What does an outreach specialist do?
An outreach specialist is primarily responsible for organizing and managing social service programs that promote health and wellness within a community. They typically conduct research and assessments to determine the community's needs, thoroughly plan events and programs, participate in hiring staff and volunteers, and liaise with sponsors and suppliers. Often reporting to a manager or supervisor, an outreach specialist must also perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports, preparing necessary documentation, managing schedules, arranging appointments, and even responding to inquiries and concerns.
Outreach specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real outreach specialist resumes:
- Manage low volume Medicare caseload when need.
- Manage incoming/outgoing referrals and some ICD-9 medical coding.
- Preform contact investigations on active TB clients.
- Conduct thorough, detail screenings of contacts through TB Mantoux test.
- Enter new clients into MedFORCE (EMR) and maintain electronic records.
- Complete all documentation in state EMR's to prepare client file for discharge.
- Design and maintain the NNCARC blog, facebook page, and other social media accounts.
- Provide case management and psychotherapy to at risk DCFS clients including children, families, couples.
- Provide case management, referral, and assessment services in the home of a DCFS refer family on a weekly basis.
- Create PowerPoint presentations for events.
- Develop PowerPoint presentations about HIV/AIDS prevention.
- Provide for IEP accommodations/modifications at sites.
- Modify vocational-relate curriculum towards the students IEP needs.
- Research health data and analyze medical reports following HIPPA compliance regulations.
- Maintain a high level of confidentiality and professionalism following HIPPA guidelines.
Outreach specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Outreach Specialists are proficient in Customer Service, Patients, and Social Work. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Organizational skills, and Time-management skills.
We break down the percentage of Outreach Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 11%
Monitor customer service productivity in accordance with established policy to assure adhere as well as completeness in all customer transactions.
- Patients, 9%
Enrolled patients of various insurance providers in wellness programs and directed incoming calls to necessary departments.
- Social Work, 6%
Assist Social Workers with insurance questions pertaining to a Medicaid eligibility for members.
- Veterans, 4%
Provide general information and community referrals to Veterans not meeting program eligibility requirements and/or Veterans not scheduled with a Case Manager.
- Scheduling Appointments, 4%
Coordinated follow-up care plans, including scheduling appointments and enrolling members in related programs.
- Community Resources, 4%
Provided outreach to low income population and developed linkages with collaborating agencies, public and private educational institutions and community resources.
Common skills that an outreach specialist uses to do their job include "customer service," "patients," and "social work." You can find details on the most important outreach specialist responsibilities below.
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an outreach specialist to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "social and human service assistants talk with clients about the challenges in their lives and assist them in getting help." Outreach specialists often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "maintained regular communication and coordination with va medical center and state military authorities to provide outreach to returning veterans. "
Organizational skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling outreach specialist duties is organizational skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "social and human service assistants must often complete lots of paperwork and work with many different clients." According to an outreach specialist resume, here's how outreach specialists can utilize organizational skills in their job responsibilities: "used organizational skills and time management to complete admission process and paperwork for patients coming in for treatment. "
Time-management skills. outreach specialists are also known for time-management skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to outreach specialist responsibilities, because "social and human service assistants often work with many clients." An outreach specialist resume example shows how time-management skills is used in the workplace: "connect youth with community resources and keep youth aware of scholastic deadlines. "
Compassion. outreach specialist responsibilities often require "compassion." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "social and human service assistants often work with people who are in stressful and difficult situations." This resume example shows what outreach specialists do with compassion on a typical day: "handle confidential and sensitive matters with professional discretion, in accordance with colorado hippa laws, and when appropriate compassion. "
Problem-solving skills. Another crucial skill for an outreach specialist to carry out their responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." A big part of what outreach specialists relies on this skill, since "social and human service assistants help clients find solutions to their problems." How this skill relates to outreach specialist duties can be seen in an example from an outreach specialist resume snippet: "assist in the resolution of issues by consistently providing feedback on registration, education and health education to members. "
Interpersonal skills. Lastly, "interpersonal skills" is an important element of what an outreach specialist does. Outreach specialist responsibilities require this skill because "social and human service assistants must make their clients feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues." This resume example highlights how outreach specialist duties rely on this skill: "provided crisis intervention and individual counseling related to interpersonal, substance use/abuse, and behavioral problems. "
The three companies that hire the most outreach specialists are:
- Elevance Health
281 outreach specialists jobs
- ICF95 outreach specialists jobs
- The Princeton Review26 outreach specialists jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable outreach specialist resume templates
Build a professional outreach specialist resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your outreach specialist resume.
Compare different outreach specialists
Outreach specialist vs. Marketing specialist internship
A marketing specialist internship involves a trainee who wants to gain working experience in marketing by helping companies develop marketing programs and strategies. Marketing specialist interns collaborate with marketing professionals in researching target markets and analyze trends to identify new marketing opportunities. They assist in developing marketing materials to ensure that brand guidelines are being achieved. Marketing specialist interns are also required to help professionals in writing, proof-reading, and editing technical and creative content across different mediums.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an outreach specialist are more likely to require skills like "patients," "social work," "veterans," and "scheduling appointments." On the other hand, a job as a marketing specialist internship requires skills like "intake assessments," "child abuse," "group therapy," and "background checks." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Marketing specialist interns really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $39,914. Comparatively, outreach specialists tend to make the most money in the government industry with an average salary of $47,346.The education levels that marketing specialist interns earn slightly differ from outreach specialists. In particular, marketing specialist interns are 3.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an outreach specialist. Additionally, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Outreach specialist vs. Case management specialist
In healthcare facilities, a case management specialist is in charge of ensuring that patients get quality service. Their responsibilities often include handling admission and discharge procedures, preparing and processing documents, gathering and organizing patient information, and developing strategies to optimize case management operations. There are also instances where they must address patient concerns and issues, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a case management specialist, it is essential to function while adhering to the facility's policies and regulations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real outreach specialist resumes. While outreach specialist responsibilities can utilize skills like "customer service," "veterans," "scheduling appointments," and "phone calls," case management specialists use skills like "patient care," "discharge planning," "care coordination," and "financial assistance."
Case management specialists earn a lower average salary than outreach specialists. But case management specialists earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $55,377. Additionally, outreach specialists earn the highest salaries in the government with average pay of $47,346 annually.case management specialists earn similar levels of education than outreach specialists in general. They're 2.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Outreach specialist vs. Crisis intervention specialist
A crisis intervention specialist provides counseling services and intervention to patients in high-stress situations. Their responsibilities include conducting assessments to understand the clients' conditions, studying their medical histories and personal background, developing treatment plans, and regularly monitoring their behavior and progress. They may also coordinate with the patients' families or guardians, provide care advice, or refer patients to other specialists when necessary. Moreover, a crisis intervention specialist gives emotional support and guidance to patients, helping them deal with stress.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, outreach specialists are more likely to have skills like "customer service," "veterans," "scheduling appointments," and "phone calls." But a crisis intervention specialist is more likely to have skills like "crisis stabilization," "triage," "emergency services," and "mental health crisis."
Crisis intervention specialists earn the highest salary when working in the professional industry, where they receive an average salary of $57,529. Comparatively, outreach specialists have the highest earning potential in the government industry, with an average salary of $47,346.crisis intervention specialists typically earn higher educational levels compared to outreach specialists. Specifically, they're 11.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Outreach specialist vs. Social services specialist
A Social Services Specialist provides social services to children and adults in communities, facilities, institutions, or hospitals. They develop and implement specialized treatment programs.
Types of outreach specialist
Updated January 8, 2025
