Housing and Facilities Counselor

WHO WE ARE

Founded in 1973 by Oakland teachers and local civic leaders, YEP was designed to enhance the employment and education outcomes of low-income and systems-impacted Oakland youth through job training, skill building, and education fused with hands-on work experience.

YEP serves 500-600 14-24 year olds annually, offering a comprehensive menu of employment training, high school credit recovery, transitional housing, and career development programs.

YEP operates out of a campus in Central East Oakland which includes a 26,000 sq. ft. solar-powered workforce training center, 5,000 sq. ft. training warehouse, commercial kitchen, construction workshop, computer lab, alternative high school, tiny home community, and a recently completed 30-bed dormitory for homeless and housing insecure young adults—all designed and built by Oakland youth.

For more information:

• Watch our video overview: https://vimeo.com/755269865
• Read our impact report: https://tinyurl.com/yepimpact2023
• See us on CBS News: https://tinyurl.com/yepcbsnews
• Visit our website https://www.yep.org

THE ROLE

YEP’s Stable Futures Housing Program creates a pathway for homeless and housing insecure young adults 18-26 years old to achieve self-sufficiency by providing safe and secure dormitory housing coupled with career training & job placement, education support, case management, and access to supportive services.

The Housing and Facilities Counselor is responsible to ensure uninterrupted on-site 24/7/365 coverage of the residential facility.

The Housing and Facilities Counselor participates, with other staff, in a rotation to provide on-call, off-hours back-up and on-site response to the Emergency Shelter program. As Essential Staff, the Housing and Facilities Counselor is required to report to work when scheduled, even if the agency is otherwise closed (such as holidays), to remain on the job beyond the end of a shift until a replacement arrives, if needed; to report to work when called in if serving in an on-call capacity; and to comply with other stipulations of YEP’s Staff policy.

Under the supervision of the Director of Strategic Partnerships & Housing, the Housing and Facilities Counselor is responsible for dormitory operations and identifying stable housing opportunities for exiting participants.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Knowledge of local resources, social services, and a commitment to helping young adults achieve life and housing stability are key aspects of this role.

Facilities Management

Dormitory Operations (80% of time)

• Coordinates staff schedules and programmatic activity schedules.
• Conducts staff meeting and trains staff, monthly supervision with staff.
• Works with Program & Facilities Monitor to identify and complete facility maintenance issues.
• Ensures adequate dormitory supplies and that all equipment is in working condition.
• Leads or assists in response to urgent resident priorities, crises, safety issues.
• Coordinates functional dormitory governance (observations, 1:1 meetings, check-ins, role development, Client Council, mediation, safety & exit, appeal).
• Ensures that staff are communicating effectively with one another and with residents.
• Works with Resident Assistants to ensure the client needs are being met.
• Continually updates Dormitory operations manual and, when necessary, write policies and procedures for new programs as they are created.
• Monitors program activities to ensure quality and accuracy of work product and outcomes.
• Must be available after hours and on weekends to respond to emergencies, outstanding crisis or events.
• Performs room checks to ensure young adults are adhering to rules and code of conduct of the dormitory.
• Provides shift coverage as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Housing Management

Long-term Housing Development (20% of time)

• Develop a housing plan for each dormitory participant.
• Identify and develop stable housing opportunities for young adults transitioning out of the dormitory.
• Prepare and educate dormitory participants about self-sufficiency standards and eligibility requirements for affordable housing opportunities.
• Market and promote YEP’s Dormitory Program throughout the community to maintain a pipeline of participants.

DESIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

In order to be successful in this role, applicant must have:

• A Bachelor’s Degree (relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of a degree).
• A minimum of 5 years of experience working with youth and young adults impacted by barriers.
• Experience managing young adults in a residential setting.
• Demonstrated understanding of the housing market as it relates to young adults
• Demonstrated comprehension of the effects of trauma on young adults.
• Demonstrated ability to direct and supervise staff and programs.
• Ability to supervise staff, work as a team with other directors and managers, and collaborate with senior management.
• Ability to advocate effectively on behalf of clients using a multicultural empowerment model.
• Experience leading diverse teams, and a commitment to effectively serving a diverse client population.
• Ability to support young adults in crisis with empathy while maintaining professional boundaries.
• A profound commitment to working with low-income, young adults of color in Oakland who face multiple and significant barriers.
• A strong belief in the power of education and work experience to change lives.
• Must be highly organized and consistently demonstrate agility and flexibility.
• Ability to take the initiative and come up with solutions for clients to meet education and employment goals.
• Enjoy working in a high energy, highly collaborative and demanding work.
• Strong public speaking, interpersonal and written communication skills.
• Strong communication and organizational skills

In order to qualify for the position, candidates must also:

1. Pass a Live Scan background check (required of all YEP employees).
2. Have access to a vehicle at least 20 hours/week
3. Provide a valid driver’s license and proof of car insurance.

COMPENSATION

Salary

The Housing and Facilities Counselor is a full-time employee with an annual compensation package ranging from $55,000-$62,000 commensurate with experience and education.

BENEFITS

*Paid Time Off

• 11 Paid Holidays annually
• 8 Hours of PTO awarded at the beginning of each quarter (Jan. 1st, Mar. 1st, Jul. 1st, Oct. 1st). These PTO hours can be used for unscheduled personal time.
• Upon completion of the 90-day probation period, each employee accrues vacation time @ 6 hours per month = 72 hours per year (9 days).
• Upon completion of the 90-day probation period, employees also accrue 1 hour of sick leave for every 30 hours of work, capped at a maximum of 120 hours.

*Health & Welfare

The Education Case Manager receives all benefits required by law and an additional 18% of their gross monthly salary in a cafeteria-style flexible health, dental, vision, and wellness benefit plan (2% set aside for mental health support).

• For example, annual salary is $60,000 x 16% per month=$800 in monthly flexible benefits ($9,600 annually). Benefits can be used for health insurance, child care, gym membership, chiropractor, and more.

Employees who have other health insurance may choose not to enroll in the group insurance. YEP’s policy, however, is that employees must submit proof of health insurance if not participating in the group plan. Outside plans and their monthly premiums are eligible for reimbursement. Employees who opt into the group medical plan will have monthly premiums deducted from their accrued benefit balance.

*Additional 2% Mental Health Benefits

In addition to the 16% of monthly gross for general benefits, YEP also awards employees an additional 2% to be used specifically towards mental health wellness (e.g., therapy).

• For example, annual salary is $60,000 x 2% per month=$100 in monthly mental health benefits ($1,200 annually).

*Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Employees have access to the EAP, which connects employees with local mental health professionals and offers 24/7 free access to counseling and advice (e.g., legal, family, financial) via phone line, plus an initial assessment and the first 3 therapy sessions free of charge.

*Student Loan Reimbursement

If employees provide documentation of their monthly student loan payments, YEP will reimburse eligible staff for up to 50% of the monthly payment (YEP’s contribution is capped at $250 per month).

For example:

• $500 monthly student loan payment, YEP reimbursement $250/month
• $350 monthly student loan payment, YEP reimbursement $175/month

*Education Reimbursement

After completing their 90-day probation period, employees are eligible to receive up to $8,000 per year ($4,000 per semester) in education reimbursement for pursuing further education. Reimbursement eligibility applies to new coursework and not old student loans. For coursework not directly related to your YEP role and responsibilities, a max of $4,000 per year (50%) is applicable.

*Retirement: 403b Plan and Organization Match

YEP has a 403b retirement plan available for all employees to make voluntary contributions to their fund. YEP offer a maximum match of $2,000 for all employees that contribute at least $2,000 in the calendar year.

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EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: The Youth Employment Partnership, Inc. actively seeks to hire, promote, and provide services to individuals without regard to race, creed, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin or age.