Family & Shelter Advocate (Evening, Fri and Sat, Part-time)

Mary's Place Seattle • Burien, WA

405d • $52,000 - $52,000

About The Position

The Family & Shelter Advocate position at Mary's Place Seattle involves working with families experiencing homelessness at a 24-hour shelter. The role focuses on providing care, crisis management, and facilitating shelter activities while promoting a welcoming and affirming environment. Advocates engage with families to help them navigate resources and achieve their housing goals, all while adhering to the organization's commitment to equity and inclusion.

Requirements

• Two or more years of work or volunteer experience in a social services setting, or one year of social services experience combined with one year of customer service experience.
• Experience working in a shelter setting or with people experiencing homelessness is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience working with children and families.
• Strong problem-solving, conflict de-escalation, and crisis management skills.
• Understanding of trauma-informed care principles.
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries in a high-stress environment.
• Compassionate and empathetic, able to work with diverse populations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ability to create documentation in a database system.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency in another language, especially Amharic, Tigrinya, Lingala, Oromo, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, or Marshallese.

Responsibilities

• Create a welcoming and affirming environment for families in the shelter.
• Engage guests in conversations about their housing goals and assist with resource navigation.
• Maintain a calm demeanor and model positive behavior, addressing behavioral challenges and providing crisis management.
• Collaborate with staff to ensure high-quality service delivery and consistency in shelter operations.
• Orient new families to the shelter, providing tours and completing intake documents.
• Execute shelter processes according to the Shelter Policy Manual and maintain a clean environment.
• Facilitate activities and events for guests, providing feedback on programming effectiveness.
• Maintain accurate electronic guest records and handle sensitive information confidentially.

Benefits

• 403(b) matching
• Paid time off
• Employee assistance program
• Unlimited use ORCA pass
• Sick Time in accordance with Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance
• Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual
• 403(b) plan with a 50% employer match on the first 6% employee contribution

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Social Assistance
• Education Level: No Education Listed