Outreach Peer Specialist

Hope Mission Statement

The mission of Hope the Mission is to prevent, reduce and eliminate poverty, hunger, and homelessness by offering immediate assistance and long-term solutions.

Position Purpose and Summary 

Most people accessing HTM's programs did not walk through a door to get there. Someone went to find them. The Outreach Peer Specialist is that person.

Reporting to the Program Manager, the Outreach Peer Specialist provides street-based engagement, case management, and crisis intervention to people experiencing homelessness across the communities HTM serves. This role goes where people are — encampments, street corners, transit hubs, wherever someone has ended up — and builds the relationships that make everything else possible. Without trust, there is no intake. Without engagement, there is no path to housing. This is where that process begins.

The peer part of this role matters. Lived experience is a real asset in outreach work. People who have been through similar situations can connect in ways that a standard service encounter often cannot. From there, the Outreach Peer Specialist connects people to housing referrals, benefits, behavioral health services, identification documents, crisis intervention, and warm handoffs to whatever support fits best.

This work is field-based, demanding, and unpredictable. It takes the skill to engage someone in crisis on a sidewalk — and the discipline to document that encounter accurately afterward. Both matter. This role is built for people who understand the difference.

Role & Responsibilities

Outreach & Engagement

• Respond to requests for outreach services across assigned community areas

• Conduct field-based engagement and build rapport with individuals experiencing homelessness in encampments, transit hubs, and other street-based locations

• Actively listen to participants and engage in trauma-informed, strengths-based conversations

• Assess participant needs and identify appropriate interventions and next steps

• Complete initial intake, screening, and CES triage tools as appropriate

Case Management & Service Linkage

• Provide street-based case management with the goal of connecting participants to long-term supportive services

• Assist participants with benefits establishment, personal identification documents, employment linkages, housing referrals, and connections to substance use, mental health, and healthcare services

• Link participants to interim housing, sober living, residential programs, and other appropriate interventions based on individual need

• Provide Problem Solving Assistance Funds (PSAF) and other creative interventions to remove immediate barriers to housing access

• Provide transportation and accompany participants to appointments to support service access and advocacy

Coordination, Documentation & Safety

• Collaborate with law enforcement, interim housing providers, healthcare providers, and community partners to support safe transitions from street to housing and services

• Provide emergency referrals and warm handoffs to crisis housing, domestic violence services, human trafficking resources, sexual assault services, mental health supports, and drop-in centers as appropriate

• Maintain participant safety by de-escalating conflicts and diffusing potentially unsafe situations in field-based environments

• Ensure all documentation is completed accurately and uploaded into HMIS and placed in participant master files within required timeframes

• Maintain confidentiality and ensure all participant files are stored securely in compliance with agency standards

• Support outreach efforts across multiple geographic areas and program models

• Participate in evening, night, and weekend deployments as required by program needs

• Identify and report unsafe situations, systems, or processes to supervisors promptly

• Participate in staff meetings, case conferences, trainings, audits, and data retrieval activities as required

• Adhere to all organizational policies related to attendance, professionalism, dress code, and conduct

• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Valid California driver's license with an acceptable motor vehicle record qualifying for HTM's commercial insurance coverage.

• Reliable personal transportation and proof of vehicle insurance.

• Availability to work evenings, nights, and weekends as required by program deployment schedules.

• Ability to work in outdoor field-based environments across multiple community locations in Los Angeles County.

• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs. and perform the physical demands described in the job description.

• Compliance with HIPAA standards and all HTM company policies.

• Legal authorization to work in the United States.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree in Social Work or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.

• Minimum 3 years of experience in homeless outreach, healthcare, or supportive housing environments.

• Lived experience with homelessness, substance use, mental health challenges, or related circumstances is a valued qualification for this role.

• Experience supporting or teaching life skills.

• Familiarity with HMIS, CES, or similar data systems preferred.

• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

Skills

• Street-based outreach and engagement; ability to build trust and rapport with people experiencing homelessness in unpredictable field environments.

• Trauma-informed and strengths-based communication, including active listening and non-judgmental engagement.

• Crisis intervention and de-escalation in high-stress, field-based situations.

• Case management and service linkage, including benefits establishment, housing referrals, and connections to behavioral health, substance use, and healthcare services.

• Warm handoff and emergency referral coordination across crisis housing, domestic violence services, human trafficking resources, mental health supports, and drop-in centers.

• Accurate and timely documentation in HMIS and participant files within required timeframes.

• Ability to collaborate with law enforcement, healthcare providers, interim housing providers, and community partners.

• Problem-solving and adaptability in rapidly changing field conditions.

• Clear written and verbal communication skills.

Mandatory Requirements

• Background Screening – Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of  background checks as required per worksite.

• Drug and Alcohol Testing – Candidates must pass pre-employment and ongoing drug and alcohol screenings in accordance with company policy.

• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Check – For roles requiring driving, employment is contingent upon an acceptable driving record.

• Legal Eligibility to Work – Candidates must provide proof of legal authorization to work in the US.

• Compliance with Company Policies and HIPAA standards – All employees must comply with company policies, including safety, confidentiality, and conduct standards.

• Must have reliable transportation.

• Must have proof of vehicle insurance coverage.

• Must have a valid CA drivers license. 

• Must be able to qualify for HTM’s commercial insurance coverage.

Physical, Demands, Environmental Conditions, Equipment 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. The employee is required to: walk and climb stairs; stand, bend,  squat, climb, kneel, and twist on an intermittent or sometimes continuous basis; grasp, push, pull objects such as  files, file cabinet drawers, and reach overhead; handle, finger, grasp and feel objects and equipment; reach with  hands and arms; be mobile by moving oneself from place to place quickly and easily; repeat various motions with  the wrists, hands, and fingers; be able to perform visual activities for (including, but not limited to) administrative  and clerical tasks; ability to lift up to 25 lbs.; communicate, receive and exchange ideas, information by means of  the spoken and written word; drive vehicles in and around Los Angeles County; be able to enter various buildings  that may require climbing stairs; be periodically subjected to outside environmental conditions. The employee may work in proximity to service animals and emotional support animals; use a desktop and/or laptop computer; various office machines. Complete all required forms in personal writing. 

Work Environment

The employee may be in contact with individuals and families in crisis who may be ill, using alcohol and drugs, and who may not be attentive to basic personal hygiene, health and safety practices. The employee may experience a number of unpleasant sensory demands associated with the participants’ use of alcohol and drugs, and lack of personal hygiene. The employee must be ready to respond quickly and effectively to many types of situations, including crisis situations and potentially hostile situations. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate in an office setting. Sometimes work may become stressful when working under pressure or in crisis intervention.

EEO: HTM (Hope the Mission) 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, HTM complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, placement, promotion, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. 

HTM will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if HTM is concerned about a conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing’s Fair Chance Act webpage.