Family & Shelter Advocate

We are seeking a responsible and energetic individual with a passion for serving families at our 24-hour shelter locations. Family & Shelter Advocates work with parents and children experiencing homelessness and in need of a safe refuge. General responsibilities include coordinating and facilitating shelter activities, providing care and crisis management, facilitating a set program schedule, maintaining a clean environment, and offering acceptance and hope.

Family & Shelter Advocates actively engage in Mary’s Place equity work - striving for racially equitable outcomes and taking responsibility for creating, maintaining, and affirming communities for people of color, immigrants and refugees, trans and gender-non-conforming people, and other populations who routinely encounter systemic oppressions. As an equal opportunity employer, people of color are encouraged to apply.

This part-time, non-exempt position is located at our Regrade (downtown Seattle) site. The schedule available for this position is:

Evening Shift 3:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.

Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (27 hours/ 3 days)

The hourly wage is $25.00/hour DOE.

Key Responsibilities

Guest Relations (35%)

• Proactively create a welcoming and affirming environment, engage families in high-quality shelter services
• Engage guests in conversations around their housing goals and assist them with resource navigation
• Maintain a calm, affirming demeanor and model positive behavior, such as upholding professional boundaries
• Address behavioral challenges, provide trauma-informed crisis management, conflict de-escalation, and set appropriate limits through an equity lens
• Effectively collaborate and regularly communicate with other staff members and supervisors to ensure consistency; a team-based, solution-oriented approach to the work; and high-quality service delivery
• Welcome and orient new families to shelter—provide shelter tours, explain program, and complete and upload shelter intake documents

Implementation of Shelter Operations & Procedures (35%)

• Collaboratively execute shelter processes according to time of the day and in accordance with the Shelter Policy Manual
• Maintain a clean and sanitary shelter environment—disinfect high-touch areas; do laundry; restock supplies; clean bathrooms and showers; vacuum, sweep, and mop floors; clean up after meals; take out garbage, compost, and recycling; etc.
• Serve food and adhere to all food safety and serving protocols, including clear and consistent documentation
• Move around the facility and maintain an active and engaging presence around shelter
• Record and report any building/facility concerns
• Attend required trainings and monthly staff meetings

Implementation of Guest Enrichment Programming (15%)

• Facilitate calendar of activities and events for the benefit of our guests. Provide feedback to Shelter & Services Manager, Program Services Director, and Site Director on effectiveness of programming and ideas for improvement.
• Welcome and help orient volunteers to the space and their roles; actively engage volunteer in shelter activities

Data Entry and Information Management (15%)

• Author, upload, and maintain clear, objective, and accurate electronic guest records, reports, and shelter documentation
• Handle and protect sensitive information; maintain confidentiality
• Maintain up to date community resources as provided by other program teams, and make them easily accessible to guests

This position description generally describes the principal functions of the position, the level of knowledge and skills typically required, and the general scope of responsibility. It is not intended as a complete list of specific duties and responsibilities and should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals will perform other duties as assigned.

Skills/Qualifications Required

• Two or more years of work or volunteer experience in a social services setting, OR one or more years of social services experience combined with one or more years of customer service experience
• Experience working in a shelter setting or with people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity is highly preferred
• Passion for and demonstrated experience working with children and families is preferred
• Demonstrated creative problem solving, conflict de-escalation, conflict mediation, and crisis management skills
• Demonstrated understanding of trauma-informed care
• Ability to set appropriate boundaries and maintain professional demeanor in a high stress environment
• Highly motivated, self-starter, resourceful, flexible, and possesses a positive attitude
• Exhibits compassion and empathy; works well with parents and children from all racial, ethnic, social, economic, gender, and sexual orientation backgrounds
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite applications (Word, Excel, Teams, etc.), and ability to independently create documentation in a database system in an accurate and timely way
• Strong reading, writing, speaking, and listening (communication) skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Sensitivity to the needs of clients who are experiencing homelessness, low-income, limited English speaking, or impacted by domestic violence, substance abuse, or other barriers to employment and housing
• Able to proficiently speak, read, write, and understand English.
• Proficiency in another language is preferred, especially Amharic, Tigrinya, Lingala, Oromo, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, or Marshallese
• Willing to take a TB test within 30 days of hire

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Ability to converse with and listen to people in many different settings
• Ability to use a computer and telephone, as well as other standard office equipment
• Ability to sit, walk, stand, bend, squat, climb, kneel and twist on an intermittent or continuous basis
• Ability to occasionally push, pull, lift and/or carry supplies up to 25 pounds
• Work takes place in a social services environment where long periods of sitting, working on a computer, walking to various work areas, going up and down stairs, and standing are required
• Travel to program sites and meetings outside the site and around the county is necessary
• Ability to work in an environment where there may be animals present, including dogs

In compliance with the ADA Amendment Act, should you have a disability that requires assistance and/or reasonable accommodation with the job application process, please contact the Human Resources department.

Qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodation. A qualified person with a disability may request a modification or adjustment to the job or work environment in order to meet the physical requirements of the position. Mary’s Place will attempt to satisfy requests as long as the accommodation needed is reasonable and no undue hardship to Mary’s Place would result.

Details

In addition, Mary's Place offers the following benefits to part-time staff:

• Unlimited use ORCA pass for a small deduction per pay period
• Sick Time in accordance with Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance. Sick Time accrues at 0.03846 hour for each hour in timesheet (equal to 40 hours/year when 20 hours/week in timesheet)
• Paid Time Off (PTO) accrues at 0.03846 hour for each hour in timesheet during first year of employment, with increasing accruals for each year worked up to 0.05769 hour for 5+ years of employment
• 403(b) plan with a 50% employer match on the first 6% employee contribution. Eligible to participate upon hire; eligible for the match after 1 year of employment and 1,000 Hours of Service.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Mary's Place is an equal opportunity employer.