Consumer Advocate, Outreach Brooklyn

Breaking Ground; New York (NY); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Breaking Ground’s Street to Home program engages with over 2,000 street homeless individuals annually, connecting many to housing and health services. The Consumer Advocate, Outreach role focuses on building trust, linking clients to social and medical supports, and helping secure housing solutions.

The position spends most shifts in the field—in cars or on foot—conducting outreach, accompanying clients to appointments, performing assessments, and entering data into databases to support

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent required.
• Minimum 2 years of related experience.
• Lived experience with homelessness, mental illness, substance use, and/or immigration issues preferred.
• Knowledge of local benefit agencies and familiarity with homeless services.
• Strong oral and written communication and ability to liaise with stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
• Valid NY/NJ/CT/PA driver’s license with good driving record.
• Bilingual preferred.

Responsibilities

• Engage with identified persons currently experiencing homelessness and living with chronic medical conditions in BOROUGH.
• Draw on lived experience to build rapport and develop service connections.
• Conduct required assessments and document findings.
• Attend clinical supervision and training.
• Maintain record keeping in compliance with agency and state standards.
• Collaborate with Parks Dept., NYPD, DSNY, MTA, and other agencies.
• Accompany clients to appointments and follow up on referrals.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Communication skills

Microsoft Office

Driving license

Lived experience

Bilingual

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Breaking Ground’s Street to Home program makes regular contact with more than 2,000 street homeless individuals and connects more than 500 individuals to housing, medical and mental health services, substance abuse counseling, and other essential supports each year. The caring, individually tailored attention clients receive at each stage of their journey from street to home ensures that more than 95% of people who Breaking Ground places remain stably housed.

The Consumer Advocate, Outreach works with people experiencing street homelessness and living with chronic medical conditions in BOROUGH with the objective of engaging individuals to connect them to appropriate social and medical services and, ultimately, to help improve their overall health and wellbeing and secure appropriate housing solutions.

The Consumer Advocate, Outreach, builds a relationship with clients utilizing motivational interviewing to encourage clients to work towards self-identified housing, health, and other goals. The Consumer Advocate spends most of the shift in the field either in an automobile and/or on foot conducting street outreach, accompanying clients to appointments, and following up on service referrals. The Consumer Advocate conducts assessments, engages clients in self-directed service planning, and enters all required data into required databases.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Engage with identified persons currently experiencing homelessness and living with chronic medical conditions in BOROUGH
• Draw on lived experience of homelessness, mental illness, substance use, and/or immigration issues to build rapport with clients and develop appropriate service connections
• Conduct required assessments
• Attend clinical supervision and training
• Maintain record keeping in compliance with agency standards as well as those of City and State agencies
• Collaborate with Parks Dept., NYPD, DSNY, MTA, and other agencies
• Accompany clients to appointments and follow up on service referrals
• Perform other duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• High School diploma or equivalent required
• Minimum 2 years of related experience
• Lived experience with homelessness, mental illness, substance use, and/or immigration issues, and willingness to appropriately use lived experience as a tool for building client rapport and developing service connection preferred
• Knowledge of local benefit agencies (e.g., Public Assistance) and familiarity with substance abuse, mental health, immigration, and employment resources
• Strong oral and written communication skills and ability to liaise with internal and external stakeholders
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite programs including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Microsoft Teams
• Valid NY, NJ, CT, or PA driver’s license with a good driving record, as defined by Breaking Ground, is a condition of employment
• Bilingual preferred