Housing Advocate

EAST OAKLAND COMMUNITY PROJECT•Cleveland, OR

122d•$18 - $20•Onsite

About The Position

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 in the provision of services to residents. As Crossroads is a twenty-four-hour emergency housing facility, a Housing Advocate is assigned to one of the following shifts: day, swing, graveyard, and weekend.

Requirements

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
High school diploma and two years' experience working with individuals and families with multiple issues.
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.
Basic knowledge of Word and Excel and ability to access and navigate the internet.
CPR and First Aid Certification
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 in their 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.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Promote the physical and mental wellbeing 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
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
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
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
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 linens
Supervise and support residents during chore activities to ensure that chores are completed properly and that best practices are implemented to ensure safety.
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 well-organized housekeeping cabinets ensuring adequate supplies or available to staff.
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 meeting
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.
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.
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.
Create new intake files each weekend
Identify discarded medications from discharged clients and ensure proper disposal
Promote a healthy living environment for residents by modeling a positive, professional demeanor.
Other duties as assigned