Resident Advisor

Union Station Homeless Services•Pasadena, CA

About The Position

The Resident Advisor performs administrative, client-centered wellness, and safety activities at assigned interim and family housing sites. This entry-level role reports to a site program manager and applies housing first, harm reduction, and trauma-informed principles while carrying out responsibilities within established program policies and procedures. The position involves regular client interactions and requires sound judgment, empathy, compassion, situational awareness, and collaboration to address routine and complex issues related to client behavior, medical needs, and housing needs. Resident Advisors communicate regularly with Care Coordinators to support clients with legal, health, personal, recovery, and other issues during their shift. They also help maintain the welfare and safety of clients, visitors, and others at the site and its grounds, and promote positive relationships with neighboring residents, businesses, and organizations. The position is part-time, 16 hours per week, with a Saturday–Sunday schedule from 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It is non-exempt and has a stated salary rate of $21.00. No experience is required. New hires complete a 90-day introductory period and an initial 40-hour training program. They must also complete CPR and Security Guard training within 60 days of hire. The hiring process includes an online assessment and an oral interview, and candidates receiving an offer must pass criminal and reference checks.

Requirements

No prior experience required.
Ability to serve the homeless community with empathy, compassion, and commitment to client well-being and quality of life.
Basic active listening, written and oral communication, and customer service skills.
Ability to recognize behavior, body language, and tone and apply appropriate approaches and de-escalation techniques.
Ability to assert authority tactfully and collaboratively when addressing policy violations.
Ability to remain calm during challenging client interactions, medical emergencies, and incidents requiring law enforcement intervention.
Ability to engage respectfully with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and with varied mental health needs, substance use, and other individual circumstances.
Ability to learn and apply new concepts and protocols on an ongoing basis.
Basic ability to use office software, including email, word processing, and scanning software such as Adobe or PDF tools.
Basic ability to operate computers, printers, and scanners.
Complete the initial 40-hour training program during the 90-day introductory period.
Complete CPR and Security Guard training within 60 days of hire.
Pass a criminal and reference background check following an offer.
Achieve a score of 70% or higher in the oral interview to be placed on the hiring list; pass the online assessment.

Responsibilities

Inspect assigned interim and family housing sites for security issues, safety hazards, health and fire code violations, and maintenance needs.
Conduct and document wellness rounds to check client health and safety, administer overdose antidotes, and monitor compliance with occupancy agreements.
Attend shift-start meetings with Program Management, Care Coordinators, and other Resident Advisors to discuss client activity, behavior, needs, observations, and incident reports.
Maintain a welcoming, clean, and supportive environment for clients and visitors by following site protocols.
Enforce safety requirements using approved protocols and methods to prevent hazardous or potentially violent conditions.
Walk through the surrounding neighborhood to build relationships, foster positive relations, and address community concerns.
Monitor client behavior, address policy violations, and implement corrective actions to maintain a safe and orderly living environment.
Maintain client and visitor records in accordance with facility procedures.
Assist with the receipt, storage, and distribution of meals to clients.
Provide administrative and facility setup support for volunteer activities as needed.
Attend required on-site and off-site trainings, team meetings, and occasional events.