Milieu Counselor

About the role

Recognized nationally as an innovator and leader in developing solutions to homelessness, DESC is a social services organization, supportive housing operator, and licensed behavioral health treatment provider focused on meeting the needs of people experiencing long-term homelessness and living with complex behavioral health and other medical conditions. Approximately 3,000 people are actively receiving services from DESC at any given point in time. Our vision is a community where all people are shown compassion, treated with dignity, and everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.

Clover Place will be a new DESC housing site that will include 95 units of affordable housing in Seattle's Woodland neighborhood. This vital project will provide stable, supportive housing and 24/7 on-site services for single adults living with disabilities and experiencing chronic homelessness.

Responsibilities

The Milieu Counselor is a key member of the on-site team, responsible for cultivating a safe, therapeutic, and welcoming environment for residents, internal/external stakeholders, and emergency responders. This role is centered on proactive resident engagement, building a sense of community, and providing direct support in shared and private living spaces.

• Participate in shift briefs and read logs before the start of each shift daily
• Provide front desk coverage when needed
• Distribute client medication and serve food on shift
• Assertively engage residents in the general milieu and common areas
• Create a healthy and welcoming environment for residents which includes maintaining the general cleanliness of grounds and common areas
• Maintain safety and security by monitoring all general access areas and enforcing project rules
• Assist residents in maintaining their housing and a healthy living environment, through proactive engagement and hands on in unit support as needed
• Documenting in housing service notes and UECL in Chasers
• Participate in consumer feedback activities and meetings to ensure the client voice is integrated into program operations
• Proactively intervene in crises using de-escalation skills, respond to emergencies, and initiate action as required
• Write significant events involving residents and building operations activities in a daily log; read log daily
• Assist with unit turnovers, new resident leasing and orientation; rent collection and facilities inspections
• Respond to resident complaints in a manner consistent with DESC values
• Work cooperatively with staff at the project and with visiting providers and/or emergency responders when on site
• Escort emergency responders and/or outside vendors/providers through the building when on site
• Initiate maintenance repairs by submitting work orders when noticed
• Assist with new tenant moves ins
• Participate in staff meetings and trainings
• Responding to in unit emergencies, water shut off, remediation, and cleanup after significant events
• Assist with maintaining a hygienic living environment including but limited to participating with in unit prep for pest inspections, and trash room clean up while on shift
• Assist with grounds & common area upkeep. Ensuring cleanliness and safety of hallways, laundry rooms, lobbies, and outdoor areas
• Assist with other property management functions as assigned by the site Project Manager or designated leadership team member

Requirements

The following are the minimum qualifications for this role:

• Ability to meet Washington Department of Health requirements for registration as a Registered Agency Affiliated Counselor (AAC) or any other superseding credential
• Basic understanding of homelessness and various characteristics of homeless adult population
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behaviors
• Subscription to philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for clients

The following are the preferred qualifications for this role:

• BA degree in social or behavioral science
• Residential property management experience
• Experience with the challenges of mental illness and substance use
• Ability to drive an agency or personal vehicle to conduct agency related business, which requires a current Washington State driver's license and insurable driving record

Physical Demands

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, lift and carry items weighing up to 40 pounds, and 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.

Pay

The salary for this role is $32.72 - $36.12 per hour.

Schedule

This is a full-time position, working nights (11:30pm - 8am) with days off on Sunday and Monday. A shift differential of $1.00 per hour is provided.

Benefits

The following benefits are provided:

• Insurance Benefits: Dental, Life, Long-term Disability, Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage)
• Other Benefits: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan