Program Support Staff (IW Women's Center at Taft)

Since 1972, Interfaith Works (IW) has been meeting people where they are regardless of their challenges. We provide emergency shelter, supportive housing, essential needs, and employment programs to over 35,000 Montgomery County, MD, residents each year. Our mission is to support our neighbors by providing vital services and a pathway to greater stability.

About the role

The Program Support Staff (PSS) is responsible for supervising the day-to-day program activities to ensure safety and compliance with program guidelines. Under the direction of the management team, the PSS implements procedures as needed, monitors medication, and communicates activities using the communication log. The PSS is accountable for persons entering or exiting the program during their shift, including volunteers, visitors, and other service providers, and must provide excellent customer service to all individuals.

Responsibilities

• Provide excellent customer service by treating everyone with dignity and respect.
• Report to work on time and discuss previous shift events with outgoing staff; read all log notes dating back to the previous shift.
• Monitor program-related activities, including signing in/out of the program, medication consumption, meals, chores, and laundry.
• Provide a welcoming, supportive, and caring environment to program attendees.
• Ensure proper documentation of daily activities, including incident reports and grievances.
• Ensure quality service to all consumers and supporters.
• Ensure safety of the program by conducting room searches.
• Follow Harm Reduction tools and guidelines to help individuals stay safe.
• Implement crisis intervention procedures when needed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all individuals, including calling 911 and/or the crisis center.
• Greet, direct, and provide support to volunteers providing dinner and other supplies.
• Assume responsibility for heating up and serving dinner in the absence of volunteers.
• Attend and participate in mandatory staff meetings and trainings as required by contract.
• Ensure proper communication by clearly documenting all events and incidents in the log.
• Demonstrate cultural humility and sensitivity.
• Perform other duties as required.

Requirements

• Minimum of a High School diploma with at least two years of experience working in any service delivery field, preferably in the social service field.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to listen well and refer guests/residents to appropriate resources.
• Ability to document important behavior.
• Ability to work as a team member.
• Proficient with word processors, search engines, and other computer programs.
• Ability to interact well with volunteers and other visitors to the program (able to answer questions).
• Ability to recognize psychiatric or medical emergencies and contact the proper resource.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

• Regularly required to talk or hear.
• Frequently required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms.
• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

Benefits

• 14 paid holidays and 21 days of PTO.
• For full-time employees (30+ hours per week): subsidized medical, dental, and vision costs for employees and their families.
• Employer-paid long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and AD&D insurance.
• Optional supplemental benefits, including short-term disability insurance, critical illness insurance, and more (fully portable).
• All employees, regardless of full- or part-time status, have access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at no cost.

Pay

$21 per hour