SCHEDULE: 16 hours, Friday & Saturday, 7AM-330PM.  This position is essential in the event of an emergency. 

Pays $21.40 per hour

LOCATION: 8 Grove Street Chelsea MA 02150

JOB DESCRIPTION:

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION: 

The Weekend Daytime Residential Counselor will work in a transitional housing program for Veterans with a Housing First/Low Barrier model where the majority of individuals may be living with serious substance abuse, mental health issues, and/or physical disabilities. The incumbent will interact with and assist tenants as necessary, monitor the safety and security at 6 Hartford Street, perform regular rounds through the building, and maintain a log of tenant interactions.  The Weekend Daytime Residential Counselor is required to appear alert and approachable at all times; assist with the performance of daily tasks such as: answering the phones, taking messages, and maintaining appropriate records; respond to e-mail communications in an appropriate and timely fashion; and actively participate in trainings that are required by Pine Street Inn direct care staff. The Weekend Daytime Residential Counselor will assist tenants in obtaining their dinner meal and performing other activities of daily living (ADL) skills.  The Weekend Daytime Residential Counselor will also work with other staff to engage tenants in leisure time activities and to create and maintain a respectful atmosphere that empowers veterans to reach their highest level of functioning. The incumbent may run groups on their assigned shift.  Due to emergency or unforeseen program needs, staff may be temporarily or permanently reassigned to another Pine Street Inn program at any given time.

REQUIREMENTS:

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

• High School diploma or GED
• Basic computer literacy
• Some prior training in human services or experience working in the field

PREFERRED:

• Counseling and/or Security experience
• Advanced training in human services work                                               

Knowledge/Experience:

• Minimum of one (1) year of prior work experience working with individuals suffering from complex disabilities in a shelter, community residence, or in an inpatient setting
• Experience maintaining a safe environment for residents in a program setting
• Experience as a human services team member
• Familiarity with the concepts of rehabilitation and consumer empowerment
• Experience working with veterans
• Experience assisting people with ADL skills
• Effective writing and verbal communication skills

Preferred:

• Previous experience working with a Housing First/Low Barrier model
• Experience working with the homeless population
• Knowledge of or experience with CPI, First Aid, and/or Narcan Training

Physical Abilities/SKILLS;

• Ability to respond to individuals in crisis
• Ability to climb multiple sets of stairs quickly and frequently
• Ability to assist certain individuals with ADL skills
• Ability to lift 30lbs

Mental Abilities/SKILLS;

• Ability to attend to multiple tasks
• Ability to tolerate stress, patience
• Ability to resolve conflicts diplomatically with supportiveness and nurturance
• Ability to set limits when needed, and observance of appropriate boundaries
• Ability to be open minded about exploring creative new ways to help clients maintain housing stability; willingness to use continuing education as a tool to gain ideas for improving client outcomes
• Comfort level working with tenants with untreated psychiatric conditions
• Comfort with Trauma – Informed Care and a Harm Reduction approach to substance abuse

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Be responsible for the overall safety and security of veterans in the program.

• Supervise meal operations, adhere to serve safe guidelines and time set for food service and cleanup.
• Ensure that program is clean and safe at all times including but not limited to floors being clean and tidy, kitchens, hallways, bathrooms etc.
• Conduct inspections of individual veterans’ rooms to ensure that they are safe, free of clutter and removal of items not permitted on the premise
• Work with other staff to help prepare occasional meals and holiday celebrations.
• Confer and collaborate regularly with other program staff.
• Meet regularly with each individual veteran to see how veteran is doing.
• Communicate any observed issues or problems via the shift log and verbal reports.
• Maintain positive relationships with other employees around the Inn in other departments such as Food Services, Men’s Inn, Outreach, and Housekeeping.
• Participate in keeping the outside of the building secure.
• Set a tone of respect and support for all veterans of the program.
• Work with veterans to reinforce good ADL skills, including personal hygiene, and leisure time activities.
• Assist veterans in cooking, laundry, and other activities of daily living as needed or requested.
• Provide peer support for other staff at the 6 Hartford Street Transitional Housing Program.
• Guide the mentally ill veterans in an intentional progression towards increased autonomy, improved life skills, and enhanced quality of life.
• Involve veterans in milieu to enhance connectedness with life satisfactions and responsibilities.
• Introduce veterans to hobbies, pastimes and movies on site. Apprise them of activities of interest in the Boston Area / Dorchester area.
• Meet for regular supervision with the Residential Supervisor.
• Work together with other staff to assist veterans and improve their overall quality of life.
• Maintain necessary records and documentation in a timely fashion.
• Encourage veterans to be responsible neighbors
• Due to emergency or unforeseen program needs, staff may be temporarily or permanently reassigned to another Behavioral Health Division programs at any given time.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the Supervisor.
• Comply with and model compliance with all PSI policies and procedures, including occupational health and illness prevention policies and procedures. 
• Other duties as assigned in order to meet the needs of the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic or other public health or weather emergency.