Residential Support Specialist - Full time - Ashley

Avalon Housing • Ann Arbor, MI

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Avalon Housing is a nonprofit supportive housing provider whose mission is to build healthy, safe, and inclusive supportive housing communities as a long-term solution to homelessness. Using a Housing First approach, Avalon combines affordable housing with services that help tenants achieve housing stability and thrive in their homes. Services staff collaborate with community partners to address tenants’ mental, physical, psychosocial, and housing needs through direct service or referrals.

Residential Support Specialists (RSS) are 24-hour front-line support staff. They monitor front desks and security systems, answer questions from tenants and visitors, and provide hands-on assistance as needed. The role serves people who may experience mental illness, substance use disorders, chronic medical conditions, and a history of chronic homelessness. Depending on the location, duties may include assistance with activities of daily living, such as meal preparation, prompting, medication administration, and shopping.

The position is based at 411 Ashley, Ann Arbor, Michigan. It requires a weekly on-call shift, compensated at hourly rates plus a bonus. Training must begin within the first 30 days of hire; some training may occur outside regular shift hours, and all training time is compensated. The position reports to the Residential Support Specialist Program Manager and pays $19.42 per hour.

Requirements

• At least 18 years of age.
• High school diploma.
• Satisfactory background check and clear legal standing.
• Two years of experience in supportive housing or another social-services setting, or lived experience of homelessness or supportive housing.
• Ability to work well with multicultural communities.
• Meet MDHHS orientation-period requirements: complete relevant specialized instruction; demonstrate proficiency and certification in essential first aid; complete training on individual plan of service (IPOS) implementation; complete coursework on infectious disease safety and prevention; and execute IPOS guidelines, implement crisis procedures, and accurately document service delivery.
• Participate in medication administration for clients, including completing Washtenaw County medication training, maintaining certification, completing internal training, administering medication, and maintaining proper documentation.
• Valid Michigan driver's license and reliable transportation.
• Ability to sit for long periods, drive a vehicle with passengers, communicate by talking and hearing, lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds, and operate computer hardware systems.

Nice To Haves

• Basic understanding of homelessness and characteristics of the homeless adult population.
• Experience with mental illness and chemical dependency.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse populations in a nonjudgmental way.
• Capacity to respond to crisis situations.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Ability to recognize appropriate boundaries with clients.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Positive and enthusiastic attitude and strong commitment to helping people in need.
• Interest or experience working with individuals who are difficult to engage or refer to traditional programs; tolerance, ability to engage individuals at their current stage of change, and knowledge, acceptance, or experience with harm-reduction principles.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds.
• Ability to work flexible hours as required by program and staffing needs.

Responsibilities

• Check visitors in and out, answer phones, and monitor security systems.
• Maintain residents’ safety and security by monitoring general access areas and enforcing program rules.
• Intervene in crises, respond to emergencies, and take required action, including contacting emergency response systems.
• Coordinate services for tenants and contact outside service providers as necessary.
• Work cooperatively with onsite staff and visiting service providers, and refer tenants to clinical and other staff as necessary.
• Initiate maintenance requests.
• Attend staff meetings, retreats, and professional training sessions.
• Depending on location, assist tenants with activities of daily living, including meal preparation, prompting, medication administration, shopping, and other hands-on assistance.
• Work a weekly on-call shift.
• Complete required orientation-period training, including training in medication administration and service documentation.

Benefits

• Paid time off, including vacation, sick, and personal time allowances based on hours worked.
• A paid holiday every month.
• Life insurance and short-term disability coverage for employees working 16 or more hours per week, with premiums fully covered by Avalon.
• 403(b) retirement plan through Vanguard, available to all employees.
• On-call shifts are compensated at hourly rates plus a bonus.
• Employee Assistance and Wellness programs.
• AD&D coverage.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED