Community Support Staff- Overnight/Weekends

Title: Community Support Staff- Overnight/Weekends

FLSA Status: Hourly, Non-Exempt

Salary: $18.50/hour

Reports To: Milieu Manager

Community Support Staff- Overnight/Weekends

Ignite stands with youth on their journey to a home and a future with promise. We are a leading non-profit, human services organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for youth, ages 10-26. While Ignite has a long-standing history that dates to 1976, we continue to create new ways to serve our community. Today, we have more than 63 full-time and part-time staff as well as over 100 volunteers who contribute to our mission.

Through housing, education, employment, career planning, financial empowerment, mental health support, and community connection, we enroll more than 800 youth per year, on the path to reaching their full potential. Following their time with Ignite, many of our youth achieve financial stability and move into their own long-term home. Ignite intends to be the last program our youth will ever need, but the family and place they can always call home. As a 2025 Chicago Innovation Award winner, Ignite is leading the way in creating new housing and service models that help youth put homelessness behind them for good. At Ignite, we envision a world where all young people have the support they need to be defined by their potential, not their circumstances.

Function: Responsible for working as a team member to establish and maintain the collaborative and positive tenor of the Ignite programs team. Responsible for the direct care of program youth across residential programs. Demonstrates an understanding of and commitment to the agency vision, mission, and core values of Ignite and adheres to the core tenets of harm reduction, trauma informed care, and positive youth development. Reports directly to the Residential Milieu Manager.

Duties: The following duties are the essential functions of this position. Successful job applicants will be able to perform these essential functions with or without requested reasonable accommodation.

Community Supported Milieu

• For the safety of all clients and staff, provides general supervision and appropriate interventions to clients in the community supported milieu spaces in residential and community programs, which includes Belfort House, Bronzeville Youth Shelter (BYS), and/or the Drop-In Center (DiRC).
• Completes all required shift and activity documentation.
• Works with clients housed in the residential program on increasing life skills knowledge, building problem-solving skills, communication skills, and coping strategies.
• Conducts education and/or personal development groups with clients, as assigned.
• Assists youth with activities including daily chores, room maintenance, and cooking.
• Manages any crisis and/or emergency that may occur in the community supported milieu.
• Engages youth in activities and may accompany youth on activities outside the residential program, presents proper activity documentation to include receipts.
• Works with the team to ensure that the delivery of all services embody Ignite philosophies, including Trauma Informed Care, Harm Reduction, and Positive Youth Development.
• Documents and maintains medication protocol.

Crisis Line

• Provides telephone or in-person screening to homeless/runaway/or precariously housed youth that are requesting service.
• Provides appropriate referral and placement services to callers contacting 24-hour crisis line services, through phone, text, and/or e-mail.
• Coordinates and conducts the intake and placement of homeless residents in Ignite's temporary basic center program, the Bronzeville Youth Shelter (BYS).

Scheduling

• Friday & Saturdays 11p-7a

Documentation/Communication

• Completes all required shift and client related documentation as outlined.
• Participates in agency trainings and team meetings as required.

General

• Works as a part of a team to provide support and assistance whenever needed.
• Follows agency policies and procedures for the obtainment of information and provision of services to clients.
• Works with and supervises volunteers as directed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.