SCHEDULE: 40 hours, Tuesday-Saturdays - 12:00pm - 8:30pm some flexibility required to meet program needs

Pay $22.41, Candidate must have reliable transportation to access all three program sites.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Mobile Counselor will be provided day-to-day support to participants in the Safe Haven Programs located at 28 Rockwell Street in Dorchester (10 participants), 8 Church Street in Dorchester (10 participants), and 414 Harrison Avenue in Boston (11 participants). Safe Haven provides transitional housing to DMH-eligible individuals with severe and persistent mental health issues and assists them in securing permanent housing. The Mobile Counselor will be available to cover shifts at all three Safe Haven locations depending on the need of the program. The Mobile Counselor will assist participants in accessing the services we provide, particularly those relating to food, clothing and medical care; as well as ensuring their safety and security. The Mobile Counselor will appear alert and approachable at all times; assist with the performance of daily tasks such as: answering phones, program rounds, recording appropriate log notes, writing up incident and DMH reports, and responding to e-mail communications in an appropriate timely fashion. The Mobile Relief Counselor will actively participate in trainings that are required by all Pine Street Inn direct care staff. At all times, The Mobile Relief Counselor is required to treat all participants fairly, with respect and dignity.

This program will follow the models of Housing First/Safe Haven.

REQUIREMENTS:

Education/Training:

• High School diploma or GED
• Some basic prior human services trainings

Knowledge/Experience:

• Minimum of one (1) year of prior work experience in a shelter, community residence or in an inpatient setting
• Experience maintaining a safe environment for clients in a program setting
• Experience as a human services team member
• Familiarity with the concepts of rehabilitation and consumer empowerment
• Experience with dually diagnosed individuals
• Experience assisting people with ADL skills
• Experience with dually diagnosed individuals, experience assisting people with ADL skills
• Effective writing and verbal communication skills

Physical Abilities/SKILLS;

• Ability to respond to individuals in crisis
• Ability to climb multiple sets of stairs quickly and frequently
• Ability to assist certain individuals with ADL skills if appropriate
• Reliable transportation is needed in order to travel from site to site.

Mental Abilities/SKILLS;

• Ability to attend to multiple tasks
• Ability to tolerate stress, patience
• Ability to resolve conflicts diplomatically, supportiveness and nurturance
• Ability to set limits when needed, and observance of appropriate boundaries
• Ability to be open minded about exploring creative new ways to help clients maintain housing stability; willingness to use continuing education as a tool to gain ideas for improving client outcomes
• Comfort level working with participants with untreated psychiatric conditions
• Comfort with a Harm Reduction approach to substance abuse
• Reliable transportation is needed in order to travel from site to site.

Preferred:

• Advanced training in human services work
• Training in Motivational Interviewing and Trauma-Informed Care
• Previous experience working with a Housing First/Safe Haven model
• Experience with the homeless population

Essential Functions Include But Are Not Limited To:

• Be responsible for the safety and security of participants in various areas of the building.
• Supervise meal operations and cleanup.
• Ensure that all floors are clean and tidy including but not limited to kitchens, hallways, bathrooms, and individual participants rooms.

• Work with other staff to help prepare occasional meals and holiday celebrations.
• Confer regularly with other program staff.
• Touch base regularly with each participant to see how each seems to be doing.
• Communicate any observed issues or problems via the log and verbal reports.
• Maintain positive relationships with other employees around the Inn in other departments such as Food Services, Men’s Inn, Outreach, and Housekeeping.
• Participate in keeping the outside of the building secure.
• Set a tone of respect and support for all clients of the program.
• Work with participants to reinforce good ADL skills, including personal hygiene, and leisure time activities.
• If appropriate, assist participants in cooking, laundry, and other activities of daily living as needed or requested.
• Provide peer support for other staff at all 3 Safe Haven Programs.
• Guide the chronically mentally ill clients in an intentional progression towards increased autonomy, improved life skills, and enhanced quality of life.
• Involve participants in milieu to enhance connectedness with life satisfactions and responsibilities.
• Introduce participants to hobbies, pastimes and movies on site. Apprise them of weekend happenings of interest in the Boston Area.
• Meet for regular supervision with the Assistant Residential Supervisor.
• Work together with other staff to assist clients improve their overall quality of life.
  Maintain necessary records in a timely fashion.
• Encourage participants to be responsible neighbors.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the Supervisor.