Company Overview & Mission

Columbus House opened its doors in 1982 to provide services for men and women at least 18 years of age. Our goals quickly broadened from the mere provision of food and shelter and simple survival, to understanding and working toward overcoming the problems which cause people to become homeless.

Columbus House, along with its core of loyal supporters, friends and volunteers, has remained committed to fulfilling its mission: "To serve people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, by providing shelter and housing and by fostering their personal growth and independence."

Purpose

Under the direction of the Manager of Emergency Services, the Resident Support Specialist registers and provides supervision, safety, organization, and program management support to all shelter residents, on-site Recovery Support Specialists and volunteers. The Resident Support Specialist networks with the greater New Haven shelters and social service system and collaborates with other Columbus House residential staff in order to provide an environment that reflects the core values of Trauma Informed Service: Safety, Trustworthiness, Choice, Collaboration and empowerment.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• This position involves supervising homeless adults in a residential setting.
• Individual must have demonstrated the ability to manage, motivate and direct clients; time management and organizational skills essential.
• Knowledge base of all aspects of the delivery of residential services for the homeless population preferred.
• Must be aware of mental health, substance abuse, and dual diagnosis issues.
• Knowledgeable of the area network providers.
• Computer literate and culturally competent.
• Must possess the capacity to work within a team and foster teamwork.
• Must have a general understanding of crisis intervention skills, confidentiality, boundaries, universal precautions; able to foster a Harm Reduction philosophy within the work environment; strong empathic skills.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

Duties

• Attend/share all required Columbus House and network meetings; complete all required charting, logs, incident reports; oversee intake, departures, and daily roster and programs.
• Supervise clients to ensure compliance with all house rules.
• Assist in ensuring security of the shelter building.
• Adhere closely to scheduled shift start times and remain on duty until replacement has arrived.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Supervised by: Emergency Services Manager

Pay Scale: $16.00/hr.

Schedule: All Shifts Available