Residential Advocate

Description:
**Position Title**: Residential Advocate

**Reports To**: Assistant Director

**Classification**: Regular Full-Time (Non-Exempt)

**Location**: Washington, DC 20020

**Hours**: FT/ M-F 2-10 PM. A flexible schedule includes, holidays and weekends may be required to support operations and to respond to emergencies.

**About Us**:
Friendship Place is a nonprofit organization, serving the Washington, DC region, empowering individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness to rebuild their lives with the involvement of the community. Friendship Place offers the most effective model for addressing homelessness, with innovative, customized programs with positive, demonstrable results and a lasting impact on the community and beyond. Our programs are person-centric and individualized to meet the needs and goals of individuals, families, youth/young adults, and Veterans experiencing homelessness. We provide outreach, hospitality, health care, case management, housing, job placement services, and advocacy. We have established a national presence and are known for sharing best practices in the field.

**Our Core Values**:
Friendship Place is a Person - First Organization that believes in promoting transparency and ethical practices among our team and those we serve. All individuals in our organization are expected to carry out their job tasks in a manner that is consistent with our core values. This includes the following:

- Excellence and Innovation
- Finding Ways to Say “Yes”
- Caring at the Core
- Agents of Change
- Support, Empowerment, and Development
- Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Collaboration
- Integrity and Accountability

**Summary**:
The position provides support to participants in bridge housing who are transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. The bridge housing model seeks to stabilize participants and coordinate with external providers to house participants within 90 days. The Valley Place approach embraces a Housing First model and philosophy. The Residential Advocate works to empower participants to rebuild their lives, relying on their own strengths, and using wraparound resources in a holistic, participant-driven process.

**Responsibilities**:

- Provide supportive services to individuals experiencing homelessness with serious mental illnesses, addictions, medical concerns, etc.
- Deliver face-to-face contact to participants, and work in conjunction with case managers and external providers
- Demonstrate empathy and flexibility in responding to participants’ needs and requests fostering wellness and independence
- Engage participants and assess individual needs, preferences, and strengths
- Monitors the residents, units, and grounds of Valley Place at all times to ensure the security and safety of each resident
- Provides appropriate oversight of the participants at the bridge housing site and enforces program policies
- Provides de-escalation services to the participants as needed and to ensure the safety and well-being of all staff and residents, in conjunction with other staff and on-site security.
- Assists in the planning and organization of site-based programming and recreational activities and events for individuals at Valley Place.
- Reports unusual incidents to the appropriate parties and writes unusual incident reports.
- Reports observations to case management staff to support the participants in progressing towards goals.
- Performs weekly and as necessary inspections of units.
- Distributes food during meal services and discards waste.
- Participates in multidisciplinary meetings and regular supervision
- Complete progress notes and all mandatory paperwork within required timeframes (48 hours for case notes, 24 hours for unusual incidents)
- Maintain participant’s electronic records in the Housing the Homeless database
- Attend professional trainings and conferences as needed
- Perform all other duties as assigned.

**Requirements**:
**Qualifications**:

- Minimum high school diploma or equivalent.
- 1 year of experience working with vulnerable families and/or youth is preferred
- General knowledge of working in a homeless shelter or residential facility preferred.
- Understanding of adult rehabilitation services and a person-centered approach
- Experience working with individuals experiencing chronic homelessness
- Experience with addictions, mental health, and co-occurring disorders
- Strong written and verbal skills
- Ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
- Ability to work well under pressure
- Ability to work as a team player
- Strong commitment to mission, including racial equity and social justice

**Physical and Environmental Requirements**:
Position will operate in a site-based service environment. Program participants live on site in apartment style accommodations, and employees will provide both in home and office-based services. Some services may be provided to participants in the community on an as needed ba