POSITION TITLE: Data Entry & Coordinated Entry Intake Specialist

REPORTS TO: Coordinated Entry Program Manager

SALARY: $22/hr

BENEFITS: Eligible for medical, dental, vision, and life insurance following 60 days of employment; eligible for sick, vacation, and holiday leave

HOURS: Part-time 20 hours per week; Monday-Friday 11:00am -3:00pm or 4:00pm. (specific hours are flexible and can be negotiated)

LOCATION: This position is primarily based out of our downtown Olympia office but does include working from community partner locations in Olympia 1-2 times a week for Coordinated Entry outreach. Additionally, outreach to homeless encampments may be required at times.

Position Summary

Coordinated Entry (CE) is the centralized process that is used in Thurston County to provide housing to individuals experiencing homelessness. When someone is homeless and needs housing, they complete the coordinated entry assessment and are put into the housing system and waitlist until a unit becomes available for them.

 The Data Entry and Coordinated Entry Intake Specialist will work in a small team to help single adult households experiencing homelessness in connecting to CE by providing relevant resources and referrals, conducting community outreach related to CE, completing CE assessments and all relevant data entry. In addition, the CE specialist will also utilize problem-solving conversations to identify housing, shelter, and other resource solutions that may be available. The person in this role will be trained to conduct Coordinated Entry assessments and data entry and will provide additional resource connection to assist households in gaining access to housing, shelter, and other services. This specialist will also conduct coordinated entry outreach as part of a team to households experiencing homelessness in Thurston County, including households living in camp communities, cars and RVs, and in other service provider locations in Thurston County to try and reach a wider demographic.

Additionally, this position will serve as one of the primary staff responsible for answering the Coordinated Entry Hotline Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, which serves as a resource for individuals in Thurston County looking for assistance related to housing, shelter, or other adjacent needs. Support may also be provided for families with children and/or youth and young adults, as well as victims of domestic violence. This position will work closely and collaborate with other community providers, partners, and workers within other OlyMAP programs.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Answer calls directed to OlyMAP through the CE Hotline to ensure that all CE calls are answered, returned, and/or appropriately routed in a timely manner. OlyMAP is responsible for being available for calls routed to us through the CE Hotline Mon-Fri from 9am-5pm. The person in this position will not be the only person responsible for answering the hotline but will be assigned days/times during the week for managing the hotline. Specific days/times for this position will be determined based on the availability and work responsibilities of all individuals on the CE team.
• Assist with Coordinated Entry assessments during weekly walk-in hours. OlyMAP will have weekly “walk-in” hours every Thursday from 11-3 where individuals seeking access to CE may talk with OlyMAP workers and complete assessments at our local office. The person in this position will assist in greeting, screening, and checking-in participants who come to walk-in hours and provide services and assessments during walk-in hours.
• Complete all necessary data tracking and entry responsibilities in an accurate, timely manner. Databases utilized will include Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), Ragic, and other Microsoft Office tools.
• Complete CE intakes and assessments while doing outreach to people experiencing unsheltered homelessness and in-reach to other service locations across the County, including but not limited to: outreach to the City of Olympia mitigation site, camp communities, shelters, clinics, hot meal sites and other places in which the unsheltered population is temporarily residing or where people go to access services.
• Establish and maintain relationships with existing community outreach teams and CE partners, including but not limited to Greater Regional Outreach Workers League (GROWL), Partners in Prevention Education (PiPE), Olympia Downtown Ambassadors, Capital Recovery Center, City of Olympia Crisis Response Unit, HOST, Olympic Health and Recovery Services, Arrest and Jail Alternatives, etc.
• Participate in community meetings as appropriate and as applicable to the Coordinated Entry system, including Homeless Housing Hub, Coordinated Entry Committee, Name-by-Name meeting, GROWL etc.
• Provide all CE related services grounded in OlyMAP core philosophies, including a housing first, harm reduction approach and low barrier perspective, ensuring households are screened in and not out
• Remain knowledgeable and up to date with changing policies and procedures at the federal, state, and local level as it relates to Coordinated Entry and similar programs that interface with the Coordinated Entry system.
• Participate in necessary organizational and team meetings, trainings, and continuing education opportunities as directed by OlyMAP and their direct supervisor.
• As appropriate and as able, provide households in need with immediate basic need resources, such as, food, clothing, transportation resources, survival and hygiene supplies etc. and directly connect/refer them to the appropriate coordinated entry point for the population or other needed services.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Direct experience providing case management or other supportive services to houseless and/or other underserved populations.
• Demonstrate an ability to support and practice a trauma-informed, harm reductive, culturally humble, non-judgmental, and compassionate approach to supporting people experiencing homelessness.
• Must maintain a current, valid driver’s license, and have an acceptable driving record.
• Comfortability with and ability to answer a hotline with frequent calls
• Ability to work in non-traditional settings and unstructured environments, such as during outreach to encampments or other community locations
• Ability to work both independently and interdependently within the CE team.
• Detail-oriented and ability to perform responsibilities and data entry with a high level of accuracy, consistency, and reliability.
• Demonstrate strong organizational and time management skills.
• Demonstrate openness to continued learning and respectful feedback
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal, communication, and listening skills.
• Ability to maintain and assert personal and professional boundaries for the safety of yourself and others, including the ability to recognize your own needs/boundaries and voice them.
• Ability to respond appropriately and professionally to crisis situations and situations that require de-escalation.
• Support and contribute to a creative and respectful environment that promotes teamwork.
• Support and uphold the mission, philosophies and values of OlyMAP.
• Must successfully pass required background checks prior to an offer of employment

Preferred qualifications:

• Having a degree in a related field, such as human services, social justice, political science, etc.

• Computer experience and proficiency in MS Office applications (Word, Excel), Google Suite, Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), Ragic and database management and/or feels able to learn how to use above systems proficiently
• Lived experience with houselessness, housing insecurity, and/or mental health and substance use challenges
• Training and experience in navigating Thurston County housing and social services, networks, and resources related to homeless services
• Training/experience with de-escalation, conflict resolution, and providing supportive services utilizing trauma-informed, harm reduction, strengths-based, and culturally humble and competent approaches.
• Bi-lingual or multi-lingual.