Overnight Emergency Shelter Counselor

Full-time Overnight (4 nights per week) and Part-time Overnight (3 nights per week) shifts available.

The emergency shelter team provides emergency survival-support services to homeless and runaway youth 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, year-round. Counselors strive to engage and establish mutually respectful, trusting relationships with the youth we serve. Clients are approached from a strength and asset-based perspective and staff form partnerships with them to help facilitate the identification of issues, concerns and needs and develop strategies to meet those needs.

The ultimate goal of the team is to provide emergency care and support to RHY in a safe, respectful environment and to work with them to resolve the issues which led to their homelessness so that they can ultimately secure and maintain a stable living environment.

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES:

• Supervision of daily activities, such as:
  Wake-Up, Clean-up, Daily Chores, Bedtime
• Distribution of medications and appropriate documentation
• Liaison with Intake and Emergency Shelter Support (Counseling) teams
• Individual counseling and mentoring
• After-hour response, assessment and intake of youth in need
• Development and supervision of social, cultural and recreational activities
• Crisis/conflict prevention/intervention, response and intervention
• Maintenance of accurate and timely program records
• Research, development and facilitation of age-appropriate basic life skills and independent living skills trainings
• Maintenance of facility and grounds
• Daily meal planning and preparation
• Other duties, as assigned

Candidates must be youth friendly and positive, calm and objective in crisis situations, sensitive to the cultural issues and needs of youth from diverse backgrounds, and able to establish and maintain positive working relationships with key stakeholders (i.e., youth, peers, referral sources, law enforcement).

Candidates must possess significant knowledge of and skills related to positive youth development, counseling approaches and techniques, adolescent development and issues, residential services, group facilitation and training methods, crisis prevention, intervention skills and resolution, social, recreational activities, meal preparation, housekeeping, and the maintenance of facility and grounds.

Candidates must have a valid driver's license with a driving record acceptable to agency insurance carrier. In addition, they must be autonomously mobile and able to work anywhere within the 3-story facility.

The Center for Youth provides equal opportunities for employment.