Youth Home Onsite Specialist

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Section I: Position Details

Job Opening Date: January 23, 2025

Job Status: This position is full-time, approximately 32 hours/week. HRDC also has a "Wellness Hours Policy" which encourages full-time staff to use 2-4 paid hours weekly to work on their wellness.

Wage: $22.00/hour - Housing is included

Position Schedule: This position requires a presence in both houses during the following work hours: Sunday noon-9pm, Monday noon - 9pm, Tuesday-Thursday 5:00-10:00 pm and as the need arises. Friday and Saturday are scheduled days off.

General Summary of Purpose of this Position:

Blueprint, a transitional living program, is operated through HRDC’s Emergency & Supportive Housing Department and provides semi-independent living opportunities to emerging adults experiencing homelessness. The Youth Home Onsite Specialist position oversees youth care in two separate houses on the Blueprint Transitional Housing property: one for youth 16-18 years of age and one with youth over 18. This position lives at the minor house in order to offer support for all residents of the program in the evenings and weekends. This position is responsible for facilitating a variety of supportive activities as well as assessing, monitoring, and evaluating program residents’ needs as they arise. This position is responsible for general house management including but not limited to: monitoring and ensuring program security, lite maintenance, taking out recycling, prepping rooms for new clients, etc. This position is available to transport youth - whether that be for emergencies, to support independent living skills, or in facilitating group events. This position is responsible for having a presence in the houses that is supportive to youth and fosters belonging, well-being, meaning and purpose for youth in their transition to stable housing beyond the program.

Primary Job Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide On-Site Support for Tenants and Ensure Tenant Safety (45%)

• Responsible for knowing and following Blueprint program’s policies, procedures, and house expectations

• Respect strict code of confidentiality regarding tenants and fellow staff members at all times

• Abide by and enforce policy and expectations uniformly and consistently

• Develop and hold consistent, clear boundaries with youth regarding the role of the position with the support of the Blueprint Transitional Housing Coordinator

• Maintain a daily presence in both houses during work hours roughly: Sunday noon-9pm, Monday noon - 9pm, Tuesday-Thursday 5:00-10:00 pm and as need arises, excluding Fridays and Saturdays

• Monitor on-site security devices (Ring Cameras) daily, and respond to curfew infractions within 24 hours

• Check chores every Monday and respond to chore infractions within 24 hours

• Assist residents with routine problems per policy

• Respond appropriately to needs and crisis situations, such as mediating basic interpersonal problems between residents, summoning emergency personnel or transporting clients to emergency services, or reaching out to external support including HRDC Manager On-Call, the Blueprint Transitional Housing Coordinator and members of the Blueprint team

• Receive calls and respond to lockouts, accidents/emergencies per established procedures

• Inventory: maintain and restock supplies for the facility, communicate about house needs with residents and Blueprint Transitional Housing Coordinator

• Respond within a designated time frame to tenancy issues while on-call

2. Foster Belonging, Well-being, Meaning-making and Purpose (BMWP) and Independent Living Skills (ILS) in Residents through Presence, Activities, Education, and Mentoring (30%)

• Follow up with and hold youth accountable to tasks established and agreed to with case manager and/or Blueprint Transitional Housing Coordinator

• Support youth with accessing community resources (ie: Fork & Spoon, Food Bank, bike kitchen, etc.) by providing transportation in an agency-owned vehicle and abiding by agency transportation policy

• Work closely with Blueprint Transitional Housing Coordinator and Blueprint Continuum Team to identify barriers and needs of tenants

• Attend and contribute to the running of house meetings (Mondays from 4-5pm)

• Schedule and facilitate weekly BMWP/ILS activities with youth in both houses that focus on: joy, connection to community, developing sense of place, wellness, expression of one’s true self, cooking, etc.

• Support youth with the skills required for communal living, boundary-setting, healthy relationships, financial stability, employment and school completion.

• Coordinate and oversee cleaning and room check

• Become familiar with agency and external referral partnerships and provide advocacy and information and referral services to youth when applicable

3. Communication (10%)

• Monitor Facebook Messenger for client communications

• Email weekly house updates of clients’ progress, concerns, and house activities to all Blueprint staff before the weekend

• Review and follow-up on day-staff notes and capture evening happenings in overnight notes on a daily basis

• Communicate any queries, assistance calls or requests, resident interaction difficulties, or police visits to Blueprint team within 24 hrs of them happening

• Attend and contribute to biweekly Blueprint Case Conferencing meetings

• Demonstrate effective communication by conveying necessary information accurately and in a timely manner.

• Foster and maintain positive relations with tenants, co-workers and the general public

• Maintain a spirit of cooperation and understanding among tenants utilizing crisis de-escalation skills

• Listen effectively and ask questions when clarification is needed

• Interact with persons of diverse backgrounds and treat each individual with respect and dignity

• Represent the organization professionally at all times by interacting and communicating with people representing a wide variety of professions and businesses formally and informally orally and in writing.

4. Manage House Facilities (5%)

• Tend to and offer solutions for immediate house concerns

• Contact Resource Property Manager with any maintenance concerns that are beyond a small fix/your skillset.

• Prepare house and rooms for new resident move-in (create move-in basket, establish kitchen/fridge shelves and dish set, facilitate food box for resident’s arrival) and after residents move-out (deep clean room, wash bedding, remove dish set, etc)

• Take out recycling weekly

• Put trash bins on the curb weekly

• Manage fridge cleanliness/food cleanout

• Change door codes when necessary

5. Overnight Relief Coordination (5%)

• Maintain Overnight Schedule and coordinate bi-weekly overnight relief schedule with overnight relief team

• Coordinate overnight relief when taking PTO

6. Training (5%)

• Attend and contribute to monthly Department meetings

• Complete trainings required of Blueprint Transitional Housing staff and Supportive Housing staff: Columbia Protocol, CPI, Motivational Interviewing, Harm Reduction, HAVEN, etc.

  
  

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

Language Skills:

• Read, write and speak basic English sentences

  
  

Specialized Tools (Non-Computer):

• None

  
  

HRDC, Professional or Governmental Policies and Regulations: Mathematical/ Money Handling Skills:

• Basic counting skills

• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide simple numbers

  
  

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form

• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form

• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions

  
  

Computer Skills:

• Words per Minute Computer Keyboard Required: basic keyboarding skills

• 10-Key Strokes per Minute Data Entry Required: basic entry level skills

  
  

Specialized Office Equipment:

• Operate Fax Machine to send or receive documents

• Other (Specify): Cell phone, pager, copier

  
  

Computer Software and Operating Systems:

• Utilize computer spreadsheet (Excel) to input, format, and edit data and save, print, or transmit data

• Utilize computer word processing (Word) to input, format, and edit documents and save, print, or transmit documents

• Utilize internet/ e-mail to access, compose, send, retrieve, save, print, or transmit documents, or data files or electronic communication

• Operate personal computer with Windows operating system to start programs, input, format, and edit data files and print or transmit data.

• State or Federal Regulations or Laws (List by Name): Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Chafee Foster Care

• Agency Policies or Procedures (List by Name): HRDC policies and procedures, knowledge of Blueprint program policies, and procedures

• Specialized Professional or Industry Guidelines/Standards: Fair Housing Regulations

  
  

Drivers Licenses Required for Performing this Position:

• Montana Class D Driver License and appropriate insurance

  
  

Professional Licenses or Certifications Required by Law, Rule or Regulation for Performing this Position:

• None

  
  

Licenses or Certifications That Would Be Useful but Are Not Required:

• First Aid and CPR, Trauma-Informed Care, Conflict De-escalation, Suicide Prevention, Motivational Interviewing

  
  

Other Required Knowledge, Skills or Abilities:

• Ability to effectively work and communicate with a wide range of individuals from all socio-economic groups

• Ability to read, interpret and implement documents such as governmental regulations, rules, and procedure manuals

• Ability work with minimal supervision and effectively manage workflow

• Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints from customers or claimants.

• Demonstrate ability to work well with service agencies and residents

• Show initiative in keeping the assigned rental complex in a good, clean appearance,

• Ability to prepare and present clear and accurate records and reports in a timely manner

• Ability to handle difficult situations in a calm and professional manner

  
  

Essential Physical, Mental and Emotional Requirements of this Position:

The following physical, mental and emotional abilities are considered essential to perform the duties listed above:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk and hear.

• The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 80 pounds.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

• The incumbent must be able to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, must be able to work under time and/or deadline pressures.

  
  

Education and Experience:

Education: The following course(s) of study or classwork usually provides the required knowledge skills and abilities to perform the duties of this position:

• Completion of High School Diploma or equivalent

• Bachelor’s/Associate’s degree in Social Services, Public Health or related field from a college or university or equivalent is preferred

  
  

Experience: The following kinds of experience usually provide the required knowledge skills and abilities to perform the duties of this position:

• At least one year of experience in case management or a related field required

• Two years of experience in this field preferred

• Experience in maintaining records and reports required

• Basic awareness and understanding of the impact of trauma on human development

  
  

Section III - Supervision

Supervision Received:

• Works under the direct supervision of the Blueprint Transitional Housing Coordinator that assigns and checks work and sets the timing and the sequence of work.

  
  

This position supervises the following position(s):

• None

  
  

This position has the following supervisory responsibilities:

• None

  
  

Section IV - Decisions

Impact of Decisions and Errors Made by Position:

• Decisions, final recommendations, and/or errors primarily affect only this program and may directly affect the provision of timely, accurate, and/or acceptable services to clients.

  
  

Judgment Required to Make Decisions:

• Requires judgment to solve day-to-day problems, but usually within established procedures, guidelines, and precedents

  
  

Section V - Financial Responsibility

• This position has no financial responsibility.

  
  

This position is authorized to sign the following documents and forms:

• None

  
  

Section VI - Personal Contacts

The incumbent is responsible for the following personal contacts (either in oral or written form) when performing the Duties and Responsibilities of the Position:

• Daily contact and interaction with tenants

• Weekly contact and interaction with supervisor

  
  

Confidentiality:

• The incumbent works with confidential data. Effect of disclosure confined to one program.

  
  

Section VII - Working Conditions

The incumbent is exposed to the following unusual, potentially hazardous, or unpleasant working conditions:

• Works in a temperature-controlled office environment

• Weekly or more frequent operation of a motor vehicle under all weather conditions

• Weekly or more frequent exposure to angry clients

• Weekly or more frequent exposure to unpleasant substances, odors, or noises

• Occasional state travel is required for training