Client Services Specialist, C3 Skid Row

Role: Client Service Specialist, C3 Skid Row

Reports to: Assistant Director, C3

Program: 1502- Downtown C3

Department: Outreach

Location: Molly Lowrey and Frank Rice Center - 627 S. San Julian Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Setting: 100% Onsite

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4pm

Status: Full-Time/Non-Exempt/Non-Management

Benefits: Medical, Vision, Dental, Life Insurance, 403(b) Retirement plan, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), etc.

Openings: 1

SUMMARY:

Under the supervision of the Assistant Director, the Client Services Specialist will provide coordination of services and activities to clients at the C3 Molly Lowery and Frank Rice Center. The Center will offer resources and support to assist individuals enrolled in services with the 5 Skid Row Multidisciplinary Street Outreach teams. The Center will engage highly vulnerable street homeless clients by providing a space to receive supportive services and access to hygiene. Showers, wellness activities, support and process groups, case management, and medical and mental health services will be provided on site. The Client Services Specialist will provide support to C3 clients accessing services at the Center and work in collaboration with the C3 Street Outreach teams to ensure access to appropriate life skills support and access to medical and psychiatric care.

C3 Outreach teams are a core part of LA County's street-based engagement effort on Skid Row. Our program is a part of the LA County/City approved strategy to combat homelessness through building relationships with the most vulnerable, chronically homeless individuals. C3 works to identify, engage, and connect homeless individuals to interim and permanent housing and life-saving supportive services.
The Mollie Lowery and Frank Rice Center is designed to serve approximately 50 people at a time, with a capacity of up to 200 per day. This new program provides extremely low-barrier, harm reduction-based services to the highest need individuals living on the streets of Skid Row.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the Assistant Director, the C3 Skid Row (Molly Lowery and Frank Rice Center) Client Services Specialist responsibilities include:

• Provide intakes and orientation to clients including program rules, requirements, and policies.
• Provide crisis intervention and de-escalation to individuals with severe mental illness and active substance use.
• Monitor activities to ensure safety, structure, and smooth flow of services throughout the day.
• Engage clients in the case management process by effectively building trusting relationships.
• Provide Syringe Exchange Supplies including clean injection and smoking equipment. Provide support and education about safer drug use, sex, and sex work.
• Sign up clients for showers, case management, medical and mental health services, and wellness activities.
• Support the Wellness Coordinator with activities and process groups.
• Distribute and inventory hygiene supplies including towels and toiletries.
• Provide timely documentation of service data and interventions provided to clients.
• Participate in all staff meetings, trainings, and case conferences as well as any other clinical or administrative meetings, as requested.
• Report all maintenance issues to supervisor and complete appropriate work order documentation.
• Assist with daily operation of facility, including general cleaning duties.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 1 year experience working with homeless individuals and/ or those with severe and persistent mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders.
  
• Understanding of, and interest in providing harm reduction-based services for people actively using substances.
  
• Experience with databases including HMIS and Microsoft office.
  
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bilingual (Spanish/English) speaker strongly preferred
• BA in Social Work, Psychology, or related field preferred
• Knowledge of the Skid Row community and resources preferred.
• Applicants with past lived experience of substance use, homelessness, sex work, or incarceration encouraged to apply.

Work Environment:

• Skid Row street based program. Daily walking independently throughout Skid Row community.
• Combination of Access Center, field, and office environment.
• Regularly required to sit, stand, bend, stoop, twist; occasionally lift or carry up to 35 lbs.
• Regularly walking distances over uneven surfaces and in encampment areas.
• Will necessitate working in busy, loud, and chaotic environment
• Will be exposed to elements like cold, heat, noise and odor, as well as clients with severe medical and hygiene needs.