Now hiring in Arcata
Paid overnight standby, scheduled $25/hour direct-support work, a private bedroom, and paid training a short walk from Cal Poly Humboldt. Hours may change with support needs.
Humboldt Friends is sharing this opening and receiving initial inquiries. It is not the employer or a staffing agency.
Details last verified September 5, 2026. Availability, authorizations, and scheduling may change.
Important housing condition
The room is available only through the Housing Authority-approved Section 8 live-in-aide arrangement. It is not a regular room rental or a separate lease. Living in the room depends on continued employment and Housing Authority approval.
Before you apply
This is the current starting schedule, not a permanent guarantee. It currently includes 36 overnight standby hours and 4 flexible direct-support hours each week.
Standby-only time is paid at $17.40 per hour. Active direct-support work is paid at $25 per hour, whether it happens during an overnight shift or is scheduled as a regular daytime or other support shift. Standby and direct-support time are recorded separately. The two rates are not added together for the same time.
Overtime is paid when required by law.
Overnight shifts currently run from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., Monday through Saturday mornings. The first shift begins when Sunday night becomes Monday morning. There is no Sunday-morning shift.
You must stay inside the home during the shift. You may sleep when help is not needed, but you must wake promptly and respond reliably.
The work
You would support an intelligent, playful, and goofy autistic adult who enjoys:
Workplace tone: The atmosphere is playful, humorous, and calm.
You would join an established seven-person support team. Other staff are available for training, coordination, and emergencies.
At the beginning of each midnight shift, you provide a brief medication prompt and observation.
On an average night, help is usually needed about twice. Each time generally lasts 20–30 minutes. Some nights require no additional help.
The assistance is nonmedical and disability-related.
No driving is required for the current position. You do not need to provide transportation.
You must have a compatible smartphone. MAINSL uses an Electronic Visit Verification system for timekeeping. It checks location when you clock in and out; it does not continuously track you.
How hours may change
The participant directs the work schedule based on current support needs and within the Self-Determination Program spending plan certified by Redwood Coast Regional Center (RCRC). As needs change, paid work may shift between overnight standby and regular daytime direct support. Possible changes include:
The current 36 standby hours and 4 flexible direct-support hours are a starting schedule, not a guarantee. If support needs change, the participant works with the IPP team and RCRC on any required budget, spending-plan, or service-authorization update. RCRC sends any required authorization to MAINSL, the Financial Management Services provider that handles payroll. Overtime is paid when required by law.
The room and household
The apartment is in Arcata, about one block from the pedestrian overpass and a short walk from Cal Poly Humboldt.
Select any photo to open a larger view. The room is shown unfurnished.
Supervising staff must be present during move-in and move-out.
Because this position includes direct personal care, paid work requires criminal-background clearance administered by the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS). The room separately requires Housing Authority live-in-aide approval. If DDS later notifies the employer or FMS that the worker is no longer cleared to provide direct personal care, the worker must stop that work. The Housing Authority separately decides whether the person remains eligible to live in the room.
Who can apply
The requested one-year commitment is not a guarantee of employment or housing duration.
Little or no work experience is welcome. Training is provided.
Hiring steps
Applicant cost: approximately $90 at Arcata Police Department. The actual amount may change. You pay the fee directly, and it is not reimbursed. The Housing Authority process has no charge.
Paid work begins only after DDS criminal-background clearance and MAINSL payroll onboarding are complete.
Online screening privacy
No background-check payment is made to Humboldt Friends or the participant.
Before beginning an invited screening, read the Applicant Assessment Privacy Notice for collection, use, access, retention, and contact details.
How to apply
If you need a disability-related accommodation for the application, local meeting, or online screening, include that request in the form. Requesting an accommodation will not affect employment consideration.
Employment information
This position supports one participant in California’s Self-Determination Program. DDS sets statewide policy and program standards, and Redwood Coast Regional Center (RCRC) implements the program locally.
The participant directs services and schedules staff under their person-centered IPP, individual budget, and RCRC-certified spending plan. MAINSL serves as the participant’s chosen FMS provider and handles payroll, payments, budget monitoring, and the employment paperwork assigned to it under the selected FMS model. The FMS does not determine support needs, authorize service hours, or control the participant’s budget or spending plan.
Humboldt Friends helps connect good people with volunteering, friendship-building, and paid opportunities. Humboldt Friends is not the employer or a staffing agency.
