Street Light/Porch Light Shelter - Substitute Care and Support Specialist

## Description **Positions Summary:** The Care and Support Specialist is responsible for maintaining a clean, safe, comfortable and respectful environment for up to 70 transition homeless youth (16-24 years of age). This position oversees the safe operation of the homeless youth shelter facility and provides individual client response, including supervision of daily and nightly routines; interpretation and guidance regarding program agreements; crisis intervention; and close supervision of the shelter milieu. The primary responsibility of this position is providing a safe, comfortable environment for homeless youth to sleep, rest, eat and tend to their basic hygiene needs. Street Light/Porch Light Shelters are AFSCME union programs. **Education and Experience Requirements:** - Prior experience working with high-risk youth and people experiencing homelessness is preferred. - Knowledge of trauma and trauma’s impact on homeless/street dependent youth is preferred. - Bachelor degree in related field or equivalent education, experience and training that demonstrates knowledge and ability necessary to successfully perform job duties and responsibilities is preferred. - Spanish speaking preferred. **Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:** - Ability to work effectively in the following areas: Cultural diversity, team-based models; crisis management; systematic theory; Positive Youth Development approach; and adolescent development. Ability to work effectively may be demonstrated through academic experience, job experience, references, and interview answers. - Genuine concern for young people and the ability to treat all people with dignity and respect, and openness to learning and implementing a Positive Youth Development approach to youth work. - Must value working in a multicultural/diverse environment. - A commitment to ongoing training and a willingness to receive and act upon feedback. - Ability to climb and descend at least two flights of stairs. - Ability to stay awake and alert throughout entire assigned shift (which are approximately 13 hours). - Ability to participate in and complete frequent facility walk-throughs as part of contract requirements while on shift. - Ability to accurately read, record, and interpret information and maintain paper and computerized information. - Ability to use a computer with basic computer literacy in Word, Excel, Zoom and Google Gmail/Docs, as well as the ability to access, enter, and update data into web-based systems (ie: timesheets). - Ability to provide visual and auditory supervision of program and youth. - Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with a broad variety of people, including staff, supervisors and management. - Ability to effectively monitor safety and demonstrate group management skills, as well as effectively de-escalate potentially chaotic or volatile situations. This includes the ability to stay calm and emotionally available in an intimate residential environment serving highly traumatized youth experiencing homelessness, mental health symptoms and chronic alcohol/drug abuse. - Ability to exercise tact, independent discretion and judgment within program guidelines in working with a variety of people. - Ability to work effectively in a team-based environment and to act on the agenda of the program. - Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries in working with others and in handling confidential information. - Ability to attend scheduled shift, be punctual for scheduled shift and meetings, and be in a condition that ensures staff are able to assume responsibilities of position. - Ability to problem solve, exercise independent judgment within program guidelines, and respond to crisis situations. - Manual dexterity and physical capability to perform functions considered routine in a shelter environment, such as bend, stoop, kneel, reach, lift up to 20 lbs. (including overhead), and perform routine office tasks such as writing, phone use, fi…