Overnight Safety Ambassador

Job Description

Job Description

Summary

The Safety Ambassador promotes a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment at assigned SMRS Health Hubs and Drop-In Services locations and within designated surrounding areas. Through relationship-building, proactive engagement, and early intervention, the position supports community safety, reduces conflict, and promotes peaceful coexistence. Safety Ambassadors play a critical role in overdose prevention and response by recognizing when someone may be at risk, intervening early, and responding to overdoses, medical emergencies, behavioral crises, and other safety concerns in accordance with training and established procedures. The position works closely with Drop-In Services, Supportive Services, co-located partners, and the surrounding community to address concerns, strengthen connections, and connect individuals with services and resources.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Maintain a visible, professional, and approachable presence within assigned interior, exterior, and designated surrounding areas while providing exceptional, uncompromising customer service.

2. Conduct routine safety, wellness, and overdose prevention rounds, including assigned restroom checks, to identify individuals who may need assistance, signs of a potential overdose or medical emergency, safety concerns, and other conditions requiring attention.

3. Engage participants and community members respectfully and proactively to build relationships, address concerns early, reduce conflict, and promote peaceful coexistence within program locations and the surrounding community.

4. Support overdose prevention by engaging individuals who may be at risk, providing approved overdose prevention information and resources, helping ensure naloxone is readily available, and connecting individuals with available services and support.

5. Recognize and respond to suspected overdoses and other medical emergencies within the scope of training and established procedures, including administering naloxone, providing rescue breathing/CPR as indicated, activating 911, and supporting post-overdose monitoring and follow-up in coordination with program staff and emergency responders.

6. Use trauma-informed, non-confrontational de-escalation, crisis intervention, and conflict-resolution techniques to address concerns, behavioral crises, conflicts, and other challenging situations while prioritizing safety and dignity.

7. Work closely with Drop-In Services, Supportive Services, co-located providers, and other partners to address participant needs and safety concerns, facilitate warm handoffs and service connections, and coordinate responses to emerging issues.

8. Monitor entrances, exits, common areas, participant and visitor activity, and other assigned areas and identify and report safety hazards, concerning conditions, threats, damaged equipment, blocked emergency access, and other conditions requiring attention.

9. Respond promptly to critical incidents, including behavioral health emergencies, fights, threats, fires, and other safety concerns, in accordance with training and established emergency procedures.

10. Support established emergency procedures, including evacuations, shelter-in-place procedures, management of large gatherings, maintaining safe access and egress, and facilitating access for emergency responders.

11. Communicate promptly with program staff, leadership, co-located partners, and emergency responders regarding significant participant, community, safety, and operational concerns, including information needed to support coordinated responses and effective shift transitions.

12. Complete required incident reports within 24 hours of occurrence and maintain accurate documentation of safety, wellness and overdose prevention rounds, shift activities, and other required information.

13. Support effective shift transitions by communicating significant participant, community, safety, facility, and operational information to incoming staff and program leadership.

14. Appropriately use and maintain assigned keys, access cards, radios, safety monitoring systems, and other safety and communication equipment in accordance with established procedures.

15. Model professional boundaries, confidentiality, teamwork, cultural humility, and respectful engagement. Follow Agency policies and procedures, participate in required meetings, supervision, training, emergency drills, and incident reviews, and perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

1. High school diploma or equivalent preferred. Relevant experience and demonstrated ability to perform the responsibilities of the position may be considered in lieu of formal education or traditional work experience.

2. Minimum of one year of experience in homeless services, community-based safety, social services, behavioral health, healthcare, residential or substance use treatment, or a similar setting preferred.

3. Experience working directly with people experiencing homelessness, substance use, behavioral health concerns, or other complex service needs preferred.

4. Experience with community engagement, de-escalation, crisis intervention, overdose prevention and response, or similar community-based work preferred.

5. Relevant lived experience and demonstrated understanding of the communities served are highly valued.

Language and Communication Skills

1. Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

2. Ability to communicate respectfully, calmly, and effectively with participants, community members, staff, partner agencies, visitors, and emergency responders, including during stressful or emergency situations.

3. Ability to build rapport and communicate effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and with varying needs and experiences.

4. Ability to prepare clear, accurate, objective, and timely incident reports, shift reports, and other required documentation.

Other Requirements

1. CPR and First Aid certification, or ability to obtain and maintain certification as required by the Agency.

2. Valid government-issued picture identification.

3. Ability to provide exceptional, uncompromising customer service and engage participants, community members, visitors, partners, and colleagues with professionalism, dignity, respect, patience, and a welcoming approach.

4. Ability to remain calm, professional, observant, and responsive during overdoses, medical emergencies, behavioral crises, conflicts, and other challenging situations.

5. Ability and willingness to complete required training in overdose prevention and response, including overdose recognition, naloxone administration, rescue breathing/CPR, activation of 911, de-escalation, crisis intervention, conflict resolution, and other Agency-required safety procedures.

6. Ability to work independently and as part of a team, exercise sound judgment, and adapt to changing participant, community, safety, and program needs in a fast-paced, participant-centered, low-barrier environment.

7. Availability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, overnight shifts, weekends, and holidays as needed.

8. Ability to work indoors and outdoors in varying environmental conditions, conduct regular rounds within assigned facilities and designated surrounding areas, and travel between assigned program locations when required.

9. Basic computer skills and ability to learn and use required electronic documentation, incident reporting, safety monitoring, and communication systems, including radios and CCTV equipment.

10. Ability to stand and walk for extended periods; sit, bend, kneel, reach, climb stairs, and move throughout assigned areas; regularly lift and move up to 20 pounds and occasionally up to 40 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Social Model Recovery Systems (a non-profit 501(c)3 California corporation) provides direct treatment services (at 11 locations in Los Angeles County) for those whose lives have become unmanageable due to alcohol and other drug use and/or whose mental health issues are interfering with leading productive lives. Thousands of individuals have found help in our programs since 1987. We know that ultimately recovery is a personal choice, but we here at Social Model Recovery Systems are here to assist you in your steps to a healthier lifestyle.

Social Model Recovery Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Company Description

Social Model Recovery Systems (a non-profit 501(c)3 California corporation) provides direct treatment services (at 11 locations in Los Angeles County) for those whose lives have become unmanageable due to alcohol and other drug use and/or whose mental health issues are interfering with leading productive lives. Thousands of individuals have found help in our programs since 1987. We know that ultimately recovery is a personal choice, but we here at Social Model Recovery Systems are here to assist you in your steps to a healthier lifestyle.\r\n\r\nSocial Model Recovery Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer.