RESIDENT ADVOCATE - F/T POSITION

Description

The Lord’s Place is a dynamic, passion-driven social impact organization in Palm Beach County providing innovative, compassionate and effective services to homeless men, women and children in our community.  We are an organization committed to building a varied workplace welcoming to people of all backgrounds. We have consistently ranked nationally as a Best Nonprofit to Work For, as a Best Place to Work in Florida, and nationally as an Inclusive Workplace.    

What makes us one of the best places to work, besides having mission-focused employees who live our core values?  

• Generous paid time off including vacation, sick leave, and holidays 
• Maternity/Paternity Leave 
• 401k with automatic 3% employer contribution 
• Exceptional benefits including health, dental, vision, life, short and long-term disability, supplemental insurances  
• Employee assistance 
• Tuition Reimbursement 
• Flexible work environment 
• And much, much more! 

We are seeking an exceptional, self-motivated and compassionate individual to join our Women’s Services team to provide wrap-around case management services for homeless single women.  The candidate will perform a variety of functions to include but not limited to the following:  resident qualifications for the Burckle Place program; individual assessment and problem identification; linking residents to needed community and agency services; service plan implementation and coordination with timely and thorough documentation; monitoring service delivery; resident advocacy; evaluation and follow-up. Hours for this position will vary, and the individual may be asked to work later hours or weekends as needed with advance notice.   

Some responsibilities include:   

• Screen applicants for eligibility through telephone, office visit, and/or written documentation. 
• Conduct intake and admission documentation for residents. 
• Be highly visible and engage with residents throughout the workday. 
• Perform weekly room and bed bug inspections to ensure safe and hygienic household. 
• Perform daily facility checks to ensure that residents are following all facility rules and regulations to provide a safe atmosphere for all residents. 
• Oversee operation of the food pantry for food distribution to residents.  This includes procurement, inventory, storage and rotation of stock. 
• Oversee food bank retrieval and distribution. 
• Oversee bus pass distribution and documentation. 
• Procurement and inventory of all needed supplies for the facility’s residential units and administrative areas. 
• Oversee facility maintenance including the upkeep of all living units, food pantry, therapeutic rooms and storage areas, and input maintenance requests.   
• Serve as a liaison with other programs within the agency and the community including attendance at monthly program meetings and select community meetings. 
• On call 24/7 for emergencies. 
• Report incidents to Director of Women’s Services and record incidents as they occur. 
• Call 911 in the event of any type of emergency, including but not limited to fire, accident, severe illness or injury, and any type of criminal activity, trespassers, and any other real or perceived emergency. 
• Contact Director after 911 emergency is addressed. 
• Work with the individual to develop service plan goals. 
• Secure all the necessary documentation to verify income from residents. 
• Maintain documentation and case notes in resident file, and in HMIS and ETO within designated time frame. 
• Conduct drug screenings for all clients on an as needed basis and document results. 
• Provide appropriate referrals to GED classes, training programs, counseling, legal services, credit counseling or other community resources. 
• Follow up with referrals made and advocate on behalf of residents when appropriate. 
• Review basic budgeting skills and develop a realistic budget with short- and long-term budgeting goals. 
• Keep accurate records of all residents that attend all training sessions/workshops while at Burckle Place. 
• Participate in weekly staffing to provide updates on issues and resident behaviors with the Director. 
• Keep current on resources available within the community by attending workshops, conferences and meetings as assigned by the Director. 
• Utilize and update resident information in Client Track and ETO or another web-based database. 
• Prepare letters, memos and other documentation using Microsoft Word. 
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Director of Women’s Services according to business needs. 

Requirements

 Requirements include:

• Prefer a bachelor's degree in social work, psychology or mental health counseling, or associate's degree with a minimum of four years of work experience in the field. 
• Minimum of three years’ experience in the social work field required. 
• CAP (Certified Addition Professional) certification is preferred for this position, along with experience with clients experiencing severe and persistent mental illness.   
• Valid Florida driver’s license with a clean driving record.  
• Experience working in a residential setting, substance recovery, and homelessness is preferred.   
• Familiarity with local support groups and agencies that provide services preferred. 
• Requires excellent verbal and communication skills. 
• Computer skills, including a working knowledge of Office 97 or higher required. 
• Requires ability to operate business equipment used daily within the organization. 
• Requires ability to learn and use whatever documentation system appropriate to their program, including electronic databases to document case notes. 
• Requires completion of certification training within the first 90 days of employment. 
• The ability to conduct numerous and frequent client intake assessments, action plans and referrals which may require sitting for long periods of time. 
• May require lifting up to 15 lbs.