Street Outreach Specialist

Work. Serve. Thrive. With the City of Durham 

Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.

Hiring Range: $53,272-$64,766

Hours: Monday-Friday, Shift Option 7am-3pm or 9am-5pm. Temporary with Benefits, 40 hours per week. 

*** Temporary Position may become eligible for Full-time hire in July 2027. 

In 2022, the Durham Community Safety Department (DCSD) launched four 911 crisis response programs— collectively known as HEART (Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Teams). Please visit our website and dashboard, watch this CNN clip, listen to this NPR segment, or read this piece from The Assembly. In 2025, DCSD has added a new division focused on Stabilization Services. This expansion represents an exciting new phase in DCSD’s development—and a thrilling opportunity to pair alternative response programs with stabilization services that can better support Neighbors. 

ABOUT THE ROLE: The Street Outreach Team engages unhoused neighbors where they are, building trusting relationships and providing compassionate, person-centered support. The team provides life-saving supplies, connects neighbors to essential community resources and services, and works alongside individuals to develop housing plans that support their goals toward stability and permanent housing. 

We are looking for Street Outreach Specialists that are excited about and committed to Housing First, harm reduction, and the long, arduous work of systems change on behalf of neighbors experiencing homelessness. If you're someone who takes pride in meeting people where they’re at (literally and figuratively), who persistently pursues housing solutions for willing neighbors (even if it takes a whole lot of creativity and determination), and who works exceptionally well on teams (which means engaging in and resolving difficult conversations), then you’re the kind of rockstar we want in our department.   

• High school diploma or GED.  
• Completion of (or willingness to complete within six months of employment) a mental health certificate program, peer support specialist certificate, or equivalent education. 
• Personal lived experience with symptoms of mental illness, Intellectual Developmental Disabilities, alcohol or other drug use, justice involvement and/or homelessness.
• Two years of relevant experience in street outreach, crisis response, or programs working with the unhoused population. 
• Must have a valid, unrestricted, North Carolina Class C driver’s license “or” if you currently have another state driver’s license, be willing and able to obtain a valid NC driver’s license within 60 days of start date.
• A track record of demonstrating initiative and sound judgment when handling ambiguity.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, and particularly HIPAA confidentiality, at all times.
• Must be able to travel to and from worksite and other locations within Durham
• Must be able to walk/stand up to 75% of any assigned shift. 

• Significant experience with outreach/engagement of unhoused neighbors. 
• Strong knowledge and experience with service delivery (including counseling/treatment planning), documentation, clinical coverage policies (NC Service Definitions, i.e. ACT, CST IOP, SACOT, Innovation Wavier), utilization review, and data management.
• Knowledge of:
  1. The signs and symptoms of mental illness (i.e. auditory and visual hallucinations, aggressive talk and behavior, thoughts of self-harm or harm towards others, isolation, etc.), and
  2. Methods and techniques used in crisis intervention and crisis de-escalation (i.e. Crisis Intervention Training, Seeking Safety, Motivational Interviewing).
• Ability to speak two or more languages, with a high priority on Spanish.
• Familiarity with Durham health systems and community resources/services for physical health behavioral and mental health, substance use, Intellectual Developmental Disability, family dynamics, sexual/physical abuse, Veterans' Services, vocational rehabilitation, housing, justice involvement, referral processes, and other services.