What Is the Job Description of an Outreach Worker?
Outreach workers essentially act as liaisons between community members and organizations, helping citizens get access to care and services they need. Outreach workers perform various duties, including conducting interviews, arranging meetings and even clerical and administrative tasks. They assume clients upon entering into careers as outreach workers, helping individuals and families find support for many issues, such as financial concerns and health problems.
Outreach workers remain in close contact with clients and stay current on organizations providing practical services. These workers often do investigatory research upon encountering new potential clients. They might help people identify appropriate services based on in-home visits or phone interviews, then recommend places to contact. Outreach workers might visit clients to determine appropriate services, then work alongside staff members in those organizations, following up with clients’ progress and ensuring quality of services. These workers typically work for non-profit and community organizations. In addition to connecting people with appropriate services, outreach workers often engage in fundraising and donation efforts, seeking financial assistance from various groups. They also manage volunteer campaigns by recruiting volunteers and overseeing their training and responsibilities. Outreach workers serve as primary contact points for volunteer staffs and often handle communications between organizations and the media. Outreach workers often find work with degrees in the fields of social sciences, human services or similar fields, and often have long histories of volunteer work.
