Housekeeper/Activities Coordinator

The Housekeeping and Activities Coordinator / Mental Health Worker maintains a clean, sanitary, orderly, safe, and welcoming residential healthcare environment; plans, leads, and actively participates in meaningful individual and group activities; and supports a respectful, recovery-oriented behavioral-health milieu for adults and older adults with chronic medical conditions and co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses.

A central expectation is to make the facility feel cared for and lived-in rather than institutional by combining thorough environmental cleanliness with warm, person-centered engagement so residents feel known, respected, emotionally safe, and motivated to participate in daily life.

Core Duties and Responsibilities Housekeeping & Environmental Services Completes assigned cleaning schedules for resident rooms, bathrooms, common areas, and activity spaces. Disinfects high-touch surfaces, maintains floors, cleans bathrooms, makes beds, performs enhanced cleaning after discharges or isolation, and reports maintenance or safety concerns promptly. Keeps carts, closets, and chemicals secured and survey-ready.

Laundry, Waste & Supply Control Handles laundry, linen, and waste according to infection-prevention and privacy standards. Monitors inventory of linens, cleaning products, PPE, and activity supplies and reports shortages.

Infection Prevention & Chemical Safety Follows standard and transmission-based precautions, uses only facility-approved products correctly, maintains proper PPE, and supports outbreak response and exposure-control procedures.

Welcoming Environment & Resident Engagement Creates a warm, home-like atmosphere. Greets residents by name, learns their interests and preferences, invites participation without pressure, and uses ordinary housekeeping routines to support engagement when appropriate.

Hands-On Activity Facilitation Plans, prepares, leads, and actively participates in purposeful individual and group activities (arts, crafts, games, music, exercise, recovery-oriented, cultural, and community-based). Models participation, adapts activities for resident abilities, secures materials, and completes thorough cleanup. Does not represent recreational activities as clinical therapy.

Activity Planning & Documentation Maintains nonclinical activity-interest profiles, develops balanced calendars with meaningful choices, documents participation accurately, and recommends program improvements to the Administrator.

Mental Health Worker & Therapeutic Milieu Support Observes and objectively documents mood, behavior, and participation. Uses trauma-informed, recovery-oriented communication and approved de-escalation techniques. Immediately reports safety concerns to licensed staff. Does not independently diagnose, assess suicide risk, provide psychotherapy, or modify treatment.

Safety, Observation & Resident Rights Completes safety rounds and location checks. Maintains awareness of environmental and interpersonal risks. Follows resident-rights, confidentiality, abuse-reporting, and emergency procedures. Does not independently restrict movement or initiate clinical interventions.

Population-Specific Support Adapts activities and approaches for physical, cognitive, sensory, and psychiatric needs while promoting autonomy, dignity, and the highest attainable social and emotional functioning.

Admission, Care Planning & Community Integration Prepares welcoming environments, orients new residents, contributes objective participation information to interdisciplinary meetings, and supports approved outings when authorized.

Communication, Documentation & Quality Improvement Provides factual handoffs, completes required logs and records accurately, participates in QAPI and survey readiness, and maintains confidentiality.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Certificate of completion of a minimum 36-hour California Department of Public Health-approved Activity Program Leader course (or accepted equivalent) before independent appointment as Activities Coordinator.
• Current BLS/CPR and First Aid certification.
• Successful background clearance, health/TB screening, and other facility employment requirements.
• Ability to perform both housekeeping and hands-on resident activities.
• Preferred: Experience in healthcare housekeeping, residential services, activities, behavioral health, or geriatrics.
• Valid California driver’s license and insurability when transportation is required.
• LVN or CNA credential is not required.