YAEH Support Specialist, Part-Time/On-Call

Position Information

Title:  Support Specialist

FLSA Status:  Hourly, Part-Time/On-Call, Non-Exempt

Location(s):  Young Adult Emergency Home (Sunnyside)

Reports to:  Young Adult Emergency Home Program Coordinator

Job Description

Support Specialists at Rod’s House focus on providing a safe and stable environment for young adults to learn new skills in order to thrive on their own in the community. Support Specialists help support a wide-spectrum of needs for young people (ages 18-24) experiencing homelessness throughout Yakima County. Support Specialists play a pivotal role as guides for young people so they may progress from temporary sheltering to permanent, safe, and stable housing.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Engage with young adults to make them feel welcome, safe, and supported

• Collaborate with case managers and program managers on how best to support youth

• Connect youth to community and on-site resources to ensure basic needs are met

• Appropriately respond to and coach youth through verbal, physical, and emotional altercation

• Prevent and de-escalate situations as they arise

• Maintain a positive, non-judgemental, trauma-informed approach

• Actively seek opportunities to be inclusive and equitable

• Escort youth to designated activities and meal times

• Assist with housekeeping duties in the emergency home, Rod’s House after hours, and ensure cleanliness and tidiness at all times

• Ensure a safe environment for fellow employees, volunteers and residents

• Conduct fire watch with proper documentation

• Ensure completion of closing duties each morning to ensure sites are ready for operations

• Transport linens to and from laundry as needed

• Order supplies as needed

• Participate in monthly program outcome reporting with all program staff

• Complete data entry tasks, as assigned

• Maintain proper record keeping

• Ensure standard operating procedures are clearing defined, updated, and followed

• Regularly assess policies, procedures and processes and recommend improvements

• Provide general assistance and support as directed

• Proven ability to create a system or process when one does not exist

• Other duties as assigned and other duties as required

Education and/or Experience

• At least 1 year experience working directly with youth (ages 13-17) and young adults (ages 18-24), particularly youth and young adults experiencing homelessness OR 2 years of social services education Required

• Must be at least 21 years of age Required

• Valid driver’s license and auto insurance is Required

• High school diploma or equivalent Required

• Bilingual (Spanish-English) Strongly preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

• Experience working with individuals who have experienced trauma, specifically severe mental illnesses and substance use disorders

• Knowledge in human services, social work, education, or a related field

• Lived experience relevant to the population served

Compensation and Benefits 

• Starting hourly wage of $17.30

• Vacation time

• Sick time

• 401K

• Opportunity for career growth and professional development;

Work Conditions and Physical Requirements 

Shifts could include overnight, evening, early mornings, or weekends, including holidays. This position requires daily interactions with youth experiencing homelessness and with community members, social service providers, and other organizations.. Physical requirements for the position include frequent walking, hearing, seeing, speaking, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, grasping, climbing, and repetitive motions. This position requires exerting up to 50 pounds of force to lift, carry, pull, or move objects. Ability to safely drive a 14-passenger van is strongly preferred. 

Rod’s House will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship to Rod’s House.

Rod’s House is all about building authentic connections. We are committed to equity and inclusion and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage people with lived experience of homelessness and those who identify as LGBTQ and people of color to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Salary : $17