Job Description

Salary Range: $20.41 - $22.22 per hour

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Schedule: Full-time; Tuesday - Saturday; 6:30AM - 2:30PM

Homelessness is a public health, social and racial justice issue!

Since 1984, St. Francis House has committed itself to healing the wounds of those impacted by an inequitable society and breaking down the barriers, including systemic racism that prevent all people from living lives of dignity.

St. Francis House is the State’s largest provider of day services supporting people who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness. Located in the heart of downtown Boston, we compassionately welcome nearly 500+ adults through our doors every day who are seeking a safe and dignified refuge and opportunities to rebuild their lives. Our holistic approach allows us to deepen our impact by offering integrated programing that helps our guests achieve stability in the areas of housing, income, and behavioral health. Joining our team would provide you a dynamic opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team of providers dedicated to solving this public health crisis.

We offer an extensive Benefits package! Up to 90% of individual insurance premiums paid for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care health insurance & Atlus dental insurance, 4 weeks of vacation and 13 holidays recognized per year, employer – paid life & disability insurance, a vested 403b retirement with 5% match, and much more!

Job Summary

Guest Engagements Liaisons (GELs) serve as front-line staff of the St. Francis House Day Shelter. GELs engage with guests through various in-reach activities and appropriately direct and connect guests to other support systems throughout SFH. GELs have a particular focus on guests who most often access refuge services such as shelter, meals, showers, clothing, etc., but are the least engaged in other recovery and readiness services. GELs work to encourage these guests to connect with more individualized and stabilizing services, such as housing, income, and behavioral health. GELs work collaboratively with all SFH programs and services to support guest needs.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain a welcoming, positive, inclusive, and respectful environment for all SFH guests.
• Orient and direct guests to all SFH programs and services, ensuring they can effectively navigate the building and understand all service options.
• Perform comprehensive enrollment and screening of all new guests and refer to internal supportive services, such as (Behavior Health) clinical and case management services, recovery resources, workforce development, and housing needs for homeless adults.
• Monitor and track guest usage of Day Shelter services, greeting and scanning at various entry points, and collaborating with CES team to ensure any service limitations or suspensions are enforced.
• Promote SFH services by posting and distributing brochures, pamphlets and other materials regarding services.
• Provide guests with information on other resources in the community.
• Document interactions with guests, incidents, alerts, etc. in the HMIS system ensuring all documentation is entered accurately and in a timely manner.
• Work collaboratively with other team members within the Guest Services Department to provide coverage and further engagement with guests as needed.
• Proactively communicate with teammates regarding hard to reach-guests presence in the building using public alert system and monitoring HMIS for any important updates.
• Facilitate recreational and group activities organized by the Guest Services Department.
• Collaborate with Guest Services Manager and senior members of the Day Shelter to monitor progress on special projects and provide feedback on agency priorities.
• Support special projects as identified by the agency and/or in response to citywide homeless initiatives.
• Work on a floating schedule to support Guest Services staff throughout the building.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Adhere to agency code of conduct.

Requirements

• Patience and compassion.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced and stressful environment.
• Ability to make connections and build relationships with people from a diverse and challenging background.
• Good communication skills both verbally and written.
• Knowledge of community resources for at-risk populations.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Excellent organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Flexibility to prioritize and switch tasks quickly.
• Leadership skills with a hands-on, lead-by-example work style.
• Strong work ethic and punctuality to work on schedule.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Education & Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Proficiency in English required.
• Bilingual in Spanish and/or Haitian Creole a plus.
• Further education in human services a plus.
• Experienced with Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, Outlook) and client database programs required.
• Experience working with adult homeless population preferred.
• Experience with de-escalation techniques or crisis intervention preferred.
• Lived experience with homelessness or recovery a plus.

Work Activity & Environment

• Weekend and holiday schedule hours are required. Work hours may change based on the needs of the program/department and/or agency.
• Able to handle prolonged periods of sitting at a desk, answering phone, waiting on people, working on a computer.
• Able to lift up to 10 pounds at times.
• Able to handle prolonged standing and moving throughout multi-level building.
• Able to operate computer and other office machinery, such as copy machine, computer printer, 2-way radio.

If you are ready to make a lasting impact in the lives of others, please complete our application process.

SFH is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fair and equitable employment practices and to fostering a workplace where all employees are respected, supported, and able to grow. In support of our mission, we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including those with lived experience of homelessness or recovery and those who have faced barriers to employment. We value the range of experiences and perspectives that strengthen our work in the community.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these duties.

This job description is subject to change and does not restrict management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.