RoW Mobile Case Worker (RoW MCW)
Role Hours: Part-time 30 hours per week; typically, Monday-Friday 11:00am -5:00pm or 9:00am-3:00pm. Occasional nights/weekends.
Role Location: This position is based out of OlyMAP’s office located in downtown Olympia and will require frequently outreaching to and working out of unsanctioned camp communities and community partner locations--such as other social service settings-- in Thurston County.
RoW MCWs will support residents of RoW camp communities served through regular outreach and OlyMAP’s Mobile Case Management program by providing on-site and outreach-based social service and resource connection support, with the aim of supporting individuals in reaching their personal goals and self-identified needs related to housing placement and connection to other social, health, and stability services. Each RoW MCW will be assigned to one-two communities as their primary communities to work with, but may be required to support service provision at all RoW communities, in some capacity. Similarly, while RoW MCWs will likely interact with many or most RoW residents in some capacity through the course of their work, their role will be to focus on work with participants on their caseload. MCWs will work closely with other OlyMAP workers – particularly other RoW workers -- to support and coordinate services, safety, and stability for all residents living at the camp communities served.
General Responsibilities:
1. Provide resource and service connection, case management and harm reductive advocacy support for RoW camp community residents, with the primary goal of supporting individuals in reaching their personal goals and self-identified needs related to housing placement and connection to other social, health, and stability services. Specifically, by working with residents on their caseload to:
a. Conduct strengths-based assessments related to housing and social service needs/barriers and working to create individualized strength-based plans. Services and goals that may be a part of individual plans include, but are not limited to: housing placement, shelter placement, employment, education, ID obtainment, obtaining/maintaining disability income such as SSI/SSDI/ABD/WIC, and connection to dental, medical, vision, hygiene, caregiving, legal, transportation, mental health, and substance use services (with a focus on connection to RoW housing and shelter resources if the participant is interested)
b. Support achieving the highest level of health and well-being for themselves and the community through providing strength-based case management and advocacy services. Support forward progress on goals aligned with individualized plans. This may include support with housing or shelter placement, obtaining IDs, obtaining employment or other sources of income (SSI/SSDI/ABD/WIC), and connecting and maintaining connections with other supportive services outlined in their plans.
c. Create individualized, strength-based plans for addressing recurring day-to-day needs (food, hygiene, transportation, etc.) which may include connection to other providers or community services, with the intention of supporting self-sufficiency and efficacy.
d. Support ensuring that their individual living spaces remain safe and reasonably tidy and to address any concerns related to cleanliness, pest prevention/control, weatherproofing, monitoring fire hazards etc.
e. Enroll residents in Coordinated Entry (CE) and complete/update Housing Equity Assessment Tools (HEATs) for those with no current or updated assessment.
f. Complete purchase requests related to needed survival, safety, and hygiene supplies or other needed items related to their individual goals.
g. Set-up appointments, track their schedule of appointments, and provide support and advocacy at appointments when needed and as able to.
h. Access support/services related to moving, transportation, vehicle repairs and other forms of material support related to achieving their personal housing and service-related goals.
i. Provide transportation in agency vehicles or Intercity Transit Community Van as needed, with the purpose of connecting residents to services, supplies, and other essential resources/supports related to their individualized-case management goals.
j. Create safety plans with the goal of harm reduction and supporting residents in meeting their basic safety, security and survival needs.
k. Provide connection to harm reduction services and supplies
MCWs may also support residents on their caseload and those who are not (as needed) by:
2. Collaborating with other outreach workers to outreach regularly to the community with the purpose of building rapport and relationships, checking in with residents about how they are doing and what support they may be in need of, with an emphasis on check-ins with participants on their caseload.
3. Collaborating with other outreach workers to outreach regularly to the community with the purpose of providing up to date and accurate information related to community services, community events, and other information relevant to supporting their safety, health, and well-being through regular engagement, the creation and distribution of flyers, and other communication.
4. Supporting the RoW SSW and the community in hosting/facilitating community events with the purposes of improving site safety and health, community building, information sharing, etc., as needed.
5. Supporting the RoW SSW in facilitating and documenting any OlyMAP facilitated camp community meetings.
6. Providing camp community residents with up to date and accurate information about RoW shelter and housing options they may qualify for and ensuring that they are “signed-up” for options they are interested in.
7. Providing camp community residents with up to date and accurate information about what Reasonable Modifications are, their rights to make Reasonable Modification Requests (RMRs), and how RMRs may be used to assist them in getting their needs met when they are negatively impacted by actions related to the RoW Safety Initiative, such as forced displacements.
8. Providing camp community residents with up to date and accurate information about the RoW“By-Name-List” (RoW BNL) of people living on Thurston County RoWs, its’ role in connecting people to RoW shelter and housing options and supporting residents who want to be “added” to the BNL in completing the required paperwork and consents.
9. Assisting residents in completing the proper paperwork and consents who would like to consent to their information being shared with other providers expressly for the purpose of connection to housing or shelter.
10. Supporting, facilitating and coordinating connection of camp community residents to shelter and housing options that come available for them
11. Working with other OlyMAP workers and providers to increase the provision of resources and essential services directly at camp communities served. Ex. Working with Northwest Justice Project to host a “legal clinic” on site.
12. Working with other RoW workers to ensure completion and upkeep of an OlyMAP internal and confidential By-Name-Resident List (BNRL) for each camp community served, as well as confidential files for residents containing basic information about them, their demographics, their needs, challenges, tools for support/safety/stability, case notes, emergency contacts, and update notes relevant to supporting their safety, health, and well-being at the camp community.
13. Working with RoW workers to ensure the creation, completion and upkeep of the externally-shared (with specific agencies) RoW BNL
14. Tracking shelter and housing placement and placement outcomes using the RoW Placement Tracking Logs
15. Completing regular entries in RoW Communication Logs with the purpose of ensuring that all relevant staff are kept up to date on need to know information, program updates and participant challenges or needs
16. Creating and maintaining participant profiles and casefiles in electronic databases used to track participant information, case notes, updates and connections to services, including Ragic and HMIS.
17. Working with other workers and leads to record and track pertinent data related to the safety, health, and stability of the site and its residents, as well as relevant progress and barriers to progress.
18. Working with other OlyMAP workers and leads to collect and document data related to the effectiveness and impacts of OlyMAP’s RoW programs and services and the broader RoW initiative, both through recorded formal observations and seeking out and documenting participant feedback.
19. Communicating and coordinating with other organizations and people who outreach to the communities, including other providers and City of Olympia outreach workers to support improving connections to services and the safety, stability, and quality of life of residents at the camp communities served.
20. Working with other workers to support camp community residents and communities with in-the-moment de-escalation/crisis response when individual crisis, problematic behaviors, conflicts, or other emergencies arise on outreach.
a. RoW MCWs are not emergency responders or professional crisis responders. Generally speaking, intervention/involvement in responding to crises should be limited to in the moment and connection/referral to other services or emergency/crisis responders.
21. Participating in mandatory internal meetings and external meetings, as needed, to coordinate services for residents, including the RoW Case Collaboration, Greater Regional Outreach Workers League (GROWL) and Anti-Sweep Task Force (ASTF) meetings.
22. Providing and facilitating needed harm reduction support and advocacy for residents who are facing forced displacement from the community(ies)
23. Assisting team members with ongoing continuous quality improvement to enhance program operations, including problem solving, helping to develop program systems or procedures, or participating in team meetings and workgroups.
24. Other duties as assigned.