Residential Assistant – Hilo, Hawaiʻi

Mental Health Kokua • Hilo, HI

5d

About The Position

The Residential Assistant plays a key role in supporting adults with mental illness who are living in community-based housing in Hilo. As a Residential Assistant, you help residents build daily living skills, maintain housing stability, and move toward greater independence—all within a safe, respectful, recovery-oriented environment. This role is hands-on, relationship-driven, and deeply rooted in community. Residential Assistants work as part of a team to create a home where residents feel welcomed, supported, and encouraged as they navigate recovery at their own pace. The Residential Assistant serves as a consistent mentor and support to residents, assisting with everyday skills such as cooking, personal care, communication, problem-solving, and navigating relationships with peers. Residential Assistants help maintain a clean, healthy, and safe household, support routines, and model respectful, appropriate behavior within the home and community. Residential Assistants also plan and support social, recreational, educational, and vocational activities that align with residents’ interests and goals. When safety concerns or crises arise, the Residential Assistant responds calmly and according to Mental Health Kokua policies, ensuring incidents are reported and documented accurately. In collaboration with case managers and the treatment team, the Residential Assistant supports residents in working toward service plan goals and documents services provided through timely, accurate clinical notes. As appropriate to the level of care, Residential Assistants observe residents’ self-administration of medication and document adherence per policy. At its core, the Residential Assistant role is grounded in recovery. Residential Assistants approach residents with dignity and respect, recognizing that recovery is not linear and that growth happens through experience, setbacks, and learning. The Residential Assistant supports residents in building strengths, confidence, and self-direction—without judgment and without rushing the process. Residential Assistants participate in clinical supervision and ongoing training to ensure services remain ethical, culturally responsive, and aligned with evidence-based practices and Mental Health Kokua’s mission.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Reliability
• Compassion
• A genuine desire to support others

Nice To Haves

• Experience in human services, behavioral health, or working with individuals with serious mental illness is helpful, but not required.

Responsibilities

• Assisting with everyday skills such as cooking, personal care, communication, problem-solving, and navigating relationships with peers
• Maintaining a clean, healthy, and safe household
• Supporting routines
• Modeling respectful, appropriate behavior within the home and community
• Planning and supporting social, recreational, educational, and vocational activities that align with residents’ interests and goals
• Responding calmly and according to Mental Health Kokua policies when safety concerns or crises arise
• Ensuring incidents are reported and documented accurately
• Supporting residents in working toward service plan goals
• Documenting services provided through timely, accurate clinical notes
• Observing residents’ self-administration of medication and document adherence per policy

Benefits

• Medical & Vision Insurance (UHA or Kaiser)
• Dental Insurance (HDS)
• Supplemental Insurance (Aflac)
• Pet Insurance
• 403(b) Retirement Plan
• Identity Theft & Legal Protection Plans
• Paid Leave & Holiday Pay
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit employer

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED