Residential Aide

Dunbar Tower Residential Support Specialist (RSS) – Temporary Part-time

At Avalon, housing is a human right. Our mission is to build healthy, safe and inclusive supportive housing communities as a long-term solution to homelessness.

Avalon Housing is a non‑profit supportive housing provider. Supportive housing is a combination of affordable housing paired with services, such as case management. We don't just help people find housing, we help people stay and thrive in their homes.

If you are passionate about creating more diverse, inclusive, and equitable communities where all people are welcome, Avalon may be a good fit for you.

Some individuals served by Avalon have many challenges. Residential Support Specialists (RSS) are Avalon's 24‑hour front‑line support staff. They monitor our front desk(s), answer tenant/visitor questions and provide hands‑on help where needed.

Paid Time Off: Paid time off includes vacation time plus additional sick and personal time allowances. The amount you earn depends on the number of hours worked. There is also a paid holiday every month!

Life and Disability Plans: Employees working 16 or more hours per week receive life insurance and short‑term disability coverage—Avalon covers the full cost of the premiums.

403(b) Retirement Plan: Avalon sponsors a 403(b) retirement plan through Vanguard, available to all employees.

• Check visitors in and out, answer phones and monitor security systems
• Maintain safety and security of residents by monitoring all general access areas and enforcing program rules
• Intervene in crises, respond to emergencies, and initiate action as required, including contact with emergency response systems
• Coordinate services for tenants and contact outside service providers as necessary
• Work cooperatively with other staff onsite in addition to visiting service providers; refer tenants to clinical and other staff as necessary
• Initiate maintenance requests
• Attend staff meetings, retreats and professional training sessions

• Depending on location, RSS staff may assist tenants with activities of daily living, including transportation, meal preparation, medication, shopping, and/or other hands‑on assistance.
• This position requires a weekly on‑call shift; on‑call shifts are compensated at hourly rates plus a bonus.
• This position requires training to begin within the first 30 days of hire. Some training will take place outside regular shift hours. All training time is compensated.

• High School Diploma
• Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability to work well with multicultural communities.

• A year experience in human services, preferably working with similar populations, including people who are homeless, people with mental illness, chronic health, and/or addiction disorders preferred
• Basic understanding of homelessness and various characteristics of the homeless adult population.
• Experience with the issues of mental illness and chemical dependency preferred
• Ability to effectively work with diverse populations in a non‑judgmental way
• Capacity to respond to crisis situations
• Strong communication skills – both verbal and written
• Strong problem‑solving skills
  
  Ability to recognize appropriate boundaries with clients
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Must possess a highly positive and enthusiastic attitude and strong commitment toward helping those in need
• Interest and experience in working with individuals who are difficult to engage and refer to traditional programs, subscribe to a philosophy of tolerance and ability to engage with individuals in their current stage of change, expressed knowledge, acceptance, and/or experience with principles of harm reduction
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds
• Ability to work flexible hours as required by programs and staffing needs

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. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to sit for long periods of…