Bridge House - Substitute Residential Advocate

Position Summary:
The Residential Advocate oversees the operation of the facility and provides individual client response, including supervision of daily and/or nightly routines; interpretation and guidance regarding program agreements; crisis intervention; and close supervision.  The primary responsibility of this position is providing a safe, nurturing environment for clients.  

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Prior experience working with high-risk adolescents, especially knowledge of issues impacting homeless/street dependent youth, preferred.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to work effectively in the following areas:  Cultural diversity, team-dependent models; crisis management; systematic theory; Community Youth Development approach; and adolescent development.  Ability to work effectively may be demonstrated through academic experience, job experience, references, and interview answers.
• Genuine concern for young people and the ability to treat all people with dignity and respect, and openness to learning and implementing a Community Youth Development approach to youth work.
• Must value working in a multicultural/diverse environment.
• A commitment to on-going training and a willingness to receive and act upon feedback.
• Ability to climb at least two flights of stairs.
• Ability to stay awake and alert throughout assigned shift.
• Ability to accurately read, record, and interpret information and maintain paper and computerized information.
• Ability to provide visual and auditory supervision of program and youth.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally with a broad variety of people, including staff, supervisors and management.
• Ability to stay calm and emotionally available in an environment serving at-risk and troubled youth.
• Ability to exercise independent discretion and judgment within program guidelines.
• Ability to work effectively in a team-dependent environment and to act on the agenda of the program.
• Ability to exercise tact, discretion and judgment in working with a variety of people.
• Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries in working with others and in handling confidential information.
• Ability to effectively monitor safety and demonstrate group management skills and effectively de-escalate potentially chaotic or volatile situations.
• Ability to regularly attend scheduled shift, be punctual for scheduled shift and meetings, and be in a condition suitable for assuming responsibilities of position.
• Ability to problem solve, exercise independent judgment within program guidelines, and respond to crisis situations.
• Manual dexterity allowing use of computer keyboard.

Other Requirements:

• Driving is not required. All employees who drive for work purposes must have and maintain a valid driver’s license for state of residency, have a driving record that permits coverage under the corporate auto liability policy, and complete the agency’s driving approval process before driving for work. If driving a personal vehicle for work purposes drivers must also have personal auto liability coverage ($100,000/$300,000 levels strongly recommended). Employees are not to drive for work purposes until they have received written authorization to do so.
• Bloodborne Pathogens training is required on first day of employment and annually thereafter.
• Must complete Mandatory Abuse Training within the first 30 days of employment and annually thereafter.
• Provides emergency first-aid, as needed, and must have and maintain standard first-aid/CPR certification.
• Must pass DHS criminal history background check.
• Food Handler's Certification required within 5 days of hire.
• TB test within 30 days of employment

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Residential Advocate position may include the following as well as other duties as assigned:

• Provides a nurturing environment and close supervision and security for youth in a shelter facility.
  
  • Manages night-to-night interactions and crisis situations constructively, ensuring the physical security and emotional nurturing and growth of residents.
  • Supports and monitors the implementation of program agreements with residents through individualized interventions and follow through with consequences as indicated in the agreements.
• Assist residents with nightly bedtime and morning wake-up routines. 
  
  • Supervises cleaning responsibilities and other program requirements as detailed in the program agreements.
• Oversees night-to-night operation of overnight shelter facility for homeless youth.
  
  • Assesses physical condition of facility and performs necessary maintenance to ensure compliance with Public Health, local fire Marshall, and city/state/county standards.
  • Manages program expenditures within an established budget according to program policies and procedures.
  • Plans and prepares nutritionally balanced meals.
  • Provides security for and dispenses prescribed medicine.
• Participates in team meetings, shelter coordination meetings, supervision meetings, and other meetings as needed.
  
  • Attends trainings scheduled and required by the program.
• Provides orientation of new clients.
• Supports and assists substitute workers and volunteers.
• Performs assigned record keeping duties in a timely manner.
  
  • Make nightly entries into staff log.
  • Makes appropriate entries in client tracking logs and updates clients’ files, as needed.
  • Write periodic incident reports, as needed.
  • Responsible for understanding and completing other paperwork systems as they are developed and implemented.
• Provides emergency first-aid on an as-needed basis and maintains current standard first-aid certification.
• Models and encourages direct, professional communication among staff and facilitates development of a positive staff/agency support system.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by Willamette Bridge Program Director, Associate Program Director, Supervisor, or Executive Director.

Working Conditions:

• May involve exposure to communicable diseases, including a variety of illnesses and infections such as the common cold, TB, Hepatitis, flu, meningitis, and HIV.
• May involve exposure to upset, angry, severely traumatized or emotionally disturbed children, adolescents, adults, and families.
• May involve time in excess of routine schedule and overtime, including various shifts and/or weekend hours, and/or holidays.
• May involve exposure to information that graphically describes physical, sexual and emotion abuse of children and may experience vicarious trauma. 

This position description is intended to give the reader a general idea of the overall purpose and the main activities and responsibilities that are intrinsic to this position. While this description is intended to be representative, it is not intended to be limiting.