery

• Willingness to work independently and in a team on outreach services

• Ability to work well under pressure

• Flexible and passionate about providing clinical, youth-specific case management and therapeutic services

• Possess plenty of energy and sense of humor

• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, etc., HMIS experience a plus

• Bi-lingual (Spanish/English) is a plus

Working conditions:

The majority of the time will be spent in the community and outdoors.  A significant amount of time will be spent walking in the community in a variety of weather conditions (s.a. rain, snow, heat, etc.) while approaching individuals potentially experiencing homelessness.  Limited sitting and computer usage.

Physical and Environmental Requirements:

Position requires 75% of time providing outreach services throughout the community.  Employees must be able to stand and/or walk for extended periods of time through outreach with repetitive motion and positions.  The employee must be able to operate a motorized vehicle.  Some lifting may be required (up to 20-25lbs).

Other Details

• Application Deadline: This job is open until filled, or the hiring manager determines that they can no longer accept applications.
• Compensation: The hiring pay range is between $44,720-$48,048 annually.  Depending on the position, the starting hourly pay rate or annual salary is based on a step system.  A candidate’s starting pay determination is made based on meeting the basic position requirements, and current completed education, credentials and/or work experience.  Please Note: The step system is set and not open to pay negotiation.  Before moving forward in the selection process, interested applicants are encouraged to discuss starting pay eligibility with the Human Resources (Talent) Department.
• Website: www.friendshipplace.org

Background checks:

The selected candidate will be required to pass a criminal history background check, CFSA Child Abuse/Neglect Background Check, FBI fingerprinting, and drug testing.

Direct reports

None

Specific Requirements:

The employee must have his/her valid driver’s license to carry out job duties and responsibilities.