The Resident Advocate is an essential staff position primarily responsible for covering the daily operations of the Shelter program, including welcoming and orienting new residents to the program, providing crisis intervention and conflict resolution services to residents, and daily enrichment activities to improve shelter stay.  This position is also responsible for back up coverage on the 24-hour hotline and back up coverage for operation activities such as readying a room for occupancy, accepting and distributing donations, and light housekeeping. Shelter Residents are traumatized both by the intimate partner violence they experienced, and the sudden experience of homelessness.  Families may also have unrelated trauma experiences from their lives.  The Resident Advocate must be comfortable engaging traumatized people in a sensitive manner and must be comfortable working in a Voluntary Services program model.  This is an essential staff position that reports during weather emergencies and some holidays. The schedule options are Monday - Friday 6pm - Midnight, Sunday - Tuesday 4pm - Midnight, Wednesday - Sunday 4pm - Midnight,  Saturday - Tuesday 8am - 4pm, and Wednesday - Sunday 8am - 4pm

Primary Responsibilities:

·         Welcomes new residents, complete paperwork, and orient residents to building and program.

·         Provides supportive listening, crisis intervention and conflict resolution to residents.

·         Regularly walks through building and engages residents in conversation, encouragement, and support.

·         Educates residents on community and agency resources and helps make connections to said resources.

·         Educates residents on intimate partner violence, safety planning, and life skills through one on one interaction and through informational materials and bulletin boards.

·         Distributes material goods in accordance with shelter procedure such as clothing, medications, bus tokens, and personal hygiene supplies.

·         Opens the computer lab and provides guidance and assistance to special event and ongoing volunteers.

·         Acts as back up to Operations Assistant on room turnover including cleaning/ preparing rooms.

·         Answer 24 hour hotline as back up to Contact Center.

·         Screens and accepts new residents into the Emergency Shelter program.

·         Completes daily documentation of activities through agency software system and paper system.  Is responsible for specific data entry tasks related to statistics and funding requirements.

Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

*PLEASE DO NOT CALL REGARDING POSITION*

House of Ruth Maryland is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws

Experience/ Requirements:

·         One year paid or unpaid experience working in a victim centered advocacy or working in a residential setting (school, hospital, shelter, nursing home, group home, etc.). High school diploma/GED equivalent may substitute for six months experience.

·         Effective verbal, listening, and writing skills, with a strong ability to relate to diverse range of individuals including victims, children, donors, and service providers.

·         High degree of reliability in completing tasks assigned in the manner expected.

·         Ability to report to work in adverse weather conditions and Holidays as scheduled.

·         Ability to lift and carry up to 20 pounds. 

                       Highly preferred Skills include:

·         Oral fluency in English and another language (Spanish, Urdu, Arabic, French highly preferred)

·         Experience with conflict resolution/mediation.

·         Experience working an awake overnight position.

·        Knowledge of local human services resources.

·         Ability to understand intimate partner violence and how it affects the client population.

·         Must pass a criminal background check.