On Call Administrative Support

Description

Shift: Office Day, variable hours

Benefits:  Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Safe & Sick Time, Retirement Plan

About DESC:

DESC  (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is a nonprofit organization working  to help people with the complex needs of homelessness, substance use  disorders, and serious mental illness achieve their highest potential  for health and well-being through comprehensive services, treatment, and  housing. Our vision is a community where no person is abandoned,  ignored, or experiencing homelessness.

As the region's  leading provider of services to multiply disabled adults who have  experienced chronic homelessness, DESC serves almost 3,000 people each day. Our integrated service model is designed to help people secure and  maintain appropriate, safe and affordable housing. DESC is recognized  nationally and regionally as an innovator in developing solutions to  homelessness.

JOB DEFINITION:

On-Call Administrative Support staff fill staffing gaps on the administrative team when full-time staff are taking PTO, need to be away from their work site for meetings and trainings, during job transitions, when there is a need for additional help for special projects, or for other staff capacity needs. Shift locations vary across DESC’s downtown Seattle offices at 515 3rd Ave and 216 James St. Shifts are sometimes split between locations. On-Call Admin Support prioritize open administrative shifts but may also pick up open shifts at DESC’s housing projects, after approval and training. 

This position requires a strong interest in providing administrative support for a non-profit agency that specializes in services for those experiencing homelessness, mental health crisis, or currently engage in substance use. The successful candidate will be willing to build skills which specialize in engaging and, at times, deescalating clients to provide smooth communication between the client and their care team. This position is in addition to a 7-person full-time Admin Support team (including supervisor) which reports to the Senior Program Manager of Drop-in, Employment Services, Administrative Support Services and Client Engagement Services (DEAC).

On-Call Administrative Support staff must pick up a least 4 shifts per month.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Front Desk & Lobby - Client Interactions:

• Arrive promptly and complete pre-opening tasks, including populating schedules, preparing print outs, gathering intake information, and preparing the office for visitors. 
• Provide Front desk coverage from 9 am – 5pm.
• Maintain a polite, convivial, and welcoming presence in DESC lobby spaces.
• Greet clients and visitors who enter the office, learn why they are visiting, and inform appropriate staff of their arrival.
• Aid and provide information to people experiencing homelessness and others who are experiencing crises and looking for help.
• Orient visitors to available services, DESC resources, and resources in the community as appropriate.
• Assist in maintaining a comfortable and clean lobby area, office area, and conference rooms, while being tolerant of unusual and bizarre client behavior. Intervene when necessary to discourage loitering, fighting, use or sale of drugs and alcohol, and other uncivil or illegal behaviors.
• Assist with providing front desk coverage to relieve teammates for breaks (Each staff working a full shift receives two 15-minute breaks and one 1-hour lunch break).
• Engage with people experiencing a variety of behavioral health conditions whose behaviors may be bizarre, unpleasant, or uncooperative. Engage in de-escalation as needed in accordance with agency values and training.

Phones/Mail/Office Supplies:

• Answer incoming calls promptly with proper etiquette; route calls to appropriate persons; transfers calls to voice mail or take messages as needed. Provide basic information on agency and services as appropriate over the phone.
• Process mail for clients and staff: Accept and document mail from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and other independent vendors, sort/distribute mail, and enter received client mail into tracking database.
• Order, maintain and dispense office supplies and forms needed by staff.

Paperwork:

• Assist program staff to update and maintain current resource lists, information manuals, and client service records accurately and in coordination with behavioral health program staff.
• Assist with daily documentation including writing logs, tracking attendance and supplies distributed, and end of day summary reports.
• Track company vehicles, maintain MS Outlook reservation calendar, enter any maintenance requests as needed.
• Organize, file and/or store source documents for data entered into system, following established procedures for retention or disposal of documents.

Special Projects and other duties:

• Complete other tasks as needed for special projects such as doing inventory, filing, copying, or other organization projects.
• Participate in staff meetings and in-service trainings, as appropriate.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Excellent typing and keyboard skills and clerical skills/experience.
• Computer skills, including data entry and word processing experience, or related experience with the indicated potential to learn these skills quickly.
• Ability to work independently with a minimum of direct supervision.
• Willingness to be flexible and work cooperatively with co-workers to accomplish all responsibilities of the team.
• Initiative and creativity in problem solving and system development.
• Careful attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds and disciplines.
• Ability to relate effectively to clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behaviors.
• Subscribe to philosophy of cooperation / collaboration and continuity across programs, and of consideration and respect for clients.
• Ability to support people's self-determination with impartiality by honoring strengths.
• Ability to provide equitable services without bias.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to sit, communicate with other employees, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 40 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

DESC is committed to diversity in the workplace and promotes equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The Agency will not  discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, caste, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any employment  practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational  qualification. Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.