Homeless Services Specialist And Senior Homeless Services Specialist

Overview

The City of Gresham's Homeless Services Team is expanding and has twofull-timeopenings:

• Homeless Services Specialist

• Senior Homeless Services Specialist

The Homeless Services Teamhas two goals:

• Help people experiencing chronic homelessness by connecting them to the resources they need to be successful.

• Ensure environmental health and overall livability by protecting Gresham's parks, trails, and open spaces.

Homeless services staff achieve thesegoalsthroughproactive and request-based field outreach toand case management forpeople experiencing homelessness in Gresham.

To ensure 7 days perweek services to the community, the

Homeless ServicesSpecialistand Senior Homeless ServicesSpecialistmaybe requiredtoworkeither Saturday or Sundayhourstwice a month or as needed.

These grant funded positions will serve in a limited term capacity through June 30, 2025. Continuation of this position is contingent on grant funding. This recruitment may be used to establish an eligibility list for future vacancies.

Learn more about Gresham'sHomeless Services approachat:

Homeless Services | City of Gresham (greshamoregon.gov)

Gresham says its approach to solving homelessness is working (katu.com)

As Oregon's fourth-largest city, Gresham is a welcoming community of hard-working people where tradition and heritage meet innovation and opportunity. Gresham is a dynamic and rapidly growing city where families and businesses have a mutual desire and drive to thrive. City of Gresham employees care deeply about the community they serve and go 'one step beyond' to deliver services in collaborative, inventive, practical, and nimble ways. Our work is challenging, fast-paced and rewarding.

We believe that to deliver the highest level of service to all Gresham community members, it is crucial we employ a diverse workforce, foster an inclusive working environment, and ensure our policies and systems result in equitable outcomes. The City seeks candidates who will support these values by continuously incorporating equity in their daily work, and actively contributing to a workplace culture that respects unique viewpoints, life experiences, and cultural perspectives. Come build the future with us.

Position Description

The Homeless Services Specialistsprovide field outreach throughout the community to:

• Efficiently assess client needs, offer meaningful assistance including referrals to shelter/services, provide direct client assistance/advocacy to support housing placement and long-term success; and

• Clearlyexplain&consistently enforce the

Unauthorized Camping code.

The Senior Homeless Services Specialist is distinguished from the Homeless Services Specialists due to their leadership/mentorship of the team, their management of the most complex client cases which require advanced experience, independent judgment, and decision-making, and their role forging partnerships with service providers/community members/stakeholders on the City's behalf tobenefitclients and the City's Homeless Services program.

TheHomeless Services Specialist and Senior Homeless Services Specialist reportto the

Director of Livability Servicesand collaboratedailywith Gresham Police Departmentand other City staff teams including

Code Complianceand Rental Housing.

WHAT YOU WILL GET TO DO:

Outreach to People Experiencing Homelessness

• Proactive outreach to people experiencing homelessness in a variety of locations to assess needs, offerappropriate services, and provide basic support (food, shelter, clothing)

• Respondingto reports from the publicregardingpeople experiencing homelessness/in need ofassistance, unauthorized campsites, lived-in vehicles.

• Consistently explainingand enforcing Gresham'sUnauthorized Camping code including posting unauthorized campsites for removal, confirming the campsite is removed by the posted deadline, and coordinating cleanup/storage of any abandoned debris.

Case management & housing placement/retention

• Actively engaging with and supporting clients interested in services/housing to co-create a person-centered plan to overcome barriers and independently sustain permanent housing long term.

• Advocate for clients with other service providers, employment opportunities, community resources and property managers/owners toassistclient on their journey to permanent housing.

• Documenting services provided to clients.

Collaborator & Community Customer Service

• Collaborate with code compliance staff to jointly respond to reports of lived-in vehicles or unauthorized campsites on private property to offer services to people experiencing homelessness.

• Work professionally and closely with the Gresham Police Department, other City staff, community partners, and service providers and property managers to develop, coordinate, and provide services for people experiencing homelessness.

• Provide excellent customer service in being responsive to needs of community members including businesses and property owners contacting the City to reportimpactsof unauthorized camping.

In addition to the duties above, the Senior Homeless Services Specialistalsohasthe followingadditionalresponsibilities:

Leadership Role for Homeless Services Team

• Coordinate daily activities and provide leadership/authority to team in complex field scenarios.

• Mentor and train homeless services team in effective outreach and case management skills.

• Coordinate the City's rent assistance/housing placement services for homeless services clients.

• Perform complex case management duties including determining client centered case plan and barrier navigation, placement in programs/housing and retention activities to supportclientslong term.

Program Advocate and Representative

• Build partnerships with service providers, property managers and businesses to enhance the City's program and further the network of resources available toassistclients.

• Representsthe City and the Homeless Services program to the public, other agencies, governmentjurisdictions, the news media, committees, and organizations; gathers and compiles data to assess the impact of services provided; prepares and presents reports; responds to requests for information.

QUALITIES WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• An experiencedoutreach worker or public servantwithpersonal/livedexperience withhomelessnessand/or professional experience supporting people experiencing homelessness.

• An equally compassionate and firm people-person who cansimultaneously offermeaningfulhelp anduphold

City code.

• Acreativeproblem solver who can effectivelyusenegotiation, motivationalinterviewing,and trauma informedcaretosupport clients andachieve desired outcomes.

• Anopen-mindedcollaborator who willconstructively partnerwith law enforcement and othercity staff/community partnersto safely resolve complex situations.

• An emotionally intelligent professional who can deescalate challenging situations with dissatisfied orupsetpeople by being relatable andremainingcalm.

• An observant, detail-oriented case manager who can independently assess priorities and adapt to ever-changing demands and dynamic field scenarios.

• An effective, direct communicator who engages active listening skills to gain understanding and explains complex information using plain language.

• A motivated, friendly, customer-service oriented person who enjoys working with people to solve problems in a fast-paced work environment.

• A peopleperson who is genuine, welcoming, fair, and inclusive when working with a diverse variety of residents and other stakeholders.

• A public servant who is motivated to improve the Gresham community through their quality work.

• A self-starter who is motivated to achieve daily results while working independently in the field.

• A continuous learner who is interested in learning the City's codes and policies.

Qualifications

For a complete list of knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform job duties, please review the Homeless Services Specialist Classification Specification and Senior Homeless Services Specialist Classification Specification.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

SeniorHomelessServices Specialist

• Bachelor's degree

• One (1)to four (4) years of experienceinsocial and homeless services including outreach,shelter/housingplacement,and/orbehavioral health.

OR

• High School or GED

• 5 years of experience in social and homeless services including outreach, shelter/housing placement, and/or behavioral health.

(Equivalency 5-8 years of qualifying education, training, and/or experience)

HomelessServices Specialist

• Associate's degree

• One (1)to four (4) years of experiencein socialandhomelessservices includingoutreach,shelter/housing placementand/orbehavioral health.

OR

• High School or GED

• 3 years of experience in social and homeless services including outreach, shelter/housing placement, and/or behavioral health.

(Equivalency 3-6 years of qualifying education, training, and/or experience)

Additional Requirement:

• Valid driver's license and good driving record (based on matrix below)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Personal/lived experience and/or professionalexperiencesupporting peopleexperiencing homelessnessorsupportingbehavioral health challenges includingsubstance usedisorder.

• Training/certification intrauma informed care,mental health first aid, de-escalation, motivational interviewing,Peer Wellness Specialist or Peer Support Specialist.

Driving Matrix:

You will be disqualified from this process if you possess any of the following driving infractions:

• A major traffic offense or accident (fault established as yours) that results in death or major injury

• Driving under the influence (DUI) offense within the last 5 years.

• Have more than 3 moving violations within a 3-year period or more than 2 within a one-year period.

• Have more than 2 accidents (fault established as yours) within a 3-year period.

Any offer of employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check, job-related physical, drug screen and driving record review.

Selection Process

Salary Ranges:

Homeless (Outreach) Services Specialist: $60,086.00 - $76,737.00 Annually

Senior Homeless (Outreach) Services Specialist: $73,753.00 - $94,202.00 Annually

To apply, click the "Apply" button at the top of this job posting.

Required application materials:

• Complete online application (Resume does not replace information in the application. Must provide a complete and thorough information in the application as well as supplemental questions.)

• Answers to supplemental questions

• Three (3) professional reference contacts (references will not be contacted without a final candidates' consent)

If you desire a modification of this process to accommodate a disability, please provide your request in writing to HRRecruiting@GreshamOregon.gov, or by phone to 503-618-2800, upon submitting the required application materials.

A review of application materials submitted will determine which candidates will be invited to an interview. Please provide as much detail in your application and response to the supplemental questions for us to determine your qualifications.

Communication with candidates will be done primarily through e-mail. Sometimes these messages may land in a spam or junk mail folder. We encourage you to monitor your inbox as well as the inbox within the governmentjobs.com portal for important updates related to this process.

Veteran's Preference

The City of Gresham provides qualifying veterans and disabled veterans with preference in employment in accordance with state law. Any candidate wishing to have their qualifying veteran's preference applied to the process must submit a qualifying document (DD Form 214 or 215) at the time of application providing proof of eligibility that includes discharge status. Disabled veterans must also submit a copy of their Veteran's disability preference letter from the US Department of Veteran Affairs at the time of application, unless the information is included in the DD Form 214 or 215.

Our Commitment

The City of Gresham is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified employees and applicants without unlawful regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, familial status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, Oregon, or local law.

Please direct questions about this position to 503-618-2800 or HRRecruiting@GreshamOregon.Gov.

If you need assistance with the online application, please contact NEOGOV directly at 1-855- 524-5627.