Outreach Specialist

Position Summary: 

The Outreach Specialist for the Washington, DC Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Workforce Development program will be responsible for initiating contact with referred Customers (TANF recipients referred to Fedcap by the District of Columbia’s Department of Human Services) and encouraging them to engage with Fedcap and/or other external Provider(s) and participate in mandated work activities. TANF Customers may require repeated attempts at engagement. Outreach Specialists shall also be responsible for re-engaging those Customers who were engaged, but who subsequently terminated participation.

Three separate programs comprise our Workforce Development contract with the District of Columbia's Department of Human Services (DHS: 

Education and Occupational Training (EOT): Case management supports, barrier removal, development and monitoring of training programs, possible on-site training with industry-recognized credentials. Outreach and non-compliance support services.

Job Placement (JP): Case management supports, barrier removal, job readiness training, job development services, services to assist with career advancement, retention services. Outreach and non-compliance support services.

Essential Job Functions:

• Conducts immediate outreach to customers who fail to report to mandatory appointments and services.  This includes telephone, email, mail, and home visit(s) outreach strategies. 
• Actively share information about outreach and engagement efforts with Case Managers 
• Identify and assist with mitigating barriers to program participation, including, but not necessarily limited to, health, mental health, housing, childcare, domestic violence, and travel issues.
• Inform Case Managers of any barriers identified that routinely prevent Customers from engaging.
• Communicate with the Customer to promote the value of work and help the Customer resolve issues and engage in work activities.
• Develop trusted working relationships with assigned TANF Customers and monitor Customer engagement and progress through Customer’s first year of employment. 
• Observe all policies and procedures and attend all required training and certifications as scheduled. 
• Responsible for capturing and recording employment information and working closely with the Customer to maintain and obtain job promotions and/or salary increases on the job. 
• Diligently verify and report all aspects of Customer milestone achievements to DHS. 
• Stress urgency and ownership, guiding Customers through a learn-by-doing process during their service planning and delivery. 
• Urgently (within 24 hours) document outcome of outreach as well as participation, compliance, and employment progress in the Electronic Case Management (ECM) systems
• Assist in compiling data for reports, including but not limited to, Customer timesheets and placement and retention reports. 
• Participate in learning collaboratives through both regional and online conferences.

Education and Experience: 

• A minimum of two (2) years of post-secondary education at an accredited college or university and two (2) years of experience undertaking outreach activities; and/or work experience determined to be acceptable to the agency.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Equal Opportunity Employer