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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.

Standard Schedule: This position is 100% on site and based at the confidential shelter location in Baltimore City. Hours are Midnight-8am or Wednesday-Sunday 12 am – 8 am. As an essential staff position, the Resident Advocate is expected to report to work in weather emergencies, and on Holidays that fall within scheduled workdays.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Welcomes new residents, completes paperwork, and orients 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.
• Changes out Bulletin Boards and distributes information. Assists daytime staff with data entry and administrative tasks like copying and filing.
• Acts as back up to Operations Assistant on room turnover including cleaning/preparing rooms.
• Answers 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.
• Authorizes new admissions to shelter program.
• Distributes material goods to program residents.
• Approves childcare agreements between residents.
• Distributes bus tokens and cab vouchers to program residents.
• Recommends changes in shelter length of stay, including exit from program-to-program Leads.
• Intervenes in urgent threats to harm of self or others through calling appropriate Emergency Response Personnel.
• Recommends steps for intervention in non-life-threatening resident crisis or conflict to Service Coordination and Residential Leads.
• Represents the agency with donors, area service providers, and volunteers.
• Meets program quality and service targets: including deadlines for timely and accurate completion of data entry efforts, resident intake and exit paperwork.
• Residents are well educated on program requirements and resources available to them in Shelter.
• Bus tokens and cab vouchers are disbursed within budget and have appropriate documentation to justify expenditures.
• Residents feel welcome and have the basic tools they need to be successful (i.e. toiletries and information on mealtimes for residents, sign-in sheets and information on facilities for volunteers).
• New resident intake paperwork and resident exit information is entered into ETO within 16 hours of entry or exit from program.

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

Pay: $20-22/hr

Experience, Education, Certifications/Licenses

• One year paid or unpaid experience working in 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 a 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.
• Must pass a criminal background check.

House of Ruth Maryland offers a comprehensive Total Rewards Package that will include but is not limited to medical insurance, prescription plan, dental insurance, vision insurance, paid time off, life insurance, 403(b) retirement savings plan, and Employee Assistance Program.

House of Ruth Maryland upholds the mission of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by being an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment and will not be excluded because of color, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status or age.

This position is currently accepting applications.