Ambassador, Social Work, Community Health

CAN
015
25 Van Ness Avenue
Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94102, USA

The Community Safety Ambassador Program is part of San Francisco’s “Breaking the Cycle” initiative, which emphasizes a comprehensive approach to tackling homelessness and behavioral health crises. This program deploys specialized and highly trained ambassadors to provide services such as community engagement, intervention and de-escalation, safety presence, street cleaning, overdose recognition and reversal, and connections to the City’s systems of care for people in need.

The goals of the program are to: (1) promote safer and cleaner environments in commercial corridors, parks, neighborhoods, and other locations impacted by drug markets and unsafe, and unsanitary street and sidewalk conditions; (2) de-escalate and stabilize incidents involving unhoused individuals; and (3) create enduring positive outcomes for those individuals through trauma‑informed rapport building, and connections to services and resources.

The Ambassador functions as part of a two‑person Ambassador team consisting of a Supervisor and an Ambassador. Ambassador teams will be deployed to commercial corridors, parks, neighborhoods, and other locations impacted by drug markets, as well as unsafe and unsanitary street and sidewalk conditions. The teams will provide services such as community engagement, intervention and de‑escalation, safety presence, street cleaning, overdose recognition and reversal, and connections to the City’s systems of care for people in need.

Under the supervision of the Program Manager and Heluna Health’s Chief Program Officer, the Ambassador provides deployment activities and will also work to coordinate with local stakeholders to assist the target population.

This is a temporary, grant‑funded, full‑time, benefitted position. Employment is provided by Heluna Health.

Pay Rate: $28.00 per hour

• Deploys with team to provide services as requested by the City.
• Takes direction from Supervisor to provide support to the target population.
• Engages with community members and serves as a community connector by providing resource information and service connections.
• Provides de‑escalation and stabilization interventions.
• Offers aid for a range of community needs including overdose reversals, contacting local City agencies for support, providing way finding assistance, and directing community members to available services in or around Service Area.
• Assists with clean‑up of debris and trash to maintain a safe community, including but not limited to ad‑hoc litter cleanup and needle pickup and disposal as necessary.
• Contacts the appropriate City or partner resources for more significant sanitation needs.
• Assists in the transportation of vulnerable individuals when feasible and appropriate.
• Establishes positive relationships with clients, staff, and other providers in the community; fosters cooperative work environment.
• Minimizes service duplication and maximizes service delivery by coordinating outreach efforts and care with Neighborhood Street Team, lead agencies and other service providers within Service Area.
• Maintains timely and accurate documentation according to program requirements.
• Completes in‑person and virtual trainings on time and attends all mandatory meetings.
• Must comply with uniform policy while in the field.
• Uses assigned communication devices to appropriately and professionally communicate with team members and other service providers.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• At least one year of job‑related experience conducting street outreach to PEH and preferably has previous lived experience in homelessness, substance abuse, or criminal justice involvement.
• Ability to work well with diverse staff and clientele including cultural, language, sexual identity, gender and other diversity considerations.

• Knowledge of the client population and their complex needs including homelessness, financial instability, medical and mental health, and substance abuse.
• Experience in a community‑based setting serving ethnically diverse, low‑income clients. Knowledge of community resources and experience in…