Night Shelter Counselor - Per Diem - Boston Night Center

Mission Statement:

Bay Cove Human Services partners with people to overcome challenges and realize personal potential.
 

Job Summary:
The person in this role is responsible for creating a welcoming and safe place for homeless adults who are living on the street to come during the night hours so that they get respite from hazardous weather conditions.  The program offers a low threshold environment that is predicated on harm reduction.  The goal is to support safety and engagement of people who are reticent to utilize emergency shelters and/or work towards establishing permanent housing.  The staff person in this role will promote safety by offering respectful support and consistent application of policies and procedures established for the safety of each person served and all stakeholders of the Boston Night Center community.
This is a non-exempt position.

Essential Functions of Position:

Night Center Counselor Duties

• Facilitate access in a respectful, safe, and efficient manner to get all guests into the Night Center.
• Respond to all requests and emergencies in a manner that respectfully attends to the immediate concern.
• Intervenes with guests in a manner that de-escalates anxious, pressured or overtly worrisome behaviors and safety concerns.
• Communicates with on-site co-workers in real time through use of cell/push phone system in a manner that optimizes effective communication of any concerns and delivery of Night Center. 
• Provide care for guests and maintain safety by visual monitoring of all guests, conducting safety checks throughout the space, providing as needed escort off the 2nd floor, actively and Assists in set up and cleanup of all activities such as intake/access, personal belongings storage, food & meal serving, beverages, etc.
• Assists in all end of shift wrap up activities including assisting with all clean-up of space, trash removal, and arrangement of furniture and supplies to ensure readiness for Center Club opening each morning.
• Completes required documentation at intake, HMIS (Homeless Management Information System), incident reporting, etc. as required.
• Provides as needed monitoring of the area outside the program (parking lot, line in front of building, and area that trash is maintained) in order to optimize safety of guests, neighbors, and essential health standards.
• Assists guests in urgent need to secure shower, clothing, and medical interventions.
• Participates in weekly staff meetings and supervisions.
• Works collaboratively with all community partners including neighbors/abutters, Boston Police and other law enforcement personnel, Outreach Van staff, Boston Health Care for the Homeless staff, Pine Street Inn staff, Homeless Outreach Team members, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and other first responders,  and Bowker Street staff and members in a respectful and responsive manner. 
• Administers Narcan as needed to mitigate opiate overdose and fatalities.
• Follows plans and restrictions established by Boston Night Center leadership and team members.
• Follows all SafeServe practices to optimize the health and wellness of all guests.
• Adheres to universal precautions in all activities.
• Recognizes that the majority of guests have endured trauma and employs trauma informed care in all interactions. 
• Respond immediately to all medical and behavioral health emergencies appropriately (such as administering first aid, CPR, calling EMS/BEST, or first responders to address and resolve the situation.
• Maintains confidentiality of all guests and their circumstances except for those team members, collateral partners, and emergency first responders with a designated need to know.
• Other duties as assigned by Program Coordinator or his/her designee. 

Requirements of the Position:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Knowledge of modality specific issues, such as addiction, serious mental illness, and homelessness.
• CPR/First Aid Training
• Must stay current with any modality required training, including HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, Narcan, Servsafe, PREVENT, Harassment, etc.
• A COVID-19 vaccination is a requirement of the position. One COVID-19 shot is acceptable, contingent on the individual receiving the second shot within the allotted time frame.

Personal Characteristics:

• Ability to present calmly in pressured and crisis situations and be able to exercise sound judgment, and establish safe boundaries in order to effectively address guest concerns and/or respond to emergencies as they arise.

Physical Requirements:

The Physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
The employee may regularly be required to sit, stand, use hands, talk, hear, reach with arms, walk, climb stairs, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl or run.  The employee may regularly be required to move, by pushing, pulling or lifting up to 25 pounds.

Other Qualifications:

• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to follow and consistently implement policies and procedures of the program.
• Be able to work independently.
• Ability to perform assigned duties in a manner that promotes the dignity of each person served and optimizes safety for the BNC community
• Able to accept supervision and be part of a team.
• Ability to work in an effective and calm manner with people who are under significant personal stress. 
• Ability to respond physically to needs of the guests and all collaterals.

While performing the duties of this job the employee will be exposed to active substance use in the work environment.  Staff may be exposed to guests that bring traumatic personal histories and vulnerability.  The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.   Guest regularly present with long histories of trauma and complex physical and behavioral health disorders.   Given the persistent stresses experienced by guests, these men and women can sometimes present with uncertain, unpredictable, and potentially unsafe behaviors.