Community Services Program Coordinator (AHSO)

Coordinator, Community Services Program

Under general direction, this position is responsible for service coordination, including training, resources, and outreach related to community programs.

Essential duties and functions, pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

• Leads initiatives related to community services and outreach.
• Serves as the primary liaison and advisor to City Council, City departments, school districts, residents, and other stakeholders.
• Works collaboratively with internal & external stakeholders to promote/improve services and to engage the community based on changing needs.
• Arranges for staff development and training opportunities related to the services.
• Assists in the development of short- and long-range plans.
• Assists in the formulation of City policies and operating procedures.
• Identifies, collects, and conducts research to complete data analysis; compiles data/information; writes/presents informational reports that summarize findings; and makes recommendations.
• Responds to and resolves sensitive inquiries and complaints, and issues from both internal and external sources.
• Researches and identifies new/renewal grant opportunities and completes/submits grant applications.
• Reviews legislation, regulations, and policies to determine impact.

Responsibilities - Supervisor and/or Leadership Exercised:

May provide leadership, work assignments, evaluation, training, and guidance to others.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of Local, State, and Federal resources and categorical programs.
• Knowledge of community resources available and how to use them effectively.
• Knowledge of research techniques.
• Knowledge of laws and regulations pertaining to grants and contracts administration.
• Knowledge of grants and contract administration and principals.
• Skill in determining needs and gathering, analyzing, and presenting data to provide accurate information for management use.
• Skill in oral and written communication.
• Skill in handling multiple tasks and prioritizing.
• Skill in using computers and related software applications.
• Ability to work with frequent interruptions and changes in priorities.
• Ability to work well with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and experience, including community leaders, residents, service providers, local officials, and elected representatives.
• Ability to train others.
• Ability to quickly recognize and analyze irregular events.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective communication and working relationships with City employees and the public.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Graduation with a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in a field related to Business Administration, Public Health/Human Services, Liberal Arts, or Social Work, plus two (2) years of experience in a field related to the job.
• Experience may substitute for education up to four (4) years.

Licenses and Certifications Required:

None

Preferred Qualifications:

• Current Holder of one of the following licenses: (or the ability to obtain within 6 months of employment)
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Professional Counselor-I (LPC-I)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
• Previous experience working with the unhoused population or performing outreach
• Previous experience with HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) and/or similar software and coordinating entry process/housing assessment.
• Bilingual: fluent in English/Spanish
• Lived experience or peer support certification

Notes to Candidate:

Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations (HSO) is dedicated to addressing homelessness comprehensively and compassionately. HSO's vision is bold: Ensuring everyone has access to stable housing and the support they need to thrive. HSO is a trusted system leader, working collaboratively to ensure an efficient, accessible, and effective homelessness response. HSO makes investments that resolve individual experiences of homelessness and result in meaningful system changes and ensures that people experiencing homelessness have easy access to basic needs, outreach, crisis shelter, and other services to support survival and pathways to stable housing. Through public dialogue and intentional communication with stakeholders, HSO strengthens community trust, aligns efforts, and drives systemwide impact. HSO pursues a culture of continuous learning, creating a collaborative, supportive, and engaging workplace that centers on growth, development, and well-being.

About the Team:

The Street and Community Outreach (SCO) Team is part of the City of Austin's Homeless Strategies and Operations (HSO) division. The team connects unhoused residents to stabilizing systems of care and provides resources to meet basic needs through relationship-building, service coordination, and direct service delivery.

SCO serves as a critical front door to Austin's broader Homeless Response System. Many of the people the team works with have not yet engaged with services on their own, either because they are not ready, or because the system has not met them where they are. SCO changes that by going directly to people in the community: in encampments, on streets, and in public spaces across Austin. The goal is to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring.

SCO operates three geographic teams covering North, Central, and South Austin, and provides services across four areas: supplies distribution, direct service provision, service coordination and referrals, and pathways to stability. The team also plays an integral role in the City's Homeless Encampment Management efforts, ensuring that individuals at encampment sites are offered services before any enforcement activity.

The team is guided by three core values:

Trust

Building strong relationships with clients, system partners, and community through honesty, reliability, and respectful engagement.

Person-Centered

Meeting clients where they are and leading with client choice, respecting every person's right to self-determination.

Well-Being

Protecting staff capacity and boundaries so team members can do their best work in a demanding field.

About the Role:

A Community Service Program Coordinator spends most of their time in the field. This means walking routes, meeting people in encampments and public spaces, and being a consistent, familiar face that helps individuals experiencing homelessness connect to appropriate shelter, housing, and health resources, and provide light-touch case management. It is relational work, built on patience, consistency, and genuine respect for the people you are serving.

These positions coordinates with a wide network of system partners, from healthcare and behavioral health providers to housing programs and community organizations. That means this role also requires the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse range of people: community members, service providers, local officials, and elected representatives, which involves participating in ongoing coordination meetings to support a unified community response.

Responsibilities also include transporting clients to appointments, distributing essential supplies, and documenting interactions.