POSITION TITLE: Resident Advisor
DEPARTMENT: Residential Services
REPORTS TO: Direct Service Manager
SHIFT: Rotating between Day (7:00 am to 3:00 pm) & Evening (3:00 pm to 11:00 pm)
LOCATION: Fteley (Bronx)
Join a Legacy of Hope and Empowerment at Covenant House New York!
For over 50 years, Covenant House New York (CHNY) has been at the forefront of transforming lives by providing comprehensive shelter, housing, and wrap-around support services for vulnerable homeless, runaway, and exploited youth. As the largest provider of these essential services in New York City, CHNY impacts the lives of over 1,500 young people aged 16-24 every year.
At CHNY, our doors are open to all young people in need, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. Our dedicated team offers various services, including shelter, housing, education, employment, health, mental health support, youth development, and anti-human trafficking initiatives. We operate with harm reduction and trauma-informed principles to ensure the best care for our youth.
But our mission goes beyond immediate support. We are passionate advocates for systemic change, influencing public policy, and raising awareness of the critical issues surrounding youth homelessness. Our ultimate goal is to provide a safe refuge and empower young people to build a brighter future founded on compassion, unconditional love, and absolute respect.
Join us in making a difference in the lives of countless young people. Join a team that inspires long-term transformation and hope.
Job Summary
The Rights of Passage (ROP) Resident Advisor (RA) provides supportive services to up to 20 young people aged 16-21 living in an ROP site in the Bronx. Reporting to the Program Coordinator of the ROP site, the RA is an energetic, creative, and diligent team member that includes case managers and a cadre of specialty staff, including employment/education specialists, housing specialists, youth development staff, and credentialed mental health staff.
ROP is a transitional living program funded by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, where youth may reside for up to 24 months. The RA supports all aspects of the program and holistically assists youth living at the site, providing support and motivating encouragement wherever needed. RAs are also responsible for cooking meals for up to 20 youth, sometimes with other staff and/or youth or on their own. RAs will be assisted in obtaining food handling licenses and other culinary training if required. RAs also help keep the site clean and well-maintained, including working with youth and other staff to manage garbage and day-to-day cleaning of all areas of the site. These sites will also use evidence-based and other proven models. RAs will be expected to participate in training and implementation activities for these social service models. Ultimately, RAs assist youth in achieving the goals of ROP: stabilize and address any immediate trauma experienced by the youth in our care, maintain housing stability, and help them advance toward their individualized goals, including a long-term housing plan while ensuring the site is well-maintained.
As these sites are new to CHNY, the RA must be comfortable in a rapidly changing environment where processes and protocols are being developed and refined as the program operates. Additionally, this position requires independent judgment and proactivity, as the RA will be working within a newly opened, stand-alone site. Flexibility, excellent communication, and problem-solving abilities are critical to successfully fulfilling the requirements of this position.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Directly engages, supervises, and supports youth residing at the ROP site.
- Ensures that the site, including youths' rooms, is clean and kept in a good and safe condition.
- Welcomes youth to the site and orientates youth to site expectations, CHNY's mission and principles, and child protection policies and protocols.
- Assists youth with preparation for the day. Ensures youth are awake, out of bed, fed, and promptly on their way to work, school, or other activities.
- Monitor program and client activities to ensure a safe and secure environment.
- Cooks or assists in cooking meals for the youth. Engages with youth during mealtimes and works with them to facilitate post-meal cleanup.
- Assists in keeping the site clean and well-maintained by participating in daily tidying up and facilitating the work of facilities and maintenance staff.
- Provides support to case managers as needed, including distributing appointment slips, appointment follow-ups, collecting and filing paperwork, maintaining files, and complying with files.
- Maintains records in the Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) computer system, and enters all required documentation in a timely.
- Escorts youth to other agencies and services when necessary (e.g., hospitals, school visits)
- Maintains healthy, supportive relationships with the youth, mindful of boundaries and mutual respect.
- Leads and/or participates in recreational and holiday activities at the site and off-site trips.
- Complete incident reports by the end of the shift and submit them to appropriate parties.
- De-escalates crises; attends to emergencies following agency protocol, as needed.
