Residential Support Specialist - Part time- Temporary Dunbar Tower

Avalon Housing • Ann Arbor, MI

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Avalon Housing is a non-profit supportive housing provider dedicated to building healthy, safe, and inclusive supportive housing communities as a long-term solution to homelessness. Supportive housing combines affordable housing with services like case management to help individuals not only find housing but also thrive in their homes. The Residential Support Specialist (RSS) is a 24-hour front-line support staff responsible for monitoring the front desk, assisting tenants and visitors, and providing hands-on help. This role is crucial in maintaining the safety and security of residents and the community.

Requirements

• High School Diploma
• Ability to work well with multicultural communities

Nice To Haves

• A year experience in human services, preferably working with similar populations, including people who are homeless, people with mental illness, chronic health, and/or addiction disorders
• Basic understanding of homelessness and various characteristics of the homeless adult population
• Experience with the issues of mental illness and chemical dependency
• Ability to effectively work with diverse populations in a non-judgmental way
• Capacity to respond to crisis situations
• Strong communication skills – both verbal and written
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Ability to recognize appropriate boundaries with clients
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Highly positive and enthusiastic attitude and strong commitment toward helping those in need
• Interest and experience in working with individuals who are difficult to engage and refer to traditional programs, subscribe to a philosophy of tolerance and ability to engage with individuals in their current stage of change, expressed knowledge, acceptance, and/or experience with principles of harm reduction
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds
• Ability to work flexible hours as required by programs and staffing needs
• Valid Michigan driver's license and reliable transportation

Responsibilities

• Check visitors in and out, answer phones and monitor security systems
• Maintain safety and security of residents by monitoring all general access areas and enforcing program rules
• Intervene in crises, respond to emergencies, and initiate action as required, including contact with emergency response systems
• Coordinate services for tenants and contact outside service providers as necessary
• Work cooperatively with other staff onsite in addition to visiting service providers; refer tenants to clinical and other staff as necessary
• Initiate maintenance requests
• Attend staff meetings, retreats and professional training sessions
• Assist tenants with activities of daily living, including transportation, meal preparation, medication, shopping, and/or other hands-on assistance (depending on location)
• Perform a weekly on-call shift

Benefits

• Paid Time Off (vacation time plus additional sick and personal time allowances)
• Paid holiday every month
• Life insurance and short-term disability coverage (for employees working 16+ hours/week)
• 403(b) Retirement Plan through Vanguard
• Employee Assistance & Wellness programs

What This Job Offers

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