Floater Shelter Advocate (Seattle, Covering Weekdays Day and Evening Shifts)

Description

We are seeking a responsible and energetic individual with a passion for serving families at our 24-hour shelter locations. Floater 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.

Floater 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.

The Floater Shelter Advocate role is a part-time, non-exempt position supporting various weekday day (daytime is the priority) and weekday evening shifts located at two of the Mary’s Place 24/7 shelters (The Glen/Downtown Seattle and Regrade/Downtown Seattle).

The schedule for a Floater Shelter Advocate day shift is as follows:

7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The schedule for a Floater Shelter Advocate evening shift is as follows:

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

Candidates must be available to work at least two shifts per two-week-pay-period, or at least half (50%) of shift offerings.

This position is part-time, non-exempt and does not supervise other employees. The pay for this position starts at $25/hr. DOE .

If you pick up a shift that is Overnight, the schedule for a Floater Shelter Advocate Overnight shift is 11:00 p.m. – 8:30 a.m. (a Sunday overnight shift begins Saturday night at 11:00 p.m., a Monday overnight shift begins Sunday at 11:00 p.m., etc.). Compensation for an Overnight shift includes an additional $1/hour differential.

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.

The above percentages are for Evening or Day shifts. When working an Overnight shift, the overnight role increases Operations & Procedures by 30% , while decreasing Guest Relations by 15% and Guest Enrichment by 10% compared to the evening or day role.

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.

Requirements

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
• •Ability to access and produce information on a computer and within Microsoft Suite, and to create documentation in the 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, particularly in Portuguese, Amharic, Spanish, Lingala, Oromo, French, Russian, Tigrinya, or Marshallese.
• •Ability to reliably commute to at least two of the three Mary’s Place 24/7 shelter locations (Bellevue, Burien, and Regrade/Downtown Seattle)
• •Ability and willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends in response to clients’ needs
• •Willing to complete and submit a TB test within thirty days of employment

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 Family & Shelter Advocate 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 compute