Youth and Street Outreach Advocate
TITLE: Youth and Street Outreach Advocate
DEPARTMENT: Community Services
REPORT TO: Emergency Services Program Manager
DEPARTMENT: Community Services
REPORT TO: Emergency Services Program Manager
SALARY RANGE: 3
CLASSIFICATION:
STATUS:
CLASSIFICATION:
STATUS:
JOB SUMMARY
The Youth and Street Outreach Advocate supports the agency’s mission by providing outreach, advocacy, and supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, including housing services dedicated to youth ages 16–24 years. This dual-role position involves building trust through street outreach, connecting clients to immediate basic needs, housing resources, and community services. The Youth Advocate component focuses on working directly with youth ages 16–24 years to support housing stabilization and maintenance through goal setting, case planning, and life skill development. The Street Outreach component serves all homeless individuals by offering resource navigation, accessing basic needs, completing or updating coordinated entry assessments, and fostering partnerships to raise awareness and expand support networks within the community.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education
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High School Diploma or equivalent and additional training
Education may be waived with significant job related experience
Experience
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More than 1 year
Authorization
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BCA Background Study
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Valid Driver’s License
Work Environment
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Conventional – Office model
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Community Facing – Direct interaction or communication with a public.
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Activity-Based – Workers can switch between different workspaces.
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Remote – Work from a remote location outside of the office.
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Hybrid – Flexible work model that is a blend of in-office, remote, and/or on-the-go.
SKILLS, ABILITIES, & OTHER KNOWLEDGE
Skills
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Excellent oral and/or written communications skills.
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Ability to manage time that results in both a satisfactory quantity and quality of work.
Ability
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Support the Mission of the Agency through daily work and while representing the Agency in public.
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Have general knowledge of programs and activities of the Agency.
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Demonstrate ability to work independently and as a team member.
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Must be able to handle diverse work problems on a daily basis.
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Must be able to organize a work schedule, set priorities and work effectively to meet deadlines without supervision.
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Must be able to adjust to changes necessitated by last minute assignments and deadlines requests that may prove stressful.
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Ability to effectively work across differences, especially socio-economic and cultural differences.
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Attend trainings, classes and meetings as necessary to improve job skills and maintain an acceptable level of job performance.
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Serve as a mentor for new staff.
Other Knowledge
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Have knowledge and apply Agency policies and procedures, including safety, technology, data practices and other applicable policy, procedure and program regulations.
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Understand numbers and mathematical concepts.
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Knowledge of public and private sources of debt equity and subsidy.
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Knowledge and understanding of federal, state, and local guidelines, codes, and regulations, for implementation and reporting requirements.
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Knowledge of Community resources.
PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive and employee will also perform other reasonably related business duties as assigned.
Area 1: Program Operations
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Identify and engage youth participants (ages 16–24) experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
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Conduct assessments, explain available program services, and assist with application processes.
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Determine eligibility by reviewing, verifying, and submitting required documentation accurately and in a timely manner.
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Develop individualized support service plans in collaboration with youth participants, identifying goals, timelines, and strategies.
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Connect youth with appropriate services and resources based on assessed needs and program guidelines.
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Maintain regular contact with participants through in-person visits, phone calls, emails, or home visits, as appropriate.
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Conduct proactive community-based outreach to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in locations where they are known to stay or gather.
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Refer participants to internal programs and external agencies, ensuring warm hand-offs when possible.
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Accurately maintain confidential case files and complete documentation, reports, and data entries in compliance with agency standards and deadlines.
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Participate in community events and gatherings to raise awareness, increase visibility, and build rapport with individuals experiencing homelessness.
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Support participants in building a sustainable support network by facilitating connections to community-based resources.
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Apply sound judgment and prioritization to support participant needs and safety in dynamic outreach environments.
Area 2: Program Compliance
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Conduct activities appropriate to the youth program goals of the Agency and Department as required.
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Actively collaborate with team members, volunteers, program participants and/or community partners in working towards achieving youth program goals and objectives.
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Inform the supervisor and/or Department management of potential problems of youth programming dealing with procedures and policies.
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Entering youth participant data into data collection systems
Area 3: Program Communications
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Actively participate and assist in assigned program, community, committees and staff meetings and/or training sessions.
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Dealing discreetly, tactfully and diplomatically with participants, co-workers, funders, community organizations, partners, and or government officials while maintaining client confidentiality and conducting oneself in a professional manner.
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Collaborate with coordinated entry providers to refer or assist participants with assessments and updates in the system.
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Organize and/or present at community forums, write pieces for publications, and participate in youth and homelessness networking meetings, in-person and/or virtually.
Area 4: Development Assistance
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Continue the development of outreach centers for homeless and at-risk youth.
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Build and maintain relationships with community partners and service providers to improve access to housing, health, and support services.
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Host community meetings to discuss what youth and rural homelessness looks like in our communities to assist in community based development of homeless services centers.
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Identify trends and needs of communities and participants, and programmatic and resource recommendations to improve or develop programs.
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Create and maintain outreach and basic need items inventory, develop distribution tracking system of items, and train staff for utilization of the tracking system.
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Ability to suggest programmatic and resource recommendations to improve or develop programs.
JOB FACTORS
Supervision of Others
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Not responsible for supervision of others
Safety of Others
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Responsible for the physical safety of the public served. Provides front-line response to public safety and/or health threats. Provides input into safety policies and procedures.
Contacts
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Contact is both inside and outside the agency, and includes regular making of formal presentations, negotiations or coordination of work.
Physical Demand
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Must be able to lift 25 pounds.
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Requires sitting, standing, bending, stooping, and reaching.
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Physical ability to operate equipment specific to your position.
Travel
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Must have reliable transportation.
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Must have valid driver’s license and current auto insurance coverage in compliance with Minnesota State guidelines on the vehicle used for work-related travel.
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Travel for completion of job duties, trainings, and meetings as required.
GENERAL AGENCY REQUIREMENTS
Professionalism
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Maintain positive work atmosphere by behaving and communicating in a manner that fosters good relations with customers, co-workers, providers, volunteers and supervisors.
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Treat customers, co-workers and public in a respectful and courteous manner at all times.
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Continue to develop skills and abilities.
Community Representation
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Represent Lakes and Pines Community Action Council, Inc. in a positive manner.
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Adhere to the Community Action Code of Ethics.
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Seek to understand poverty and barriers faced by community members.
Confidentiality
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Maintain confidentiality of agency, program and customer information.
An Equal Opportunity Employer/Contractor
In accordance with federal and state laws, Lakes and Pines CAC is an equal opportunity employer, contractor and provider of services. The Agency will maintain a
policy of non– discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. All aspects of employment within
the Agency will be governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any
manner by race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, public assistance status, marital status, veteran status,
sexual orientation, or gender identity,status as a parent, familial status, or in a local human rights commission or any other legally protected status.
If an applicant needs reasonable accommodations for the employment application process, please contact Lakes and Pines either by phone, mail, email or in person and request such consideration. (Such as sign language, interpreter, materials in large print, accessibility)
Individuals are encouraged to complete an Employment Application form whether or not a vacancy currently exists. Employment applications will be kept on file for one year and will be considered for appropriate job vacancies.
If an applicant needs reasonable accommodations for the employment application process, please contact Lakes and Pines either by phone, mail, email or in person and request such consideration. (Such as sign language, interpreter, materials in large print, accessibility)
Individuals are encouraged to complete an Employment Application form whether or not a vacancy currently exists. Employment applications will be kept on file for one year and will be considered for appropriate job vacancies.