Outreach Worker

Job Title: Outreach Worker

Reports to: Outreach Coordinator

Program Area: Violence Prevention

FLSA Code: Full time, Exempt

Hours: 40-hour workweek; 9:00 p.m. - 5:00 a.m.

Location: Hub, 214 N. Homan Ave, Chicago, IL 60624

Position Summary

The Outreach Worker works to reach the highest risk individuals in the community and works with them to prevent violence. The Outreach Worker will attend all relevant meetings, perform outreach activities, and ensure timely and accurate data entry.

Essential Responsibilities / Functions

• Maintains a caseload of 15 guests who are vulnerable of becoming victims or perpetrators of violence.
• Engages high-risk individuals and their social circles through trust-building and relational credibility to interrupt cycles of violence, promote trauma-informed de-escalation, and facilitate restorative conflict resolution strategies.
• Proactively gathers community intelligence and situational awareness to anticipate potential violence and activate timely, coordinated responses that prevent escalation and retaliation
• Safely intervenes in conflicts in which violence is likely, including retaliations
• Seeks to address the root causes of violence in a conflict
• Works assigned neighborhood to build strong community partnerships based on trust and transparency with the understanding that community members should know the nonviolence approach and become ambassadors
• Provides client accompaniment to court, social services, etc.
• Attends all required meetings including CP4P training and associated meetings
• Consistently documents outreach activities, participant engagement, and critical interventions using Salesforce (CRM) and Microsoft Office platforms, ensuring timely, accurate, and confidential data entry aligned with violence prevention reporting standards.
• Performs other duties assigned
  
  
  

Demonstrated Values

• Independently follows agency policy and procedures
• Follows through with commitments including meeting established timelines
• Identifies and resolves difficult issues
• Project a professional image to all internal and external customers ensuring proper grooming, dress and hygiene
• Promote customer care through all actions and behaviors
• Works effectively with diverse staff, communities and population served
• Maintain a high degree of sensitivity, tact, and diplomacy during stressful situations.
• A passion for the mission of Breakthrough
  
  
  

Position Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent; some college course work preferred
• Minimum of 1-2 years of experience with or training in crisis intervention, restorative justice practices, or trauma-informed practice
• 1-2 years of experience working with “at-risk” youth and street involved youth
• Willing to work late nights and weekends
• Must maintain a valid driver’s license, have daily access to a vehicle and an acceptable motor vehicle driving record.
  
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Knowledge of urban issues regarding youth and families.
• Ability to demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, professionalism, and problem-solving ability.
• Must have the ability to use initiative, discretion and independent judgment in making decisions.
• Promote customer care through all actions and behaviors.
• Project a professional image to all internal and external customers ensuring correct hygiene, grooming and dress.
• Ability to demonstrate initiative and follow through and be comfortable working in a changing environment.
• Demonstrates willingness to consistently improve work performance through their relationship and guidance.
• Must possess an accurate and informed understanding of cultural and urban realities, especially as related to youth, families, poverty, and community development.
  
  
  

SUPERVISION

• Direction received from the Outreach Coordinator.
• Has no direct reports.
  
  
  

Physical Requirements And Working Conditions

Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee will work in a public facility and/or outdoors and thus will be exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but can be high depending on the activities in the facility.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to walk and/or sit; use hands and fingers to feel objects, tools or controls, reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; regularly talk or hear. The employee must be able to bend, stoop, pull, lift as well as have overhead extension of arms. Must be able to stand for long periods of time; be able to lift, carry or move at least 50 pounds. Must adhere to proper handling and lifting techniques. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Safety Requirements

Prior to the first day of work, must complete a criminal background and sex offender clearance.

Equipment Used

Employee will generally use general office equipment including but not limited to: telephone, computer, calculator, copier, paper shredder, paper cutter, and filing systems.

Benefits

• Medical - We offer group medical benefits through UnitedHealthcare to full-time employees. You have the option of choosing between a PPO or HMO plans. Depending on the plan you choose, there may be no cost for an employee single coverage. There is a cost per pay period for coverage for family (i.e., employee plus spouse; employee plus child(ren) or employee plus spouse and child(ren).
• Dental - We offer group dental benefits through UnitedHealthcare to full-time employees. You have the option of choosing between a PPO or HMO. This is an employee paid benefit.
• Vision - We offer group vision benefits through UnitedHealthcare to full-time employees. This is an employee paid benefit.
• Life - Through UnitedHealthcare, we offer full-time employees term life insurance to the employee’s family in case of death. The cost of this benefit is paid fully by the organization.
• Short and long-term disability - If you become disabled, UnitedHealthcare provides both short-term and long-term disability insurance to full-time employees. The cost of this benefit is paid fully by the organization.
• 401 (k) Plan - We offer a 401(k) plan which is a tax-deferred annuity to assist full-time employees in planning for retirement. We match 50% of your contribution up to a total of 3% of your base salary.
• Section 125 Plan (FSA) - Through TASC, we allow full-time employees to make contributions toward premiums for medical insurance, out-of-pocket medical expenses, dependent care expenses, and/or transit and parking on a “before tax” rather than an “after tax” basis.
• Vacation Days - Full-time employees in this position are eligible to accrue vacation days at a rate of 6.67 – 13.33 days per month based on tenure with the organization.
• Personal Days - Full-time employees in this position are eligible for up to 3 personal days annually, pro-rated in year one.
• Sick Days - Full-time employees in this position are eligible for up to 10 sick days annually, pro-rated in year one.
  
  
  

Compensation

The actual salary within the range is determined by many factors including but not limited to skills, experience, education and internal equity.

$45,000/annually

Breakthrough is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or any other non-merit factors. If a reasonable accommodation is needed for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact us via the telephone number listed above. The decision to grant reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.