Residential Counselor Hypothermia Prevention Program

Cornerstones; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

Cornerstones seeks a Temporary Residential Counselor to support the Hypothermia Prevention Program from December 1 through April 1. The role involves welcoming shelter guests, coordinating volunteers, and maintaining documentation for safety and program integrity.

Responsibilities include opening/closing the site, monitoring guest counts, assisting donors, and ensuring the shelter remains clean and organized. CPR/First Aid and Mandt training are preferred, with bilingual ability a plus.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma required and relevant training preferred.
• Experience working with vulnerable individuals including mental health/substance use is required.
• Mandt or similar de-escalation technique certification is preferred; CPR/First Aid certification desired.

Responsibilities

• Open and close Hypothermia shelter site each day.
• Greet visitors and assist donors with food donations and forms.
• Provide orientation to new shelter guests for smoother adaptation.
• Monitor participant count and maintain shift logs and fire watch records.
• Coordinate with volunteers and staff to ensure safety, cleanliness and supplies.
• Respond to incidents with crisis intervention and communicate with supervisor as needed.

Skills

Empathy

Crisis intervention

Bilingual English/Spanish

Documentation

Interpersonal skills

Teamwork

Customer service

MS Outlook

MS Word

MS Excel

Education

High School Diploma

Tools

MS Outlook

MS Word

MS Excel

Job description

Descriptive SummaryThe Temporary Residential Counselor (RC) for the Hypothermia Prevention Program is responsible for safe and efficient operation of the program from December 1st through April 1st. The Residential Counselor works as a team on the shift. The Residential Counselor bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that all the essential responsibilities for shelter operations are conducted during the shift and that services are equitable and delivered with integrity in accordance with the Agency Mission, Vision, and Values. Residential Counselor evaluates and provides for the individual needs of each shelter guest, maintaining the dignity and confidentiality of all guests, staff, and volunteers. The Residential Counselor must have strong interpersonal and motivational skills. In addition, they must possess a patient, trauma-informed approach to service delivery. RC coordinates and assists volunteers in the performance of their responsibilities and maintaining accurate and detailed documentation. In addition to working with shelter guests and volunteers, the Residential Counselor is responsible for assisting donors and community members with food donations. and has the ability to use one's lived personal experience of housing instability to help assess system barriers is a plus.Key Performance IndicatorsOpens and closes the Hypothermia site each day.Sets up coffee and food serving area daily.Receives food donations and assist donors in completing the donation form.Greet visitors and answers phone in a welcoming and engaging manner.Interacts with Hypothermia shelter guests in a positive and respectful manner.Provides orientation to new Hypothermia shelter guests to facilitate adaption to the shelter environment.Monitors and maintains participant count throughout entire shift.Completes a walk through every hour and documents in the Fire Watch logbook.Passes out mats once the floors have been swept and mopped.Organizes and passes out sleeping bags and blankets.Cleans and organizes supply, mat, and sleeping bag closet.Keeps kitchen and Hypothermia area clean at all times.Completes shift documentation including, but not limited to: shift notes, changeover updates, and perimeter checks.Notifies supervisor of any critical incidents and completes Critical Incident Report prior at the end of shift.Establishes and maintains a working and residential environment that promotes mutual respect between staff members, participants, volunteers and community.Conduct after-hours intakes as needed.Provide support, problem resolution, and emergency crisis intervention and stabilization services for shelter guests.Reads email, shift logs, service suspensions, incident reports, etc. during shift in order to remain up to date.Communicates with program staff regarding participant and residential concerns.Ensures that all documentation and shift responsibilities are completed prior to leaving the facility.Attend required staff meetings, retreats, and trainings.Position requires frequent physical activity including unloading and stocking donations, distributing supplies, doing laundry, organizing, completing grounds checks and dorm checks.Overnight positions are awake positions and require staff on duty are alert and responsive throughout the entire shift.Serves as essential staff during inclement weather and other emergencies.Must be available for required training.May be deployed to work Residential Counselor positions at the Embry Rucker Community Shelter (ERCS) as needed.Performs any other duties deemed necessary to support the program and agency.Supervisory Responsibilities:This role has no supervisory responsibilitiesShifts Available:5:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.5:00 p.m.-11:30 p.m.11:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m.11:30 p.m.-7:30 a.m.-Last ½ hour to be completed at the Embry Rucker Community Shelter to help the front desk due to the extra shelter guests for breakfast.Must commit to a minimum of 2 shifts per week.Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)High School Diploma.Certification in Mandt or similar technique.CPR and First Aid Certification.Bilingual in Spanish and English a plus.Experience working with vulnerable individuals including people with mental health and/or substance abuse disabilities is required.Experience with Microsoft programs including Outlook, Word, and Excel.Ability to learn, process information, prioritize competing priorities and make sound and reasoned decisions in a fast-paced environment.Ability to complete tasks while navigating frequent interruptions.Effective verbal and written communication skills with staff, clients, volunteers.Excellent organizational and time management skills.Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.Strong customer service and interpersonal skills.Detail-oriented, with strong attention to follow-through.Ability to work collaboratively with others and as a member of a team.Must be detailed, flexible, and able to work accurately under pressure and meet deadlines.Must be responsible, dependable, and display the highest level of integrity.Work Environment:This position is performed in a shelter environment and is essential personnel.An Equal Opportunity Employer.Physical RequirementsThe physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.Prolonged sitting and a desk and working on a computer.Regular in person interaction with the public, clients, and stakeholders.Handle or feel objects, tools, or controls.Ability to lift and carry up to 20 poundsOccasional navigation of stairs, ramps, ladders.Noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate