Front Desk Coverage - Swing Shift, Birch Grove

DESC•Seattle, WA

2h•Onsite

About The Position

Recognized nationally as an innovator and leader in developing solutions to homelessness, DESC is a social services organization, supportive housing operator, and licensed behavioral health treatment provider focused on meeting the needs of people experiencing long-term homelessness and living with complex behavioral health and other medical conditions. Approximately 3,000 people are actively receiving services from DESC at any given point in time. Our vision is a community where all people are shown compassion, treated with dignity, and everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. DESC operates five shelter/emergency housing programs, 19 permanent supportive housing facilities with over 1,750 units, several hundred additional scattered site apartments, and a range of behavioral health services including outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment, residential crisis stabilization, street outreach, mobile crisis response, and treatment for opioid use disorder. Birch Grove will be DESC's 20th permanent supportive housing site that will include 120 units of affordable housing in Seattle's Lake City neighborhood. This vital project will provide stable, supportive housing and 24/7 on-site services for single adults living with disabilities and experiencing chronic homelessness. The community will also feature welcoming indoor and outdoor common spaces. The Front Desk Coverage role is for individuals with excellent customer service orientation. FD coverage assists with respectfully meeting and greeting internal and external providers and building staff in the coordination of services to residents including but not limited to: managing common spaces in the building, maintain safety and security by monitoring all general access areas and enforcing project rules, and supports the unit technician.

Requirements

Basic understanding of homelessness and various characteristics of homeless adult population
Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds
Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behaviors
Subscription to philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for clients

Nice To Haves

BA degree in social or behavioral science
Residential property management experience
Experience with the challenges of mental illness and substance use
Ability to drive an agency or personal vehicle to conduct agency related business, which requires a current Washington State driver's license and insurable driving record

Responsibilities

Participate in shift briefs and read logs before the start of each shift daily
Providing milieu coverage support when needed
Distribute client medication and serve food on shift
Operate all functions in lobby office, including checking visitors in and out, answering telephones and monitoring security systems
Create a healthy and welcoming environment for residents which includes maintaining the general cleanliness of grounds and common areas in adherence to project rules and regulations
Conduct regular outside perimeter walk-throughs and trash/debris pick up when on shift
Enforcing good neighbor policy by ensuring individuals are not loitering outside of the building and on the property premises
Greet emergency responders
Check in tenant visitors and ensure guests adhere to visitor policy and procedures
Work cooperatively with clinical and maintenance staff sited at the project and with visiting providers; refer residents to clinical and other relevant programming as necessary
Write significant events involving residents and building operations activities in a daily log
Manage all building operations in the absence of other project and clinical staff as assigned
Proactively intervene in crises using de-escalation skills, respond to emergencies, and initiate action as required, including contact and collaborating with emergency response systems
Assist with other property management functions as assigned
Assist with medication distribution
Initiate appropriate response to maintenance requests
Write significant events involving residents and building operations activities in a daily log; read log daily
Participate in staff meetings and all required staff trainings
Assist with maintaining a hygienic living environment including but not limited to participating with in unit prep for pest inspections, and trash room clean up while on shift
Assist with other property management functions as assigned