Job Title: Resident Advocate (RA)
Department: Transitional Housing
Reports To: Director of Transitional Housing
FLSA Status: Non-exempt
Pay Rate: $18 per hour
Shift Times: Sunday-Thursday - 3pm-11pm
Approved Date: July 17, 2026
SUMMARY: Resident Advocates (RAs) at SAMMinistries’ Transitional Living and Learning Center (TLLC) serve to provide guidance and support to residents on a day-to-day basis. RAs are front-line, client-facing staff who assist residents with meeting immediate needs, addressing concerns, and helping ensure their safety. RAs also ensure the safety and security of visitors and volunteers while helping to promote a welcoming environment. RA’s ensure compliance with policies, procedures, and protocols of the facility and the organization overall. The selected candidate for this role will also be expected to perform daily environmental scans of the building to ensure cleanliness, track activities of visitors, volunteers, and residents, as well as communicate effectively to the team. RAs will engage in providing guidance and teaching life skills to residents. The TLLC serves families who are experiencing homelessness, who may be survivors of domestic violence, and who have experienced many forms of trauma. As a team, TLLC staff support families as they work toward permanent housing in two main capacities: forward thinking, and present-day thinking.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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Complete daily rounds of the building and accurately record findings including reporting immediate concerns in the TLLC Activity Report.
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Ensure compliance and quality assurance through routine review and maintenance of logs, files, and reports.
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Collect and forward all incident reports to the SAMMinistries management team.
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Provide coverage of the TLLC Front Desk, monitor security cameras, respond immediately to calls, and take appropriate action in coordination with TLLC Staff and Leadership.
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Respond to visitors, volunteers and residents’ requests, complaints, and inquiries.
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Ensure that only authorized individuals gain entry to the facility, and maintain privacy and anonymity of families residing at the TLLC.
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Recognize and respond to any significant changes in resident behavior or demeanor and document in the TLLC Activity Report, communicate with the TLLC Leadership, case management team, and other appropriate professionals, as necessary
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Maintain an adequate inventory of supplies and distribute to residents as per the TLLC Point System Policy.
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Conduct room, pantry, and campus health and welfare checks weekly or as needed.
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Assist in ensuring that all residents are aware of all emergency procedures (fire, tornado, and other emergencies).
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Use trauma-informed skills to teach and provide demonstration of chores, cooking, laundry, and other daily life skills with residents.
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Conduct orientation and assemble welcome baskets for new residents.
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Receive donation and provide donor receipts; organize and store donations as needed.
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Establish goals, priorities and timelines on a regular basis, ensuring timely and efficient management and completion of all tasks.
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Communicate challenges with the Director of Transitional Housing and/or the Vice President of Supportive Housing.
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Attend staff meetings and participate in organization-wide planning activities.
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Handle other tasks assigned by the Director of Transitional Housing and/or the Vice President of Supportive Housing.Undertake all activities with the highest ethical standards.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
Associate’s degree in social service, Community Health Worker Certification, experience in a related field or three years work experience or equivalent combination of education and experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness and mental illness.
OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
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Knowledge in community-based programs
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Ability to gain working knowledge of SAMMinistries’ policies and procedures
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Ability to act as a representative of SAMMinistries to the public
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Ability to effectively communicate with individuals from diverse backgrounds
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Ability to prepare and maintain accurate records
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Ability to use Trauma Informed Care techniques
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Ability to operate and work effectively in Microsoft Office programs
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Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
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Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form
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Ability to professionally handle crisis situations
LANGUAGE SKILLS
Bilingual (English/Spanish) is preferred.
REASONING ABILITY
Must be sensitive to the dynamics associated with individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Must be able to react swiftly and effectively to crisis situations. Must possess good conflict resolution skills. Logic and ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
Valid Driver's License. Successfully obtain a Community Health Worker (CHW) Certification within the first 180 days of hire. Successful completion and certification in CPR/First Aid/AED, Trauma Informed Care, Harm Reduction, and Housing Frist training will be required within sixty days of hire. Additional Training in: Motivational Interviewing, Time Management, HMIS Training.
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 accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
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Normal walking requirements include the ability to move in and around personal workspace and to and from other areas including walking up and down stairs several times each day.
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This position requires that most of the work hours are spent walking around and monitoring multiple floors.
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The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, e.g., office equipment, file boxes, donations, etc.
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Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The work environment for this position is primarily indoors, with occasional outdoor activity required for supervision/participation in community events. Operating an agency motor vehicle may also be required on occasion. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Required to work flexible hours to include evenings and weekends. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. This position requires on-site face to face contact with clients and program staff.
EEO
SAMMinistries provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, SAMMinistries complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the organization has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
