Recreation Specialist

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Job Type
Full-time
Days Off:
Saturday, Sunday

Shift: Day (9:00am - 5:30pm) schedule flexibility to support events and activities.
Insurance Benefits:
Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage), Dental, Life, Long-term Disability
Other Benefits:
Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan
Union Representation:
This position is a part of a union and is represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.

About DESC: DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is a nonprofit organization working to help people with the complex needs of homelessness, substance use disorders, and serious mental illness achieve their highest potential for health and well-being through comprehensive services, treatment, and housing. Our vision is a community where no person is abandoned, ignored, or experiencing homelessness.
As the region's leading provider of services to multiply disabled adults who have experienced chronic homelessness, DESC serves almost 3,000 people each day. Our integrated service model is designed to help people secure and maintain appropriate, safe and affordable housing. DESC is recognized nationally and regionally as an innovator in developing solutions to homelessness.

About the STAR Center: DESC’s STAR (Stability Through Access and Resources) Center is a time-limited, 24/7, behavioral health-focused non-congregate shelter program that works with unsheltered adults facing significant untreated and undertreated challenges related to mental health and substance use disorders, prioritizing the most vulnerable individuals in our community. The center will serve as an entry point for individuals with significant behavioral health disabilities to access a comprehensive range of services.

Interventions focus on housing, medication for opioid use disorders, and other substance use issues, outpatient behavioral health services, and various social services. On-site staff will help guests navigate access to long-term housing and healthcare services, which will result in healthier outcomes for STAR Center guests and our city.

The Recreation Specialist is responsible for planning and implementing on-site group activities, outings, and other programming that address the emotional, social, and practical needs of guests staying at the STAR Center, with the goal of encouraging optimal levels of physical and psychosocial functioning. The Recreation Specialist will be responsible for both directly facilitating groups and activities and establishing partnerships with guests who can provide skilled services that meet the needs of STAR guests.

Desired activities can range from on-site support groups, community meetings and art classes to foodbank runs and cooking classes. Desired partnerships can range from barbers providing haircuts to structured visits from therapy animals. The Recreation Specialist will work with the Program Coordinator to carry out all logistical and technical responsibilities related to the implementation, documentation, and evaluation of planned programming;

this includes scheduling, tracking attendance and other metrics, coordinating staff support, soliciting guest and staff input, and procuring any needed supplies.

This position is part of a multi-disciplinary team that works with behavioral health and other providers to meet the unique needs and circumstances of homeless and unstably housed individuals staying at the STAR. Collaboration is critical to the success of this role.

• Identify, plan, and implement on-site group activities and outings that address the needs and interests of guests staying at the STAR Center, under the guidance and directive of program leadership.
• Utilize creative problem-solving and cross-team collaboration to develop a wide, diverse range of recreational therapy treatment services and activities that address STAR clients’ emotional, social, and practical needs. Ensure that STAR services and…