Job Description

Housing Works requires employees working in our Health Services division to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless approved for a legal accommodation. If you need an accommodation for any reason, including related to this job requirement, please contact Human Resources.

Job candidates should be aware that scammers may pose as employers and create fake job postings in order to extract personal information from individuals for financial gain. Housing Works will never ask job candidates for personal information, such as social security numbers or bank account details, over the phone. If you suspect that a job posting may be fake or wish to confirm that a job posting from Housing Works is genuine, please contact us at recruitment@housingworks.org

Housing Works was founded in 1990; With a long-term commitment to AIDS advocacy. Housing Works established New York State’s 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.

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.

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 genetics. In 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

Compensation Range: $17/hr - $20/hr commensurate with experience

Overview:

The Outreach Worker is the main link among clients and agency services. This role will conduct community engagement activities (i.e., harm reduction-based outreach) education, meetings with community partners, and representation within program catchment areas with specific focus on transit hubs, areas experiencing increased syringe litter, homelessness, and encampments located in midtown Manhattan.

The Outreach Worker will work with the program’s low threshold buprenorphine program to promote buprenorphine and other MOUD treatments and make connections to providers within the program. This role will also conduct overdose prevention interventions and safe injection and disposal practices education to high-risk populations.

Workers build relationships with community stakeholders and locate resources for the harm reduction community. They must be knowledgeable about community resources, including educational, social and emotional support services, available to clients. Duties may also include recruiting clients, administering questionnaires, data gathering, assisting with event organizing, and performing various administrative tasks.

Responsibilities:

Primary:

• Conduct outreach in assigned catchment areas.
• Conducting an initial assessment with each participating consumer to assess his/her health and wellness status and experience with getting health care.
• Health promotion, health education, and risk reduction counseling
• Provide referrals to appropriate community resources.
• Evaluate participants' readiness for buprenorphine treatment and facilitate participant connections to a low threshold Buprenorphine provider.
• Provide education on the benefits and risks of buprenorphine and other medication-assisted treatment (MAT) options, addressing any concerns or misconceptions.
• Assist in syringe cleanup at community locations.
• Maintain routine communication and assist with coordinating the client’s navigation and goals with appropriate agency staff routine communication with all members of the care team.
• Communicating with clients on a regular basis to keep them engaged and to assess progress as well as tracking the progress of clients including conducting follow-ups.
• Works in teams when engaging community members and will be conducting outreach five days a week.
• Should be prepared to work from a mobile structure or on foot.
• Daily work activities will be coordinated by the Outreach Supervisor, workers should be able to check in daily with the supervisor for work assignments as well as to report back any significant findings from the day.
• Complete and submit documentation of services provided in a timely and efficient manner (e.g., within 24 hours past the provision of service).
• Adhere to workplace policies and procedures, including confidentiality, documentation, channels of communication, workplace culture, dress code, and conflict resolution practices.

Secondary:

• Attend meetings as deemed appropriate and related to the scope of service
• Participate in quality assurance and quality improvement planning project and activities as directed.
• Participates in monthly staff and peer worker development meetings and interventions.
• Meet annual agency’s performance goals and compliance requirements.

Minimum Requirements

• Ability to make data entries into programs database such as AIRS, e-Share, EiCare.
• Good verbal, written, communication and interpersonal skills. Use of computer software
• -Microsoft Office Suite including Word and Outlook calendaring, and Excel.
• Culturally aware and sensitive to PWUD (People Who Use Drugs), PLWHA (People Living with HIV/AIDS), LGBTQAI, YIDU (Young Intravenous Drug Users), SMI (Severe Mental Illness), and MSM (Men who have Sex with Men)
• Preferable training in the following areas:
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Syringe Exchange and Harm Reduction
  • Needlestick prevention
  • HIV confidentiality
  • Risk-reduction counseling
  • Outreach safety
  • Community Sensitivity
  • Buprenorphine and other medically assisted treatments
• Frequently walking to conduct services, often standing for prolonged periods.
• Occasionally moving around to additional worksites.
• Often carrying lifting and moving objects up to 25 pounds.

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