Peer Specialist - Outreach
Downtown Women's Center, Los Angeles, California, United States, 90079
Summary
The Peer Specialist on DWC’s Street Outreach team provides trauma-informed outreach to unsheltered women and gender‑diverse individuals in the Skid Row neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Peer Specialist will distribute harm reduction supplies, offer peer support and resource navigation, and facilitate two‑way communication between people with lived experience of homelessness and community providers to promote equitable care. The Peer Specialist will also provide advocacy and accompaniment to basic needs and housing resources as needed. This position is part of the Health & Wellness Department and reports directly to the Supervisor‑ Outreach & Engagement.
Essential Functions
Provide trauma‑informed, culturally responsive services to unsheltered women and gender diverse individuals in the Skid Row neighborhood.
Provide field‑based services including identifying and providing linkages to needed resources (basic needs, health & mental health, benefits, housing, legal & vocational support, etc.) with a focus on identifying interim and permanent housing opportunities.
Serve as an advocate and liaison for clients in accessing local resources; role requires comfort with walking the perimeter of the Skid Row neighborhood.
Create Housing Service Plans with clients that address their needs and goals.
Connect participants to needed resources and provide advocacy and accompaniment.
Develop authentic peer‑to‑peer relationships.
Maintain a caseload of up to 10 participants.
Assist clients in becoming document‑ready for permanent housing opportunities.
Work to effectively meet clients’ needs and resolve individual barriers through follow‑up, advocacy, and collaboration with DWC staff and other community service providers.
Develop and maintain relationships with clients, staff and local service providers.
Provide effective crisis intervention and verbal de‑escalation, including risk assessment, safety planning and follow‑up interventions as needed.
Enroll women in the Clarity/Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) database and conduct the Coordinated Entry System (CES) survey as needed.
Maintain accurate and timely records of all services provided to clients, including intake paperwork, required forms and progress notes.
Participate in individual and group supervision, multidisciplinary team meetings, and required trainings.
Track participant outcomes and monitor progress towards program goals.
Serve as an ambassador of DWC and its mission and values by participating in community meetings/events.
Comply with local, state, and federal laws and regulations around confidentiality and mandated‑reporting.
Provide regular, timely written reports to supervisor as assigned.
Other duties as assigned to support the mission of the organization.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Competencies
Trauma‑Informed
Strong engagement skills
Culturally Responsive
Flexibility
Empathy
Communication
Relationship‑building
Supervisory Responsibility This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.
Work Environment This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.
Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand on a stool as necessary.
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work This is a full‑time, non‑exempt position. Days and hours of work are Monday – Friday from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM.
Travel Regular travel throughout Los Angeles County is required in this position. Must be able to walk the perimeter of the Skid Row neighborhood to conduct outreach to unsheltered women and meet with community providers.
Work Location Expectation to work in the office 5 days per week. Must be able to work on‑site as scheduled for in‑person meetings and trainings.
Required Education, Experience, and Qualifications
Lived experience and familiarity with the Skid Row community strongly preferred.
Comfort working with issues related to homelessness, substance abuse, mental health diagnosis, and history of trauma preferred.
Experience working with unhoused women and gender diverse individuals, especially those who have complex health and/or behavioral health conditions.
Provide effective crisis intervention in consultation with program staff and supervisor.
Utilize Evidence‑Based Practices in service delivery such as Trauma‑Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, and Harm Reduction.
Ability to be flexible with hours when needed.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Ability to build and maintain trusting relationships with community stakeholders and health and social service providers.
Willingness to learn about healthcare resources, harm reduction strategies, COVID‑19 risk reduction strategies, and other information.
Strong administrative skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) required.
Oral and written fluency in English required; Spanish a plus.
Excellent active listening and problem‑solving skills with ability to exercise and model good judgment.
Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills; proven ability to communicate with diverse audiences.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities, including proficiency in balancing direct service responsibilities with effective record keeping.
Cultural humility; knowledge of communities that are disproportionately represented in the homeless population (communities of color, LGBTQ+ etc.).
Comply with local, state, and federal laws and regulations around confidentiality and mandated‑reporting.
Professional attitude; team‑ and service‑oriented, friendly, and positive.
Must be a CA resident and live no more than 80 miles from DWC; must be available for in‑person meetings at DWC.
Must provide documentation of a negative TB test result within the last twelve months, on first day of hire.
Pay Range $25.25 – $25.49/hourly
Work Authorization Being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment. DWC does not sponsor employment visas, such as H‑1B.
Fair Chance Act Statement Downtown Women’s Center 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 Downtown Women’s Center 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 Civil Right’s Department Fair Chance Act webpage.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement Downtown Women’s Center provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants and actively seeks candidates who reflect the rich diversity of the communities that we serve. We are committed to a work environment that embraces and promotes individuality and inclusion. We believe that diversity and inclusion of varied perspectives, backgrounds, and life experiences are essential to our organization’s effectiveness, and allow us to serve our clients in the respectful, responsive, and understanding way that they deserve. We define diversity in broad terms to include race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, mental or physical disability, marital status, pregnancy, military and veteran status, medical condition, geography, socio‑economic status, and other unique attributes that make us who we are. Downtown Women’s Center 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, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
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Essential Functions
Provide trauma‑informed, culturally responsive services to unsheltered women and gender diverse individuals in the Skid Row neighborhood.
Provide field‑based services including identifying and providing linkages to needed resources (basic needs, health & mental health, benefits, housing, legal & vocational support, etc.) with a focus on identifying interim and permanent housing opportunities.
Serve as an advocate and liaison for clients in accessing local resources; role requires comfort with walking the perimeter of the Skid Row neighborhood.
Create Housing Service Plans with clients that address their needs and goals.
Connect participants to needed resources and provide advocacy and accompaniment.
Develop authentic peer‑to‑peer relationships.
Maintain a caseload of up to 10 participants.
Assist clients in becoming document‑ready for permanent housing opportunities.
Work to effectively meet clients’ needs and resolve individual barriers through follow‑up, advocacy, and collaboration with DWC staff and other community service providers.
Develop and maintain relationships with clients, staff and local service providers.
Provide effective crisis intervention and verbal de‑escalation, including risk assessment, safety planning and follow‑up interventions as needed.
Enroll women in the Clarity/Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) database and conduct the Coordinated Entry System (CES) survey as needed.
Maintain accurate and timely records of all services provided to clients, including intake paperwork, required forms and progress notes.
Participate in individual and group supervision, multidisciplinary team meetings, and required trainings.
Track participant outcomes and monitor progress towards program goals.
Serve as an ambassador of DWC and its mission and values by participating in community meetings/events.
Comply with local, state, and federal laws and regulations around confidentiality and mandated‑reporting.
Provide regular, timely written reports to supervisor as assigned.
Other duties as assigned to support the mission of the organization.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Competencies
Trauma‑Informed
Strong engagement skills
Culturally Responsive
Flexibility
Empathy
Communication
Relationship‑building
Supervisory Responsibility This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.
Work Environment This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.
Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand on a stool as necessary.
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work This is a full‑time, non‑exempt position. Days and hours of work are Monday – Friday from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM.
Travel Regular travel throughout Los Angeles County is required in this position. Must be able to walk the perimeter of the Skid Row neighborhood to conduct outreach to unsheltered women and meet with community providers.
Work Location Expectation to work in the office 5 days per week. Must be able to work on‑site as scheduled for in‑person meetings and trainings.
Required Education, Experience, and Qualifications
Lived experience and familiarity with the Skid Row community strongly preferred.
Comfort working with issues related to homelessness, substance abuse, mental health diagnosis, and history of trauma preferred.
Experience working with unhoused women and gender diverse individuals, especially those who have complex health and/or behavioral health conditions.
Provide effective crisis intervention in consultation with program staff and supervisor.
Utilize Evidence‑Based Practices in service delivery such as Trauma‑Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, and Harm Reduction.
Ability to be flexible with hours when needed.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Ability to build and maintain trusting relationships with community stakeholders and health and social service providers.
Willingness to learn about healthcare resources, harm reduction strategies, COVID‑19 risk reduction strategies, and other information.
Strong administrative skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) required.
Oral and written fluency in English required; Spanish a plus.
Excellent active listening and problem‑solving skills with ability to exercise and model good judgment.
Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills; proven ability to communicate with diverse audiences.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities, including proficiency in balancing direct service responsibilities with effective record keeping.
Cultural humility; knowledge of communities that are disproportionately represented in the homeless population (communities of color, LGBTQ+ etc.).
Comply with local, state, and federal laws and regulations around confidentiality and mandated‑reporting.
Professional attitude; team‑ and service‑oriented, friendly, and positive.
Must be a CA resident and live no more than 80 miles from DWC; must be available for in‑person meetings at DWC.
Must provide documentation of a negative TB test result within the last twelve months, on first day of hire.
Pay Range $25.25 – $25.49/hourly
Work Authorization Being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment. DWC does not sponsor employment visas, such as H‑1B.
Fair Chance Act Statement Downtown Women’s Center 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 Downtown Women’s Center 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 Civil Right’s Department Fair Chance Act webpage.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement Downtown Women’s Center provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants and actively seeks candidates who reflect the rich diversity of the communities that we serve. We are committed to a work environment that embraces and promotes individuality and inclusion. We believe that diversity and inclusion of varied perspectives, backgrounds, and life experiences are essential to our organization’s effectiveness, and allow us to serve our clients in the respectful, responsive, and understanding way that they deserve. We define diversity in broad terms to include race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, mental or physical disability, marital status, pregnancy, military and veteran status, medical condition, geography, socio‑economic status, and other unique attributes that make us who we are. Downtown Women’s Center 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, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
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