Outreach Worker Salary $20.00 - $23.00 Hourly Location: Gaithersburg, MD Job Type: Year-Round, Part-Time Job Number: FY2026-01079 Department: Community, Neighborhood & Housing Services Division Homeless Services (1216) Opening Date: 01/29/2026 FLSA: Non-Exempt
Description The Homeless Services Division provides transitional housing for people in recovery from substance misuse and is seeking an Outreach Worker to assist individuals undergoing alcohol/drug treatment or other professional counseling while looking to escape the threat of homelessness. This position will provide street outreach to help homeless individuals access needed services to transition from homelessness and will counsel individuals and groups on substance abuse, homelessness and mental health matters while helping with a variety of intake, treatment and discharge procedures.
Starting hourly rate is negotiable within the range depending on qualifications, experience, certifications, and training. Hours per week will vary based on operational needs; the position may provide on-call, evening, weekend, and holiday shift coverage. Hours will not exceed an average of 27.5 hours per week. Direct deposit of paychecks is a condition of employment for all City of Gaithersburg employees.
Job Functions What you will do with us:
• Handle admissions and discharges. • Provide street outreach to homeless individuals and help them access needed services to transition from homelessness. • Transport residents to and from self-help meetings and other meetings and appointments when necessary. • Prepare counseling assessments and counsel and engage residents. • Monitor and document patient medication self-administration. • Facilitate in-house community meetings. • Provide translation services to assist with call-in/walk-in customers and when assisting with client intake and one-on-one client meetings and street outreach efforts to determine needs, proper referrals and other support services. • Respond appropriately to emergencies including contacting appropriate staff and supervisors; interact with emergency responders as needed.
Key job responsibilities are highlighted above; please click here to view the complete classification description for the Outreach Worker (Relief Counselor I) position.
Qualifications What you will need to be considered:
• High School Diploma, High School Equivalency Diploma or G.E.D. Certificate. • Some course work or specialized training in social work, counseling, psychology or related field preferred. • Experience in substance abuse/chemical dependency counseling, treatment and rehabilitation. • Drivers license valid in the State of Maryland. • Ability to speak, read and write fluently in a language in addition to English (such as Spanish, Chinese, Korean, etc.). • Or any acceptable equivalent combination of education, experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to satisfactorily perform job duties.
Additional Information Interested applicants must submit a complete online application to be considered. Review of applications will begin immediately, so prompt application is strongly encouraged. The position will remain open until filled; recruitment will close without notice when a sufficient number of qualified applications are received or all hiring decisions have been made.
Successful candidates will be subject to a background check and drug/alcohol screening. The City has established an alcohol-free, drug-free and smoke-free workplace which applies to any person employed by, conducting business with, or applying for a position with the City. Each employee, as a condition of their employment, may be required to participate in pre-employment and reasonable suspicion testing. Employees classified as safety sensitive are also subject to immediate post accident and random testing.
For more information about this position, contact Acting Homeless Services Division Manager Lee Jansky at Lee.Jansky@gaithersburgmd.gov or 240-805-1832. Questions regarding the online application process may be directed to the Department of Human Resources at 301.258.6327 or hr@gaithersburgmd.gov.
This recruitment will establish an eligibility list which will be used to fill the current vacancy and may be used to fill other openings in this classification which occur in the next 6 months. Benefits are not available with this position.
Supplemental Questionnaire Each applicant must complete this supplemental questionnaire as part of the application screening and selection process. The information you provide will be reviewed and may be used to determine your eligibility to move forward in the selection process. Incomplete responses, false statements, omissions, or partial information ("see resume" is not acceptable) may result in disqualification from the selection process.
Do you agree to answer each supplemental question truthfully and certify that your responses can be verified from information included within your application? Yes No
Education Indicate the highest level of education obtained.
If you have a college degree, indicate the area of study in which it was obtained.
List any relevant course work or other training you have completed. Include date of completion. If none, please state "None."
List any relevant professional licenses, certificates or other credentials that you currently possess. Include the date completed or attained. If none, please state "None,"
Communication Are you able to communicate fluently in English (speaking, reading, writing, and understanding)? Yes No
Experience Do you have previous paid experience working with a homeless, substance misusing and co-occurring population? Yes No
Experience in substance abuse/chemical dependency counseling, treatment and rehabilitation:
Do you possess a valid drivers license? Yes No
Availability for On-Call Shifts A successful candidate for this position must be available to provide on-call, evening, weekend and holiday shift coverage. If hired for this position, do you agree that you will be able to fulfill these expectations? Yes No
Source of Information How did you first learn about this employment opportunity?
Contact Information City of Gaithersburg Address: 31 South Summit Avenue Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20877 Phone: 301-258-6327 Website: http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/government/job-opportunities