Residential Advocate - Sat/Sun, 11PM-7AM

Description

Position Title: Residential Advocate 

Reports To: Division Director – La Casa

Classification: Non-Exempt    

Location: NW, Washington, DC  

Hours: Overnight - 11pm until 7am,  Some holidays, and overtime may be required to support operations and respond to emergencies. 

About Us: Friendship Place is a nonprofit organization serving the Washington, DC, region, empowering individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness to rebuild their lives with community involvement. Friendship Place offers the most effective model for addressing homelessness, with innovative, customized programs with positive, demonstrable results and a lasting impact on the community and beyond. Our programs are person-centric and individualized to meet the needs and goals of individuals, families, youth/young adults, and Veterans experiencing homelessness. We provide outreach, hospitality, health care, shelter, case management, housing, job placement services, and advocacy. We have established a national presence and are known for sharing best practices in the field.

Our Core Values: Friendship Place is a Person – First Organization that promotes transparency and ethical practices among our team and those we serve. All individuals in our organization are expected to carry out their job tasks in a manner that is consistent with our core values. This includes the following:

•  Excellence and Innovation
•  Finding Ways to Say “Yes”
•  Caring at the Core
•  Agents of Change
•  Support, Empowerment, and Development
•  Integrity and Accountability

Summary: The Residential Advocate at Friendship Place ensures resident and building safety, security, and optimal operations. As a Residential Advocate, you will warmly greet residents and maintain a safe and secure building. This role involves conducting resident wellness checks, monitoring building activities and operations, and assisting residents from time with needed items that are available for their use. The Advocate role is part of the La Casa Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) team. The PSH program follows the Housing First model and philosophy, applying best practices and comprehensive case management to ensure resident success. The program provides on-site services to 40 previously chronically homeless single males. The new apartment building consists of seven floors, with 40 studio-sized units that contain a private kitchen and bath

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Warmly greet and direct residents and building guests at the front desk of this Permanent Supportive Housing program for 40 single men. 
• Monitor security cameras in the building and ensure staff/participant/building safety by appropriately responding to any security issues that may arise. 
• Become familiar with the Housing First Model, HSRA, and HIPPA to inform job duties and program philosophy. 
• Develop rapport with each resident through routine contact and communication. 
• Ensure the safety and well-being of residents by providing routine wellness checks. 
• Monitor residents’ medical and psychiatric needs while reporting any concerns to the case management team, case manager supervisor, and division director in a timely manner.
• Provide crisis intervention as needed and contact emergency response teams such as Mobile Crisis, MPD, the fire department, and paramedics when necessary.  
• Complete incident reporting when necessary and communicate any incidents, allegations, security breaches, or sensitive situations to case managers, the Case Manager Supervisor, and the Division Director on resident and program outcomes, including areas for improvement.  
• Demonstrate empathy and flexibility in responding to residents’ needs and requests.
• Work collaboratively in a team environment to address crisis needs. 
• Attend and participate in supervision meetings, staff meetings, agency training, and professional training and conferences as required. 
• Follow all agency policies and procedures. 
• Ability to work beyond the designated 8-hour tour of duty and display flexibility with last-minute shift needs. 
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Background & Qualifications:

• HS Diploma or GED and 3 years of general work experience, including one year of experience in direct human service.
• Capacity to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Bilingual in Spanish is a plus.
• Experience working with individuals with mental health concerns or addiction preferred. 
• Ability and willingness to work in a diverse and challenging environment.  
• Ability and willingness to work as a team player. 
• Knowledge of Microsoft Word; ability to learn database programs. 
• Ability to maintain healthy and professional boundaries.
• Must be able to arrive to work and scheduled meetings on time. 
• Strong commitment to mission, including racial equity and social justice.

Working conditions: The office is located in an apartment building where employees may be exposed to bodily fluids and wastes (e.g., blood, urine, feces, vomit) and drug paraphernalia. This may include exposure to needles, contaminated surfaces, and individuals who may be under the influence of drugs. (Appropriate PPE and training on how to use it is provided). The position will spend most of the time moving through the program site providing supportive services to residents and desk settings for required reporting. The position will be required to complete floor rounds across the shift and be responsive to resident, residential aide, and vendor questions/requests.

Physical and Environmental Requirements: Employees must be able to sit and stand for extended periods of time with repetitive motions and positions. Some lifting may be required (up to 20-25lbs).

Background checks: This position is classified as Protective Sensitive under DHS. The selected candidate will be required to complete and pass background checks specific to contract requirements that may include criminal history background check and fingerprinting, FBI Background Check, DC Metropolitan Police Background Check, State-of-Residence Police Background Check, DC Child Abuse Registry (CFSA), National Sex Offender Registry Check, Drug Panel and Alcohol Screening, Tuberculosis Test, and Driving Record check (for positions transporting participants). Reference checks and verification of current and/or previous employment are required.

Direct reports: None

Specific Requirements: The employee must have a valid government-issued ID and have reliable transportation to arrive at the worksite on time.  

Other Details:

Application Deadline: This job is open until filled, or the hiring manager determines that they can no longer accept applications.

Compensation: The hiring pay range is between $17.50 - $20.23 per hour. The starting salary is based on a step system. A candidate’s starting pay determination is made based on meeting the basic position requirements, and current completed education, credentials, and work experience. Please Note: The step system is set and not open to pay negotiation. 

Benefits: We offer an excellent benefits package including low-cost health insurance, health reimbursement, flexible spending accounts, employer-paid dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, 403B defined contribution plan matching, employee assistance programs, professional development, employee resource groups, 14 paid holidays, 15 days of vacation and 10 days of sick leave during 1st year of employment, and much more! (Benefits are pro-rated for part-time employees).

COVID-19: All Friendship Place employees, regardless of their vaccination status, must continue to take precautions against the spread of COVID-19, in accordance with the agency’s COVID-19 protocols and applicable law and guidance. This includes but is not limited to, wearing masks in congregated settings, washing their hands or using hand sanitizer often, monitoring their daily health, and staying home if they are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms (or if they are otherwise prohibited from reporting to work by health provider under CDC, state and local guidance). Since the public health and legal landscapes regarding this policy are subject to frequent changes, Friendship Place reserves the right to amend or cancel this policy at any time at its sole discretion, consistent with applicable law, consistent with CDC guidelines and the DC Department of Health.

Location: Washington, DC

Interview Process: Phone screening, panel style interview, final interview.

Website: www.friendshipplace.org

Equal Opportunity Statement: We support all qualified individuals within our workforce without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, personal appearance, familial status, family responsibilities, political affiliations, matriculation, credit, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Friend Place is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, contact human resources at humanresources@friendshipplace

How to Apply: Interested applicants should apply via the organizational website. All of our current career openings can be found by visiting: https://friendshipplace.org/who-we-are/careers/