Street Outreach Specialist

City of Durham; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 53,000 - 65,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

Vacation leave

Health insurance

Retirement plans

Job summary

City of Durham is seeking Street Outreach Specialists to engage unhoused neighbors with Housing First, harm reduction, and collaborative, person‑centered support. You’ll provide life‑saving supplies, connect to resources, and help develop housing plans while working within a dynamic team.

The role emphasizes persistence, creativity, and dedication to systems change, with opportunities to grow into full‑time roles. A valid NC driver’s license and ability to travel are required.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Completion of a mental health certificate or peer support certificate (or equivalent) within six months of employment.
• Lived experience with mental illness, homelessness, or related challenges.
• Two years of street outreach or crisis response experience with unhoused populations.
• Valid NC Class C driver’s license (or ability to obtain within 60 days).
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, including HIPAA.
• Ability to travel to and within Durham for work.
• Ability to walk/stand up to 75% of shift.

Responsibilities

• Champion Housing First mindset and help neighbors pursue housing stability.
• Build trusting relationships with unhoused neighbors wherever they are.
• Persistently connect neighbors to ongoing services and housing options.
• Provide culturally competent engagement and peer counseling.
• Coordinate outreach and care with team members and supervisors.
• Collaborate with 911 crisis staff on neighbor interactions and protocols.
• Foster relationships with external providers for housing and services.
• Maintain compliance with records and department policies.

Skills

Spanish language

Travel readiness

HIPAA confidentiality

Education

High school diploma or GED

Mental health certificate or peer support certificate (or equivalent)

Job description

Position Description

Work. Serve. Thrive. With the City of Durham

Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.

Hiring Range: $53,272-$64,766

Hours: Monday-Friday, Shift Option 7am-3pm or 9am-5pm. Temporary with Benefits, 40 hours per week.

• Temporary Position may become eligible for Full-time hire in July 2027.

In 2022, the Durham Community Safety Department (DCSD) launched four 911 crisis response programs— collectively known as HEART (Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Teams). Please visit our website and dashboard, watch this CNN clip, listen to this NPR segment, or read this piece from The Assembly. In 2025, DCSD has added a new division focused on Stabilization Services. This expansion represents an exciting new phase in DCSD’s development—and a thrilling opportunity to pair alternative response programs with stabilization services that can better support Neighbors.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Street Outreach Team engages unhoused neighbors where they are, building trusting relationships and providing compassionate, person-centered support. The team provides life-saving supplies, connects neighbors to essential community resources and services, and works alongside individuals to develop housing plans that support their goals toward stability and permanent housing.

We are looking for Street Outreach Specialists that are excited about and committed to Housing First, harm reduction, and the long, arduous work of systems change on behalf of neighbors experiencing homelessness. If you're someone who takes pride in meeting people where they’re at (literally and figuratively), who persistently pursues housing solutions for willing neighbors (even if it takes a whole lot of creativity and determination), and who works exceptionally well on teams (which means engaging in and resolving difficult conversations), then you’re the kind of rockstar we want in our department.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Champion a Housing First mentality that sees housing as an immediate solution for neighbors experiencing homelessness, not as a secondary step once neighbors are deemed “housing ready.”
• Meet neighbors where they’re at (both literally and figuratively) to develop trusting relationships that can lead to housing stability.
• Demonstrate persistence and creativity in connecting neighbors to appropriate and ongoing services and finding stable housing options for neighbors willing to move inside.
• Provide culturally competent engagement and peer counseling services to neighbors experiencing homelessness.
• Work closely with team members and supervisors to coordinate the outreach, care, and housing of neighbors.
• Collaborate closely with 911 crisis response staff on any interactions with unhoused neighbors and assist in developing person‑specific protocols if needed.
• Nurture productive and highly collaborative relationships with external providers on behalf of neighbors seeking housing and additional services.
• Maintain standards around and fully comply with federal, state, local, and departmental policies on documentation and records related to supervision, neighbor care, and monitoring.
• Contribute to strategic planning activities and conversations regarding the performance and direction of the department, particularly as related to street outreach the homelessness system.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

• High school diploma or GED.
• Completion of (or willingness to complete within six months of employment) a mental health certificate program, peer support specialist certificate, or equivalent education.
• Personal lived experience with symptoms of mental illness, Intellectual Developmental Disabilities, alcohol or other drug use, justice involvement and/or homelessness.
• Two years of relevant experience in street outreach, crisis response, or programs working with the unhoused population.
• Must have a valid, unrestricted, North Carolina Class C driver’s license “or” if you currently have another state driver’s license, be willing and able to obtain a valid NC driver’s license within 60 days of start date.
• A track record of demonstrating initiative and sound judgment when handling ambiguity.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, and particularly HIPAA confidentiality, at all times.
• Must be able to travel to and from worksite and other locations within Durham.
• Must be able to walk/stand up to 75% of any assigned shift.

Additional Preferred Skills

• Significant experience with outreach/engagement of unhoused neighbors.
• Strong knowledge and experience with service delivery (including counseling/treatment planning), documentation, clinical coverage policies (NC Service Definitions, i.e. ACT, CST IOP, SACOT, Innovation Wavier), utilization review, and data management.
• Knowledge of:
• The signs and symptoms of mental illness (i.e. auditory and visual hallucinations, aggressive talk and behavior, thoughts of self-harm or harm towards others, isolation, etc.), and
• Methods and techniques used in crisis intervention and crisis de‑escalation (i.e. Crisis Intervention Training, Seeking Safety, Motivational Interviewing).
• Ability to speak two or more languages, with a high priority on Spanish.
• Familiarity with Durham health systems and community resources/services for physical health behavioral and mental health, substance use, Intellectual Developmental Disability, family dynamics, sexual/physical abuse, Veterans' Services, vocational rehabilitation, housing, justice involvement, referral processes, and other services.

Benefits – General Full-Time Employees

• 12-13 paid holidays per year
• 13 standard work days of vacation per year
• 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement
• 2 weeks paid military leave per year
• Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans
• State and City retirement plans
• Short and long term disability plans
• Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions
• City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System
• Paid funeral leave
• Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling
• Paid life insurance equal to annual salary
• 48 hours for volunteer work each year*
• 4 hours parental leave each year
• Workman's Compensation Insurance
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plans

Benefits - Part-Time (1,000 hours or more per year)

• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
• State retirement plan

Benefits Part-Time (Average 30 hours per week over 12 month period)

• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
• State retirement plan effective first day of the month following date of hire
• Health insurance effective first day of the month following date of hire
• Dental and life insurance, after one year of service
• Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service