Client Advocate - Synergy House - Newly Increased Shift Differentials!

Synergy Services mission is to strengthen the individual, family and community through prevention, crisis intervention, shelter, counseling, advocacy, and education. We have an immediate need for Client Advocates to work evenings and nights at Synergy House (our teen shelter) which is located at I-35 and Parvin Road in the Kansas City, Missouri North area. Competitive pay offered including newly increased shift differentials.

Our teen shelter is an emergency crisis shelter for teens 12-18 years of age, providing a caring, therapeutic environment. Will also provide advocacy and crisis intervention services for our clients. Other responsibilities include: complete intake interviews, answering hotline, safety planning and facilitating community building activities with clients as needed.

Hours for the positions are:

Position 1:
Sun 4am-4pm (8)
Mon 6am-4pm (10)
Tue 6am-4pm (10)
Wed 9am-1pm (4)
Thu OFF
Fri OFF
Sat 8am-4pm (8)

Position 2:
Sun OFF
Mon 4pm-10pm (6)
Tues 4pm-1am (9)
Wed 9am-1pm & 4pm-11pm (11)
Thu 4pm-12am (8)
Fri 4pm-10pm (6)
Sat OFF

Position 3:
Sun OFF
Mon OFF
Tue OFF
Wed 9am-1pm & 4pm-12am (12)
Thu 4pm-1am (9)
Fri 4pm-1am (9)
Sat 3pm-12am (9)

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following.
Completes intake and discharge paperwork for clients in shelter.
Teaches basic life skills to clients, addressing their individualized needs. Examples include behavior management, communication skills, cooking, recreation, parenting skills and budgeting.
Provides support for clients.
Provides advocacy and assistance with meeting case management/treatment goals.
Provides transportation for clients as needed.
Dispenses medications to clients according to med tech certification guidelines.
Maintains accurate documentation and client records.
Performs general clerical duties, answers telephones, and answers hotline.
Assists with training of volunteers and utilizes volunteer’s time to help meet client’s needs.
Attends internal and/or external trainings and workshops to meet the 40 hour per year licensing requirement as long as within department budget and staff/client ratios are met.
Completes minor maintenance duties around the facility. Completes maintenance requests and forwards them to management as needed.
Maintains client confidentiality.
Maintains communications with other staff members – both written and oral.
Attends and participates in weekly staff meetings/case reviews.
Maintains a clean environment as necessary i.e. cleaning facility areas, office area, laundering linens and completing other household tasks as needed and/or assigned.
Unloads, sorts, and organizes donations received by the program. Records donations on the appropriate form and completes a thank you card for the donor.
Creates menus for the program and submits grocery request to designated staff.
Prepares and cooks meals for clients as required.
Acts as coverage advocate on call.
Participation in Performance and Quality Improvement activity is required by each employee.
Performs other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
Directly supervises 1-2 volunteers in the shelter as needed. Carries out supervisory of volunteer responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.

QUALIFICATIONS
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.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
Associate's degree (A. A.) or equivalent from two-year college or technical school; or six months to one year related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

LANGUAGE SKILLS
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY
Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
The employee in this position must have Medical Technician certification, CPR/First Aid Certification, and have a valid Class E Drivers license. Must possess current Food Handlers License if required.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES
The employee must be able to use general office equipment, type and perform Data Entry/10 key, and have the ability to use computer software, including Windows, Word for Windows, and Access.

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 accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and peripheral vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to fumes, airborne particles, or communicable diseases. The employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to the risk of violence and secondary trauma.
Prior experience working with youth, especially homeless and/or at-risk youth preferred. Having knowledge of community resources a plus. Bilingual Spanish-English preferred. Positions require Associates Degree or equivalent from two-year College or technical school; or six months to one-year relative experience and/or training or equivalent combination of education and experience. BS in social services preferred. Prefer prior experience in a social services agency. Candidates must be at least 21 years of age, consent to a Fingerprinting and Background and checks and Children’s Division (Central Registry/Child Abuse) screening, drug screen check and have a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance. Position requires CPR, Med Tech Certification and Chauffeur’s License within 30 days from date of hire.

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Diversity & Inclusion: *
Synergy Services is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion. We feel our staff, interns and volunteers are among our most valuable assets. The collective sum of the individual difference, life experience, knowledge, self-expression and unique capabilities that our staff, interns and volunteers bring to their work at Synergy represents a large part of not only our agency culture but our reputation as well.
We embrace and encourage our staff’s, intern’s and volunteers’ differences in age, race/ethnicity, religious creed, ancestry, color, sex, disability, national origin, marital status, political belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic testing and screening information, covered veterans status or any other characteristic that makes us unique.
Non-Discrimination:
Synergy Services is an EEO employer. We firmly support the principle and philosophy of equal employment for all individuals, regardless of age, race/ethnicity, religious creed, ancestry, color, sex, disability (including pregnancy), national origin, marital status, political belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic testing and screening information, covered veteran status or any other protected category pursuant to applicable federal, state or local laws.
Benefits:
All full-time positions are eligible for generous benefit package including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, paid vacation and holidays, sick days and personal holidays and a 401K Plan with Employer Match. Some regular part-time positions are eligible for partial benefits. Synergy Services is an equal opportunity employer who values and embraces diversity.

Location: 2001 NE Parvin Rd, Kansas City, MO 64116

Job Type: Full-time