The Perch/Yellow Brick Road of WA - Outreach & Engagement Specialist

## Description **Position Summary:** This position is responsible for conducting street, mobile, and stationary outreach directly with youth and young adults (12-24), as well as for facilitating the Clark County Youth Action Board (YAB). Direct outreach includes in-person engagement with young people on the streets or in community-based settings, in-person stationary outreach at The Perch drop-in center, and phone/text engagement with young people via phone or social media messaging apps. The Clark County YAB is a group of young people (12-24) with lived experience of homelessness or housing instability who have agreed to participate in efforts to functionally end youth/young adult homelessness as part of the statewide Communities for Functional Zero (C4F0) movement. Facilitation of the YAB includes recruitment, organization and leadership of regular YAB meetings, payment invoicing, general YAB activity support, and participation in regular C4F0 meetings. Administrative duties tied to this role include tracking/recording daily YBRW/Perch program data, inputting data into HMIS, assisting with food-service activities, tracking donations, updating social media pages, and participating in the coordination of internal and interagency outreach plans. **Qualifications:** Required: - High school diploma or equivalency. - Minimum of one year experience working with programs or services that support young people (adolescents or young adults) or marginalized groups. Preferred: - Experience with data tracking and data entry. - Knowledge of local service systems. - Bilingual skills (English/Spanish). - Preference may be extended to current employees of Janus Youth Programs, Inc. **Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:** - Genuine concern for young people and the ability to treat all people with dignity and respect. - Ability to work effectively within culturally diverse populations, team dependent models, crisis management, strength-based theoretical orientation, adolescent development, and family reunification. - Openness to learning and commitment to the principles of Positive Youth Development, Trauma Informed Care, Harm Reduction, and Stages of Change. - Strong active listening and critical thinking skills, including the ability to utilize Motivational Interviewing and Progressive Engagement models in working with young people experiencing homelessness. - Ability to work effectively as part of a shifting team model and to act on the agenda of the program. - Ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships with a variety of individuals, including management staff, direct care staff, administrative staff, community partners, and youth. - A commitment to on-going training and a willingness to receive and act upon feedback. - Ability to accurately read, record, and interpret contracts and other information, and to complete written documentation that meets contract and program guidelines. - Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with a broad variety of people, including youth, families, staff, supervisors, and community partners. - Ability to stay calm and emotionally available in an environment serving young people who require a high level of supervision and redirection from staff. - Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries working with youth and in handling confidential information. - Ability to regularly attend and be punctual for scheduled work commitments and meetings, and to be in a condition suitable for assuming responsibilities of position. - Manual dexterity allowing performance of routine office tasks such as writing, phone use, filing, copying, and use of computer keyboard. **Other Requirements:** - Personal transportation that allows timely travel within the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area. - Ability to drive an agency vehicle. All employees who drive for work purposes must have and maintain a valid driver’s license for state of residency, have a driving record th…