Posting: Transportation & Community Outreach Coordinator - Ozone House
May 4, 2023
Position: Transportation & Community Outreach Coordinator
Direct Supervisor: Outreach Manager
Status: Full-time, non-exempt, generous benefits package
Base Salary: $40,040; additional based on education, experience, and credentials
Application Instructions: Send cover letter and resume to joinus@ozonehouse.org. (no calls). Indicate “Transportation & Community Outreach Coordinator” in the subject line.
Deadline: Resumes will be reviewed as received; position will be posted until filled.
Commitment to Anti-Oppression
Ozone House requires an atmosphere of cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity. Employees of Ozone House are expected to recognize and accept personal responsibility for increasing their own cultural awareness and to consider how their perceptions about culture affect their relationships with others. Ozone House is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and fosters an anti-oppressive environment to support the recruitment and retention of employees.
Position Summary
In partnership with the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA), the Transportation & Community Outreach Coordinator will enhance supports to riders and increase safety at the Ypsilanti Transit Center (YTC). This role will require on-site presence at YTC and key areas with heavy youth ridership. The Community Transportation and Outreach Coordinator will work closely with AAATA and local resources to provide hands on support, resources, and education to youth riders. This will be accomplished through communication and reinforcement of AAATA expectations, assisting riders to navigate routes, making referrals and linkages to community resources as well as providing crisis intervention and de-escalation when needed. The role includes supporting and integrating youth voice into the project. The Transportation & Community Outreach Coordinator will collaborate closely with AAATA as well as law enforcement, the city and local youth providers. The Transportation and Outreach Coordinator is part of the Education, Outreach and Welcoming Team which is responsible for designing and carrying out the agency’s overall outreach efforts across the community. This role will conduct educational presentations and outreach activities to increase awareness of Ozone House services as well as facilitate positive youth development programming in local schools and community-based organizations.
Education Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related field preferred
Experience Qualifications
- 4 years of experience working with youth and/ or families in a crisis or conflict and the ability to effectively engage and manage crisis situations
- 4 years of local community organizing and community based outreach experience required
- Knowledge of local resources and networks required
- 2 years of experience working with homeless or housing insecure youth
- 2 years of experience working with individuals with mental illness, emotional/ cognitive impairments, substance use disorders and/ or other disabling conditions
- Skills in relationship building and history of inter-organizational projects
- Facility with word processing, information management systems and web navigation
- Flexibility in work schedule including some weekday evening and weekend availability
- Experience in crisis intervention and customer service.
- Proven experience engaging with diverse identities, including intersecting identities of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background and sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
- Commitment to best practices including Positive Youth Development, Harm-Reduction, Housing First and Trauma Informed approaches
- Work requires effective written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills; ability to produce quality work within tight timeframes and simultaneously manage several projects; ability to participate in and facilitate group meetings.
- Possess strong work ethic and ability to take initiative. Demonstrate a high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness.
- Successful completion of pre-employment and annual background check; valid MI driver’s license, current insurance, and access to reliable transportation.
Job Responsibilities and Duties
Programmatic Duties
- Be an active presence by riding the bus and interacting with young people on the bus in addition to spending time at the transit during peak young person riding times (2:30-5pm).
- Be available to provide crisis intervention on an emergency basis to the Ypsilanti Transit and on site at Ozone House.
- Form relationships with organizations and businesses in the Downtown Ypsilanti area in order to assist young people who might interact with these places.
- Coordinate the agency’s use of bus tokens/passes by communicating with Program Directors and Managers any changes to public transportation, getting needed bus tokens for various programs, and assisting clients that are in need of Fare Deal cards.
- Participate in community meetings advocating for the needs of young people and clients making connections to resources and sharing resources with Ozone House staff.
- Communicate regularly with our funders at the Ann Arbor Area Transit Authority and attend meetings when requested.
- Collaborate with the Residential, Community Based Housing, and Youth and Family teams to ensure that all clients have awareness and access to the public transportation system.
- Thoroughly keep track of people interacted with and prepare monthly data by inputting data into HMIS and other monthly reports.
- Support the drop-in center by taking shifts on the floor during open hours.
- Participate in trauma informed practices of welcoming and screening youth.
- Provide youth with crisis and short-term intervention, referrals and linkages to Ozone House and other community services.
- Regularly and responsively communicate with schools and other youth-serving agencies to connect young people in crisis to services, educate about youth homelessness, and provide information about Ozone House services.
- Contribute to enhancing and updating community education curriculum and outreach materials.
- Publicize and collaborate in scheduling community education and outreach opportunities.
- Participate in outreach opportunities (i.e. school outreach, community events, youth serving agency connections, etc).
Other Duties and Expectations
- Be familiar with and use the NASW Code of Ethics, State of Michigan's Mental Health Code and Ozone House policies and procedures to guide practice and decision making.
- Serve as a member of the agency’s Education, Outreach, and Welcoming Team to support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, social justice strategies, as well as a safe and productive organizational culture.
- Attend regular supervision with the Outreach Manager.
- Attend Ozone House All-Staff and Education, Outreach and Welcoming Team meetings.
- Maintain the on-call phone on a rotating basis to provide 24-hour emergency assistance and crisis intervention to homeless and runaway youth and their families.
- Communicate significant updates and instructional information regarding clients to pertinent staff members.
- Interact effectively with peers and staff. Required duties are performed with an awareness of the impact upon agency structure as a whole.
- Participate in ongoing education and training as necessary to maintain and grow in skill areas necessary to perform job duties.
- Follows oral and written direction completing tasks as assigned by due dates.
- Maintains working knowledge of software applications used in performance of daily duties.
- Adhere to the Mission, Values and Vision of Ozone House incorporating equity, opportunity and inclusiveness for all stakeholders
- Attend agency committees and community meetings and provide agency leadership as assigned.
- Perform additional duties as assigned.
Work Environment, Physical Demand, and Travel
This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment with prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear as they will have very high levels of interaction. This position with be expected to travel to partner locations, transit center, housing sites, community events, and trainings. May assist with client moves, lifting boxes, and climbing stairs. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Position Classification, Type & Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time, 40 hours a week non-exempt position. The days and hours of work are coordinated with the Outreach Manager, typically Monday – Friday. This position may require long hours, weekend, or evening events as scheduled.
About Ozone House
Ozone House is a community-based, nonprofit agency that helps young people lead safe, healthy, and productive lives through intensive intervention and prevention services. Since 1969, we have actively developed unique, high-quality housing and support programs and services that provide support, intervention, training, and assistance to runaway, homeless, and high-risk youth and their families.
As the second oldest youth shelter in the country, Ozone House combines a wealth of experience with industry leading best practices to serve young people and their families experiencing crisis. Each year, Ozone House has served over 3,500 young people throughout Washtenaw and surrounding counties in Southeast Michigan.
Benefits
Ozone House offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes: BCBS health and vision options and dental insurance 90% employer paid for employee; retirement savings plan; basic life insurance, short and long-term disability coverage 100% employer paid; Health Savings Account; Dependent Care, Medical and Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Accounts and a generous paid time off plan.