Position Title: Placement Solutions Associate

Department: Programs

Reports to: Placement Solutions Coordinator

Direct Reports: Not Applicable

FLSA Status: Full-Time Exempt

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: We request that you submit both a Cover Letter AND Resume that demonstrates your interest and qualifications for working in both a Ministry Position AND Donor Relations Officer role. Your application will not be considered without both.

Please complete application form in its entirety as we are unable to extend an offer of employment for incomplete applications.

Some volunteering with the ministry as part of the assessment and qualification process may be requested.

The Ministry: OurCalling is a ministry specifically focused on the unsheltered homeless community. We operate an outreach center for the homeless community near downtown Dallas. We are passionate about loving and helping the unsheltered homeless transition to better lives. We are a faith-based ministry where every job is a ministry position. Each staff member should be able to clearly share the Gospel and communicate their own testimony. While everyone on the team wears multiple hats, our primary function is getting people off the street and helping them walk with Jesus. We want everything that we do to point to Jesus. We serve 200-400 guests daily. We are a “no-barrier” facility that is welcoming and compassionate to all who enter.

Job Summary: We primarily serve the chronically, unsheltered homeless population. Our homeless friends, or guests (“Guests”), are survivors who have experienced vast amounts of trauma. We use resources, services and relationships to create opportunities for gospel centered conversations. We are careful in our interactions to demonstrate to our Guests and volunteers how to live out the truths of the gospel and let the love of Christ control our actions. This position, while ministry focused, is not like traditional church ministry, but deals with the “rawness” of life on the streets serving the role of advocate and case-worker. The Placement Solutions Associate (PSA) is responsible for identifying and developing relationships with homeless solutions service partners in our community (such as shelters, addiction recovery clinics, medical service providers, mental health services, etc.) and advocating on behalf of our Guests for their placement within the partner’s service umbrella.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• As part of the Placement Solutions team, develop and maintain relationships with phone calls and personal visits, vet, and utilize faith-based, community, and government service partners and resources ("Partners") that are made available to our homeless Guests
• Determine eligibility of Guests for various Partner programs, develop and implement service plans, and monitor/report on Guest progress
• As a part of the larger OurCalling team, when operating OurCalling’s Inclement Weather Shelter, help meet basic needs of food, showers, and clean clothing
• Contact filtered agency suggestions from the Placement Solutions Team to inquire about bed availability for guest placement
• Arrange rides for local placements
• Maintain relationships with Care Ministers to adequately assess their particular placement needs and “style”
• Attend 1-on-1 and Placement Team staff meetings

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Because many of our Guests have been addicts for years or experience various levels of mental illness and trauma, Placement Solutions Associates must:
  • Be patient and long suffering while showing discernment
  • Show grace to those who feel defeated by their own desires and cycles of destruction or are unable to articulate more than their frustration
  • Interact gently and with empathy as needed
  • Be able to emotionally reconcile when we are unable to make a successful placement
  • Be able to overlook or navigate through entitlement attitudes, demonstrating self-control; not easily offended
  • Be sensitive to cultural differences such as race, ethnicity, and neighborhoods of origin
• Placement Solutions Associate’s motivation to serve must be:
  • A love for, and long-term commitment to support our Guests' journey out of homelessness and/addiction
  • A love for Jesus Christ and a desire to see His kingdom and glory increase
  • Organization and prioritization skills, excellent communication skills, maturity, integrity, taking personal initiative, being flexible in a busy and fast-paced environment, and as a trusted team member, work effectively across the ministry
• Able to lift boxes (up to 20 pounds), drive a van, use an iPad to track case notes, willing to help Guests with human hygiene challenges if necessary
• Must have a strong, personal self-care program, be able to set and manage healthy personal boundaries; Experience in trauma-informed care is helpful
• Ability to discern, deal with or manage situations that may feel uncomfortable with our Guests including relapse, human frailty, hygiene problems, mental and emotional trauma, hostility, deceit, manipulation or other spiritual challenges
• Humble with the ability to listen well and accept constructive feedback from ministry members

Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma/GED required. A bachelor's degree in counseling, social work, ministry or other similar degree programs is preferred.
• One year of related "life" or ministry experience with the homeless, required. Three years is preferred.
• Experience in social service-type case management serving a diverse set of Guest “clients”
• Experience identifying social service providers and negotiating individual placements for each Guest who is seeking help. Ideally, experience working with many local social service providers is preferred, especially those dealing with homelessness.
• Experience in trauma-informed care, preferred.
• Experience in pastoral care or casework and program placement with those struggling with homelessness, addiction, mental illness, abandonment, homelessness and poverty, preferred.

Additional Qualifications: Upholding a close and growing relationship as a disciple of Jesus Christ

Benefits: We offer an excellent Total Rewards benefit package that includes over 3 weeks Paid Time Off plus Holidays to start, as well as Health Reimbursement Benefit of up to $800 per month, Parental Leave, Life Insurance, Retirement Plan with matching, and more.