Shelter Attendant Tamarac Shelter

Bayaud Enterprises, Inc.•Quinte West, ON

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Shelter Attendant plays a critical frontline role in supporting the safety, stability, and daily operations of the Tamarac Family Non-Congregate Shelter, a 24/7 shelter environment serving families with minor children. This position provides direct guest support, front desk coverage, site monitoring, conflict de-escalation, meal support, documentation, welfare checks, and routine operational assistance in alignment with Bayaud Works standards, HOST contract expectations, and Tamarac shelter policies. Shelter Attendants are expected to uphold trauma-informed, low-barrier, housing-focused, and family-centered practices while maintaining professional boundaries, confidentiality, and consistent communication with Shelter Leads and site leadership.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Strong interpersonal skills and commitment to trauma-informed, client-centered, low-barrier, and housing-focused service.
Ability to remain calm, professional, emotionally neutral, and solution-focused during conflict, crisis, or high-stress situations.
Familiarity with de-escalation techniques, harm reduction, mandated reporting, shelter operations, family-centered service delivery, and safety-focused guest engagement.
Ability to follow shelter policies, guest expectations, documentation standards, confidentiality requirements, and chain-of-command procedures consistently.
Ability to communicate clearly with residents, coworkers, supervisors, partner organizations, emergency responders, and community stakeholders.
Ability to maintain accurate documentation, including shift notes, attendance forms, incident reports, welfare checks, room checks, and other operational records.
Awareness of and sensitivity to the diverse experiences of families and individuals experiencing homelessness, trauma, disability, language barriers, systemic inequities, and crisis.
Ability to maintain professional boundaries and uphold ethical standards when working with vulnerable adults, children, families, and individuals in crisis.
Basic computer literacy and ability to complete electronic documentation, logs, email communication, and other required administrative tasks.
Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative 24/7 shelter team, including evenings, weekends, holidays, overnight shifts, and emergency coverage as needed.
Background check required.
Completion of all required Bayaud Works, HOST, and Tamarac site-specific trainings required within assigned timelines.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience in shelter, housing, hospitality, behavioral health, human services, security, crisis response, or direct service environments preferred.
Experience working with families, individuals experiencing homelessness, vulnerable populations, or people in crisis preferred.
Experience with trauma-informed care, de-escalation, harm reduction, customer service, front desk operations, documentation, or 24/7 residential settings preferred.
Required or preferred trainings may include trauma-informed care, de-escalation, confidentiality and privacy, mandated reporting, ADA/accessibility, homelessness-context or sensitivity training, ServSafe or food safety, emergency procedures, CPR/First Aid, Narcan or overdose response, bloodborne pathogens, infection control, and any additional trainings identified by the site training matrix.

Responsibilities

Greet residents, partner organizations, volunteers, staff, and visitors with professionalism, warmth, and respect while identifying internal and external guests in accordance with site procedures.
Provide strong customer service through positive, supportive, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive communication.
Perform general front desk and reception duties, including answering phones, greeting guests, supporting check-in procedures, and directing questions or concerns to the appropriate staff member.
Maintain an accurate count of residents, partners, volunteers, visitors, and other approved individuals on site during assigned shifts.
Monitor shelter grounds and conduct routine safety checks inside and outside the facility to help ensure the premises remain secure, clean, and safe for residents, staff, and visitors.
Conduct guest unit or room assignment checks as assigned to support compliance with shelter expectations, bed agreements, safety standards, and documentation requirements.
Conduct evening welfare checks for families who have not been seen during the day and document follow-up through the approved attendance or shift documentation process.
Support resident adherence to program expectations, including room checks, participation in case management, community activities, quiet hours, family responsibilities, and shelter routines.
Address conflict, mediate concerns, and use trauma-informed de-escalation techniques to help maintain a peaceful and safe shelter environment.
Respond promptly and calmly to emergency situations, including medical, behavioral health, safety, fire, evacuation, severe weather, or facility-related concerns, following established shelter protocols and the chain of command.
Communicate urgent concerns, safety issues, guest needs, facility issues, and policy violations through the appropriate supervision and communication channels.
Maintain accurate shift logs, attendance records, incident reports, program materials, client files, and other required documentation in accordance with organizational, contractual, confidentiality, and records-management policies.
Protect guest confidentiality and privacy at all times, including by not confirming or denying whether an individual is staying at Tamarac unless authorized by policy, emergency need, legal obligation, or a valid Release of Information.
Provide information and referrals to social service programs as appropriate or connect residents with the appropriate case management, intake, programming, facilities, or leadership staff.
Support meal service during designated times in accordance with shelter procedures and ServSafe protocols.
Assist with cleaning and maintaining common areas, family units, front desk spaces, meal areas, and other assigned areas to keep the shelter clean, organized, and welcoming.
Support resident move-ins, move-outs, room turnovers, abandoned property procedures, and light packing or documentation tasks only as assigned and in accordance with shelter policy.
Support youth- and family-friendly programming or community engagement activities led by Engagement, Programming, or site leadership staff.
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries with residents, including avoiding personal, financial, romantic, social media, transportation, or off-duty relationships with participants.
Follow standards for working with children and vulnerable adults, including maintaining visibility, avoiding isolated one-on-one interactions, and reporting concerns through mandated reporting and supervisory procedures.
Support ADA accessibility, reasonable accommodation, language access, and inclusive communication practices by escalating accommodation needs or accessibility barriers to the appropriate supervisor.
Participate in required trainings, staff meetings, shift briefings, debriefings, emergency drills, and ongoing site-specific instruction.
Perform all other duties as assigned by Shelter Leads, the Project Manager, Site Director, or other authorized leadership.