Park Stewardship

Description

Hudson River Housing improves lives and communities through housing with compassion and development with vision. We are dedicated to building strong, sustainable communities by developing and preserving quality affordable housing and helping families and individuals obtain and maintain housing through education, advocacy and support services.

We are a committed group of people from all backgrounds who care deeply about our community and want to make it a better place.

The Park Stewardship Program will operate with a neighborhood lens, with Stewards attending to major youth-serving parks in the Northside of Poughkeepsie. Priority parks will be Malcolm X Park, Pershing Park, and Earline Patrice (Mansion Square) Park.

• Build relationships with community members, parents, and youth program providers
• Ensure children and families feel welcome and safe in parks
• Track and promote recreation and youth programs for shared use of space
• Identify park needs and communicate them to the City of Poughkeepsie Department of Public Works

• Engage as ambassadors to the parks with respect and empathy toward all park users
• De-escalate conflicts and redirect prohibited activities away from youth spaces
• Maintain visible presence to deter unsafe behavior
• Activate a crisis, safety, and emergency protocol as needed

• Provide information about housing, substance use treatment, harm reduction, food access, and crisis support
• Provide crisis support as needed
• Carry outreach materials (flyers, cards, contact info for local service providers)
• Only provide resources to those who are willing to accept them

• Perform minor litter pickup
• Dispose of needles and other substance paraphernalia using proper safety gear provided
• Report maintenance needs (e.g., broken playground equipment, lighting issues)

• Track incidents, outreach efforts, and daily observations
• Submit weekly reports to program supervisor
• Contribute to annual evaluation of program impact
• Avoid taking photos of park users

• Park Ambassadorship
• Youth Safety & Mandated Reporting
• Trauma-Informed Care
• Harm Reduction & De-escalation Techniques
• Narcan (Naloxone) Administration
• Mental Health First Aid
• Conflict Mediation
• Safe Sharps Disposal & Sanitation Practices

Good knowledge of security procedures, de-escalation and crisis management; ability and willingness to communicate and interact with the public and secure cooperation without unnecessary antagonism; ability to perform basic park maintenance and upkeep; ability to keep records and make reports; honesty and dependability; good observational skills; mental alertness; good moral character; excellent physical condition; sound professional judgment; ability to work weekend days if needed;
Comfortable walking and working outdoors for extended hours and in various weather conditions

• Background in security services
• Lived experience or background in social services, peer support, or community engagement; experience working with youth, homeless populations, or individuals with substance use/mental health challenges
• Familiarity with the Northside of Poughkeepsie and its community
• Bilingual (Spanish-English) skills are a plus

$20.00 per hour/30 hours per week

Full day trainings April 15-17

April 20 - October 31

• School Month Hours (April - June & Sept - Oct): 7-9am; 2-6pm on M, W, Thu, Fri + one flexible weekend day
• Summer Month Hours (July - August): 12-6 M, W, Th, Fr + one flexible weekend day

Poughkeepsie, NY

Supportive Housing Navigator

Equity is a core value at Hudson River Housing. We believe in promoting a culture that decenter​s bias, celebrates difference, enhances equitable communication, and nurtures relationship building. It is important to us that community members have access to stable means of economic growth. We are continually committed to hiring from within our community including applicants with lived experience that can inform and strengthen our work.

Hudson River Housing is dedicated to maintaining a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination on the basis of age, race, creed, color, national origin (including ancestry), religion, gender or sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), alienage or citizenship status (unless required by law), disability, reproductive health decision making (including, but not limited to, the decision to use or access a particular drug, device, or medical service), marital status, partnership status, caregiver status, domestic violence victim status, familial status, military status, unemployment status, genetic information…