Department: Housing Advocate

Reports to: Housing Advocate Manager

FLSA Status: Non-exempt

Budgetary Line Responsibility: None

Pay Rate: $18/hour (Standard Rate) (The overnight rate is $20/hour)

Shift: 3:00 pm-11:30 pm M-F and/or Weekends, Sat and Sun 8:00 am-3:30 pm OR 3:00pm-11:30 pm.

SUMMARY

The Housing Advocate (HA) provides shift coverage and assists residents with their basic needs. This position conducts regular security rounds of the emergency housing facility, handles emergency/crisis situations, and completes logs and other paperwork. The HA promotes structure, security and a sense of community for residents. The HA also supports case management staff inthe provision of services to residents. As Family Matters Shelter is a twenty-four-hour emergency housing facility, a Housing Advocate is assigned to one of the following shifts: day, swing, graveyard, and weekend.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Service Delivery

All Shifts

• Promote the physical and mental well-being of residents.

• Promote a clean and sober living environment for residents and implement/ enforce measures such as drug/alcohol testing as appropriate.

• Support clients in resolving problems associated with activities of daily living.

• Offer supportive services to residents including but not limited to the following: telephone, mail, snacks, bagged lunches, hygiene packets, and linens.

• Monitor residents' compliance with shelter rules and guidelines.

• De-escalate volatile situations with clients and address all concerns in a non-confrontational manner.

• Respond appropriately to client and facility emergencies.

• Make medication available to residents upon request and document pickup of medications. Provide emergency medical transportation assistance as needed. All Shifts - Case Management Support Responsibilities

• Working in conjunction with an assigned Case Manager, provide support toclient cases in the following manner:

• Assist with housing applications both in life skills sessions and through client case management assignments

• Provide support and follow-up on client related paperwork (e.g. California Identification, income verification, social security card, credit report, etc.)

• Attend case conference as needed

• Provide follow-up calls to former clients residing in permanent housing

• Assist case management staff in reinforcing/coaching residents on practicing learned behaviors

• Assist residents with resume development, interviewing skills, etc.

• Conduct outreach to outside housing and employment opportunities

• Attend training as needed

Day Shift

• Place early lunch/late plate and laundry sign-up sheets in proper binders daily
• Supervise and support residents during chore activities with facilities management staff. Assist with 9:00am dormitory lockup.
• Ensure dining room support for families for all meals

Day Shift - Support Group Duties

• In coordination with the Housing Advocate Manager, provide employment workshops in the morning
• In coordination with the Housing Advocate Manager, organize and deliver a motivation/support group for clients who are onsite during the day. Support group to be facilitated once a week in the early afternoon
• Assist with resident support groups as needed

Swing Shift

• Complete intake paperwork on new residents

• Encourage a safe, secure, and quiet environment for residents by providing sufficient monitoring and conducting security rounds every 20 minutes when dorms are open.

• Ensure that new residents are orientated to shelter rules and guidelines and distribute hygiene packets and linen

• Supervise and support residents during chore activities to ensure that chores are completed properly and that best practices are implemented to ensure safety.

• Ensure dining room support for families for all meals

Swing Shift - Life Skills

• Provide support for the coordination and facilitation of life skills sessions twice a week

Graveyard/Weekend Shifts

• Wake up residents who have requested an early wake up.
• Defrost and clean medical refrigerator, and residents' lunch and late-plate
• refrigerator (clean weekly, defrost as needed).
• Complete house laundry nightly.
• Maintain medication cabinet so that medications are easily accessible.
• Maintain a well-organized and clean linen closet.
• Maintain a well-organized housekeeping cabinet ensuring adequate supplies are available to staff.

Administrative

All Shifts

• Maintain an accurate account of shelter activity by reviewing the daily logbook at shift change and updating it every thirty minutes.
• Retrieve voicemail messages, re-cord, and place in appropriate boxes for residents and staff.
• Update and maintain all binders/logs used for tracking and monitoring clients and for documenting provision of services.
• Answer incoming telephone calls.
• Ensure that the medication file remains current and medications are accessible to residents. Complete incident reports, as necessary.
• Each shift promotes and maintains a clean work environment and ensures that the front office and equipment are clean and well organized.
• Support other EOCP staff in discharging clients from the shelter in an orderly manner by providing smooth logistical and administrative support.
• Assist new staff with the use of office equipment. Attend all mandatory staff meetings.

Day Shift

• Schedule daily intakes as early as possible (one per hour).
• Open, sort and process incoming mail.
• Retrieve incoming calls from voice messages.
• Train new staff members on office equipment.
• Contact vendors for service/problems.
• Ensure that CHASS signatures are updated daily.
• Ensure that each new resident has access to a storage locker.
• Other duties as assigned.

Swing Shift/Weekend Shift

• Ensure that all current residents are accounted for by updating door tags as needed. Update and complete bed sheet forms to provide agency with accurate daily census. Complete Per Diem forms, 20-Day Tracking Statistic and CHASS paperwork, as assigned.
• Provide assistance to new clients in completing intake process: reviewing paperwork, providing a facility orientation and tour, and decontaminating personal property.

Graveyard Shift

• Use master copies of EOCP forms to create inventory of forms, as assigned by Lead Resident Advisor (make copies on second floor).
• Update and discard outdated flyers on bulletin board every week Purge paperwork from binders for discharged clients:
• Complete Per Diem forms, CHASS 20-Day Tracking Log and other paperwork, as assigned. Purge paperwork from binders for discharged clients.

Weekend Shift

• Create new intake files each weekend
• Identify discarded medications from discharged clients and ensure proper disposal

Modeling Behavior

• Promote a healthy living environment for residents by modeling a positive, professional demeanor.

• Other duties as assigned

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Each shift's Team Leader is responsible for the team's productivity. If the assigned Team Leader is unavailable, upon notice the Housing Advocate Manager will appoint a Team Leader for the shift.

QUALIFICATIONS

Qualifications include:

• Must have two years of experience assisting homeless or low-income people of diverse cultures Experience working in a supportive housing environment for low income people
• Sensitivity to the needs of individuals and families with multiple issues Experience working with a diverse population
• Experience working with computers and successful utilization of Word and Excel. Demonstrated knowledge to successfully access and navigate the internet, operate email and office equipment.
• Must be neat, organized, and professional
• Excellent verbal communication skills with residents and staff.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

High school diploma and two years' experience working with individuals and families with multiple issues.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, any second language, especially Spanish or American Sign Language, a plus

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: High School level

REASONING ABILITY: Must have the ability to utilize good judgment and make sound decisions when interacting with residents and staff members. Must be able to prioritize tasks to ensure that the residents' needs are met and tasks are completed.

COMPUTER SKILLS: Basic knowledge of Word and Excel and ability to access and navigate the internet.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS: CPR and First Aid Certification

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: This position requires the ability to lift up to 25 pounds. In addition, Housing Advocates must have the ability to move around within the emergency housing facility approximately 50 to 60 percent of the shift. They are also required to be flexible intheir ability to adapt to and filter out noise, voices, and calls of multiple conversations/distractions. Must project a professional image and dress neatly when reporting to work. Proof of negative tuberculosis test required annually.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment varies depending on the shift. The daytime and swing shifts are extremely busy and fast-paced. The work environment is relatively quiet during the graveyard shift. Housing Advocates on all shifts must be prepared to handle emergencies, e.g. verbal or physical altercations, etc. The HA should also be prepared to collect and bag clothes and dirty linens of former residents who are incontinent. HA's must model professionalism, respect, good boundaries, safety, and cleanliness with neat attire, according to the dress code.

HOW TO APPLY

To Apply:

• Send a resume and cover letter in PDF format to jobs@eocp.net.

• Use subject line: FName, LName for Family Unit HA (your first name and last name).

• In the cover letter, answer these questions:

  • What kind of experience do you have working with the homeless community?
  • How well do you perform in a pressured, fast-paced environment and, in consultation with supervisor?