Service Coordinator - Day Shift

Service Coordinator

We are looking for energized and passionate Service Coordinators to manage basic day-to-day operations at The Gateway. Service Coordinators are tasked delivering these critical survival services as part of a large team, all of whom are committed to serving our most vulnerable citizens.

Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Maintain order and communicate/enforce agency rules and policies.
• Intervene in client crises (medical, mental health, interpersonal).
• Initiate and maintain appropriate social interactions with clients.
• Monitor dorms, bathrooms and dayrooms to maintain safety and security of clients and premises.
• Consult with other staff and/or outside agencies as needed regarding client issues and needs.
• Provide information on social/health services and procedures (in-agency and outside agency) to clients.
• Refer clients needing more extensive services to specialized program staff or to outside services, when appropriate.
• Screen referrals from other agencies.
• Work with and support community volunteers who volunteer during shift.
• Actively participate in staff meetings and in-service trainings.
• Assist with the preparation, organization, serving and cleanup of food service scheduled during shift.
• Maintain order and cleanliness of work area.
• Recruit and supervise client volunteers for regular volunteer tasks.
• Work scheduled hours at shelter stations and/or milieu coverage and perform all duties of those areas.
• Monitor and ensure the return of all towels, blankets and other DESC property issued to clients.
• Register clients and document services provided during shift hours, in accordance with established procedures.
• Monitor day rest clients.
• Assist with transition from nighttime shelter to day program activities, such as morning cleanup.
• Observe client behaviors in the area surrounding the shelter, and intervene when necessary to discourage loitering, fighting, use or sale of drugs and alcohol, and other uncivil or illegal behaviors.
• Provide assistance to homeless people and others who are experiencing crises caused by mental illness and/or excessive drug/alcohol consumption.
• Provide information about and referral to other services available in the community to homeless people and others in need.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications include:

• Basic understanding of homelessness and various characteristics of homeless adult populations.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds and disciplines.
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behavior.
• Subscribe to philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs, and of consideration and respect for clients.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Experience with the challenges of mental illness and substance use.

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 the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to sit, communicate with other employees, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 40 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

DESC is committed to diversity in the workplace and promotes equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The Agency will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, caste, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any employment practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification. Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.