Outside In :: Serving homeless youth and low-income adults in Portland Oregon

Resource & Activity Specialist

Resource and Activity Specialists will facilitate the day to day services offered in the Day Services Program. Resource and Activity Specialists will be responsible for both individual and group work with youth who demonstrate readiness to build skills that can help them exit street life at some point in the future. Day Program services will include a range of options for youth including individual and group skill building activities: food planning and preparation, healthy recreation, empowerment and self-exploration, time management and budgeting, pre-employment skill building, etc. In individual work with youth, Resource and Activity Specialists will be responsible for providing harm reduction and crisis counseling, serving as the Contact Person for youth beginning to engage in services, connecting youth with employment and education supports, supporting youth in case management and ERC to be successful in their Individual Action or Service Plans, and helping to connect youth to mental health and alcohol and drug treatment resources. In group work, Resource and Activity Specialists will be responsible for helping youth learn and practice skills while also relating with their peers and their community using healthy communication skills. The long-term goal of the Day Program is to help youth build the skills needed for self-sufficiency and to be successful in their Action Plan to exit street life.

Portfolios:

Engaging Youth in Program Activities

Help direct new or returning youth to navigate the screening and assessment process.
Educate youth about the Homeless Youth Service Continuum and how to access available services and resources.
Engage youth in Outside In program offerings, including Day Program, ERC, Clinic, Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug, and Risk Education Department resources.

Youth Involvement in the Day Program Community

Involve and empower youth participants in generating community and sense of ownership within the Day Program.
Support youth generated activities and governance.

Crisis Counseling - including addressing mental health and alcohol and drug issues

Provide crisis counseling services to youth as needed.
Share information about interventions with the youth's Contact Person/case manager when appropriate, and participate in case planning to manage future crises when possible.
Utilize harm reduction philosophy in problem solving to help youth identify healthier options.
Coordinate with the Mental Health Specialist at Outside In, Alcohol and Drug Specialist at Outside In, Project Respond, Crisis Triage and other services as needed.

Individual Youth Engagement and Support

Serve as Contact Person for youth accessing the Day Program.
Work with youth to develop Initial Goal Plans.
Support youth to follow through on their Initial Goal Plans.
Refer youth to other supportive services as needed.
Provide support for youth in case management and ERC to accomplish the goals identified in their Action Plan or Individual Service Plan.

Group Facilitation

Support youth in a self-governance model of regular Youth Forum meetings.
Involve youth in helping to design group offerings through the Day Program.
Assist in designing activity, counseling, educational and other groups and program options; including group materials - goals, schedule, curriculum, supply needs list, etc.
Operate group activities within limited program supply budget.
Provide facilitation and/or co-facilitation for groups that build skills in a variety of areas; including self-sufficiency, employment readiness, education, health (physical and emotional), and social/communication.
Assist in training other staff and/or volunteers to co-facilitate groups/activities.

Basic Needs Resources

Support the smooth function of the Food Program in the Day Program by participating in menu planning, shopping, and preparation of meals as needed.
Assist youth in accessing food boxes, haircut vouchers, hygiene supplies and other basic needs supplies using program guidelines and considering limited resources.
Assist youth in obtaining identification including birth certificates and Oregon ID.
Assist youth to utilize showers at Outside In, access storage through lockers at Outside In, and obtain their mail when available.

Community and Agency Coordination

Work with agency staff to coordinate and integrate program services throughout the agency.
Work with staff and community members to integrate program services into the community and its resources.
Coordinate with agency and community resources to remove barriers and enhance youth's chances for success.
Support Action Plans as created by youth with other Continuum staff.
Share information about interventions with each youth's other Contact People when appropriate; participate in case planning to manage future crises when possible.
Assist and advocate for youth to obtain and maintain food stamps and OHP benefits.

Team Coordination

Establish and facilitate effective communication with staff. This includes serving as a conduit of information for teammates and between the Day Program and other Youth Department and Continuum staff.
Participate in updating program staff on resource, referral and other information they need to perform their job responsibilities.
Encourage teamwork among all Day Program staff.
Assure process for effective facilitation of team meetings, including staffing of youth participants.
Plan services as well as improvements for the Day Program to meet the desired outcomes stated in contracts.
Work with the team of Day Program staff to evaluate team function and implement program changes.

Peer Support and Staff Recognition

Debrief with fellow staff about crisis situations.
Discuss challenging situations with youth and get feedback about how to support youth in this Program incorporating therapeutic approaches when possible.
Develop and implement processes to recognize staff for their accomplishments and to support them in their hard work and job stresses.

Service Documentation & Reporting

Maintain accurate and timely documentation of all services including data entry of services (resources, meals, groups) provided through the day program and Contact Person progress notes for individual work with youth.
Complete all required statistics and reports in a thorough and timely manner.

Program Operation

Assist in maintaining the Day Program space in a clean and well organized condition.
Report needed maintenance and increased janitorial needs to the Support Services Manager in a timely fashion.
Involve youth in maintaining the program space as much as possible.
Assist in obtaining needed program supplies, utilizing donations when possible.

General Job Performance Standards:

Meet regularly with supervisor.
Support agency goals.
Support the transition to a new system of service delivery.
Be able to work with a diverse population.
Be able to work both independently and as a member of a team.
Commitment to continual learning and quality performance.
Work assigned work schedule.
Perform all required documentation and information input in a professional, thorough, and timely manner.
Carry out job duties according to the time schedule established with supervisor.
Maintain professional boundaries and performance at all times.
Complete all job duties assigned.
Support the operational functioning of the Youth Department as a whole.