Residential Advocate
2 days ago
San Antonio
Job Description Job Title: Residential Advocate (RA) Department: Transitional Housing Services (TLLC) Reports To: Lindsay Minarovic, LCSW-S, Director of Transitional Services FLSA Status: Non-exempt Pay Rate: $18 per hour Shift Times: Sundays, 11am-7pm; Monday-Thursday, 1pm-9pm Approved by: Gay Lynn Schwenk Approved Date: 4/14/2025 SUMMARY At the Transitional Living & Learning Center (TLLC), we serve families who are experiencing homelessness, who may be survivors of domestic violence, and who have experienced many forms of trauma. As a team, TLLC Staff serve families as they work toward permanent housing in two main capacities: forward thinking, and present-day thinking. Case Management is forward thinking, goal-setting, and preparing for permanent housing after leaving the TLLC. For Residential Advocates (RAs), the primary role is to provide guidance and support to the residents of the TLLC on a day-to-day basis. RAs are the front-line, client-facing staff who assist Residents with their present-day needs, concerns, and safety. RAs also ensure the safety and security of visitors, volunteers and Residents while supporting a welcoming environment. RA’s ensure compliance with the policies, procedures, and protocols of the agency and facility. The RA is also required to perform daily effective environmental scans of the building to ensure cleanliness of the building, track activities of visitors, volunteers, and residents, as well as communicate needs effectively to the team. RAs will engage in providing guidance and teaching of life skills to residents. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Safety and Security • Collect and forward all incident reports to the SAMMinistries management team, • Complete daily rounds of the building and accurately record finding or report immediate concerns in the TLLC Activity Report., • Ensure compliance and quality assurance through routine review and maintenance of logs, files, and reports., • Provides coverage of the TLLC Front Desk, monitors security cameras, responds immediately to all calls, and takes appropriate action in coordination with TLLC Staff and Leadership., • Responds to visitors, volunteers and residents’ requests, complaints, and inquiries, • Ensures that only authorized individuals can gain entry to the facility, and maintains privacy and anonymity of families residing at the TLLC., • Ensures all visitors, volunteers and residents sign in and out, • Ensure all first-time visitors’ and all volunteers’ state identification is run though the Raptor System for local background checks. Environmental Scans • Recognize and respond to any significant changes in residents’ behavior or demeanor and document in the TLLC Activity Report, communicate with the TLLC Leadership, case management team, and other appropriate professionals, as necessary, • Maintain an adequate inventory of supplies and distribute to residents as per the TLLC Point System Policy., • Complete rounds of all areas of the facility to ensure compliance with facility guidelines and policies, • During rounds, scan and recognize necessary program improvements and make suggestions to supervisor, • Conduct room, pantry, and campus health and welfare checks weekly or as needed Practical Demonstrations of Life Skills • Assist in ensuring that all residents are aware of all emergency procedures (fire, tornado, & other emergencies), • Use trauma-informed skills to teach and provide demonstrations of chores, cooking, laundry, and other daily life skills with residents, • Treat residents with dignity and respect, use trauma-informed care, use harm-reduction techniques, and use de-escalation techniques in all interactions with clients Other • Conduct orientation for new residents, • Assemble welcome baskets for new residents, • Attend all mandatory departmental meetings and/or training, • Receive various donations and provide receipt to donors, • Organize and put away donations throughout the facility, while carefully ensuring that we are good stewards of the donated goods, • Ensures that all resident data is input daily, • Perform other job-related duties as assigned SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES None REQURIED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. • Knowledge in community-based programs, • Ability to gain working knowledge of SAMMinistries policy and procedures, • Ability to act as a representative of SAMMinistries to the public, • Ability to effectively communicate with individuals from diverse backgrounds, • Ability to prepare and maintain accurate records, • Ability to use Trauma Informed Care techniques, • Ability to operate and work effectively in Microsoft Office programs, • Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists, • Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form., • Ability to professionally handle crisis situations EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE Associate’s degree in social service, Community Health Worker Certification, experience in a related field or three years work experience or equivalent combination of education and experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness and mental illness. LANGUAGE SKILLS Bilingual (English/Spanish) is preferred. REASONING ABILITY Must be sensitive to the dynamics associated with individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Must be able to react swiftly and effectively to crisis situations. Must possess good conflict resolution skills. Logic and ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS Valid Driver's License. Successfully obtain a Community Health Worker (CHW) Certification within the first 180 days of hire. Successful completion and certification in CPR/First Aid/AED, Trauma Informed Care, Harm Reduction, and Housing Frist training will be required within sixty days of hire. Additional Training in: Motivational Interviewing, Time Management, HMIS Training. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. • Normal walking requirements include the ability to move in and around personal workspace and to and from other areas including walking up and down stairs several times each day., • This position requires that most of the work hours are spent walking around and monitoring multiple floors., • The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, e.g., office equipment, file boxes, donations, etc., • Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The work environment for this position is primarily indoors, with occasional outdoor activity required for supervision/participation in community events. Operating an agency motor vehicle may also be required on occasion. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Required to work flexible hours to include evenings and weekends. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. This position requires on-site face to face contact with clients and program staff. EEO SAMMinistries provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, SAMMinistries complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the organization has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.