On Call Residential Counselor

Job Title: On-Call Residential Counselor

Reports to: Senior Residential Manager

Since 1971, Raphael House has been at the forefront of providing homeless and low-income families in the San Francisco Bay Area the personalized family-centered solutions they need to build brighter futures. Raphael House is a 100% privately funded and community-supported organization. Our success rate is unmatched: more than 85% of all Raphael House families go on to achieve long-term housing and financial stability.

Our Team:

Diverse, caring, and creative, Raphael House's staff are skilled thinkers and problem solvers, and they're always willing to roll up their sleeves to get the job done. Raphael House employees are inspired by the organization's mission both professionally and personally, and each is developed as a collaborative leader and crucial contributor to strengthening families in the community.

The Residential Shelter Program provides nourishing and respectful structure to families who have experienced homelessness. We tailor services for each family to provide them with the necessary support, education, and skills to assist them in obtaining housing, employment and self-sufficiency. Families work directly with case workers and residential program staff to address individual barriers to housing in order to develop a long-term plan for success. Residential Counselors provide assistance for the orderly activity and progress of the residents through the routine at Raphael House. Residential Counselors are responsible for maintaining a calm and appropriate atmosphere in Raphael House.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

On-Call Residential Counselors work 7.5 hour shifts covering residential floors (6:30am—2:30pm and 2:30pm—10:30pm) and agency reception area (6:00am—2:00pm and 2:00pm—10:00pm) when regular staff is not available.

When on Residential Floors :

• Maintain security and peacefulness of all three Residential floors
• Assist families in following the established program (i.e. program policies and procedures) with clear expectations at a reasonable pace and in accordance with their own ability
• Participate in departmental, supervision, and support meetings to further the implementation of the program
• Accurately record each family’s progress in accordance with the program, daily and nightly
• Know what constitutes formal Incident and Accident Reporting and complete all paperwork and direct communications within expected timeframes
• Proactively maintain additional communication with Case Managers regarding client functioning
• Prepare residential rooms and efficiently lead families through intakes and departures
• Participate in Case Plan Meetings as schedule permits
• Assist families in attending all program-related activities throughout the day
• Keep an accurate, running headcount of residents each shift
• Remain vigilant to the needs of residents
• Ensure that all children present in the house are constructively engaged in either staff-supervised activities or in the care of their parent/caregiver
• Support with evening activities for children and families
• Assist families in following the Monthly Extermination Procedure
• Complete security rounds of residential areas
• Keep residential areas clean and presentable
• Lead and implement program policies and procedures in a calm, non-judgmental, and respectful manner
• Respond to crisis in a timely manner to maintain the peace and safety of the household
• Complete daily duties and projects in a timely and organized fashion
• Be knowledgeable of and follow security procedures at all times
• Be familiar with fire and earthquake evacuation and general emergency procedures
• Other duties as assigned

When at Reception Desk :

• Master use of the phone system, voicemail, and intercoms
• Follow health and safety protocols
• Notify appropriate staff about visitors and deliveries
• Provide callers information about Raphael House and assist with referrals to other agencies
• Ensure that the main entrance is secure and peaceful
• Complete incident reports and distribute to program staff working with the family, the Senior Residential Manager, Residential Manager, and Director of Family Services
• Refer residential situations to the floor counselor. In the absence of the floor counselor, handle residential situations discreetly
• Know how to activate and deactivate the alarm system
• Be knowledgeable of and always follow security procedures
• Be familiar with fire and earthquake evacuation and general emergency procedures
• Keep reception area clean and presentable
• Perform various clerical duties such as record keeping, document copying, faxing, mail sorting, etc.
• Make accurate log entries on clients entering/exiting the building or program issues
• Other duties as assigned

Raphael House Professional Conduct:

• Be thoroughly knowledgeable of the mission and operating principles of Raphael House
• Fairly and consistently uphold program policies and procedures.
• Provide excellent client-facing service by being approachable, respectful, warm, empathetic, and calm under pressure.
• Operate from a trauma-informed perspective, understanding that lived experiences shape us and all individuals have their own story, strengths, and challenges.
• Respectful communication towards all community members, including staff and clients, is expected.
• Value and support work within a multidisciplinary team and work cooperatively with all staff and departments to meet family needs. Effectively communicate with volunteers, families, children, fellow staff members, business representatives, and donors.
• Establish and maintain healthy professional boundaries with families while building trusting relationships.
• Uphold the highest level of client confidentiality. Be sensitive to privacy and personal dignity when involved in conversation with residents and staff.
• Follow agency and state law procedures, including reporting suspected child and elder abuse.
• Be dependable, adaptable, receptive to change, willing to learn, and take a cooperative and creative approach to problem-solving.
• Attend staff meetings and staff training as scheduled.
• Provide active, positive supervision of all residents, modeling appropriate and neighborly behavior through honesty, maturity and respect.
• Acknowledge that challenges will exist and see those challenges as potential learning opportunities for the caregiver and their family to work through. Commit to establishing a strong partnership with the family in order to help the family overcome said challenges and obstacles.
• Operate with cultural humility and respect for all, and commit to working positively with staff and clients with different backgrounds and lived experiences.
• Show genuine care and compassion for those we serve with an ability to treat residents with dignity and respect in all situations.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a social service-related field preferred. In lieu of a Bachelor’s Degree, relevant work experience will be considered
• 2 years residential program experience preferred
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred
• Experience working with families experiencing homelessness preferred
• Experience working with mental health related issues, substance abuse, domestic violence, Child Protective Service agencies, and crisis intervention techniques
• Able to work a flexible schedule, including weekends, early mornings, and late nights
• Able to be flexible with working in a shared office space, as office spaces are limited or as needed for onboarding of other staff, interns, and volunteers
• Ability to follow supervisor’s directions as well as work independently and exercise sound judgement
• Strong de-escalation and conflict resolution skills
• Able to prioritize and manage time appropriately
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Flexibility and willingness to perform a variety of duties and projects, ensuring the smooth operation of the household and all programs
• Ability to lift and move furniture up to 50 lbs
• Ability to assist with moderate to heavy cleaning and work with various cleaning products
• This position is required to work on the computer for several hours per day. Able to navigate the Windows operating system and use Word, Excel, Google Suite Applications (Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Drive, Docs, Sheets, etc.), Adobe Acrobat, etc.

This organization is an equal opportunity employer, drug-free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

All applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, ancestry, physical/mental disability, medical condition, military/veteran status, genetic information, marital status, ethnicity, alienage or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Equal access to programs, services, and employment is available to all qualified persons. Those applicants requiring accommodation to complete the application and/or interview process should contact a management representative.

Pay: $27.00 - $29.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• Flexible spending account
• Paid sick time

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Application Question(s):

• This position is on call and requires flexibility, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and occasional short-notice shifts. Please describe your availability and how you manage being responsive to on-call work. What does “flexible availability” look like for you in practice?
• This role requires maintaining safety, structure, and professionalism while building trust with families in a residential setting. Please share an example of how you balance enforcing rules or policies with being respectful, empathetic, and non-judgmental. How do you maintain appropriate professional boundaries in this kind of work?

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• San Francisco, CA 94109 (Required)

Work Location: In person