Shelter Worker - Standby

Agate Housing and Services•Minneapolis, MN

10d•$20 - $22•Onsite

About The Position

Agate is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homelessness and hunger through action and advocacy. We offer emergency services, shelter, and housing programs. We encourage individuals with lived experience to apply, provided they have not received services from Agate within the last two years. Our core belief is that housing is a fundamental human right. Our values include Integrity, Equity, Humanity, and Creativity. The Outreach and Shelter Department focuses on single adults through emergency response programs like Shelter, Street Outreach, and the Welcome Center, aiming to build rapport and connect individuals to housing and self-sufficiency. The Shelter Worker is part of a team managing daily operations at two housing-focused shelter sites in Minneapolis. One shelter serves single adults, with a focus on partnered adults of all genders, in downtown Minneapolis. The other is an innovative facility in the Longfellow neighborhood serving single adults based on community needs. The Shelter Advocate collaborates with colleagues to ensure a safe, affirming, and consistent shelter environment. Key duties involve managing communications, guest access, intakes, monitoring behavior, cleaning, laundry, meal preparation and service, administrative tasks, documentation, and data entry. As part of a housing-focused program, the Shelter Advocate provides core services such as information, referrals, and assistance with navigation and paperwork. This role also includes attending staff meetings, updating HMIS rosters, and representing Agate at community events and trainings. This is an active position requiring physical tasks and continuous wakefulness. The role is on standby 2-3 nights per week, requiring employees to be available from 9:30 pm to 10:45 pm via phone check-in. If a scheduled staff member is absent, the standby worker must report to a shelter and work until 7:30 am or 8:30 am. Failure to report for a standby shift will result in termination. Standby employees must ensure they can commit to the full overnight shift. The position is on-call but may transition to part-time or full-time based on shift pickups. Flexibility is required, as assignments may be at either shelter location.

Requirements

Lift up to 50 pounds occasionally and 20 pounds routinely.
Have experience with Microsoft Office products
Must possess a personal mobile phone with an active data plan sufficient to download required applications and reliably respond to on-call shifts.
Clear background check.
Ability to meet expectations regarding paperwork and documentation through organizational skills, a strong attention to detail, and the ability to work efficiently and accurately, competency and comfort using technology and computers.
Work respectfully with guests, coworkers, and key stakeholders who are diverse with respect to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and religion.
The ability to establish rapport quickly with people experiencing a crisis through the use of trauma-informed care, client-centered care, and strength-based approaches.
Commitment to Agate's values and mission to end homelessness.
Commitment to working towards an anti-racist culture within Agate and the community.
Hold the belief that every household can achieve housing stability.
Understand that homelessness is primarily the result of policy decisions beyond the control of the people we serve.
Commitment to harm reduction and housing first philosophies.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Coordinated Entry Systems.
Experience with HMIS.
Bilingual skills relevant to the individuals we serve (Spanish, Hmong, Oromo, Somali, Amharic).
Experience working in settings with all genders.

Responsibilities

Ensure the shelter operates safely for all guests, staff, and volunteers.
Build and maintain professional rapport with guests.
Enforce shelter policy in a consistent, fair manner with a positive and respectful demeanor.
Answer and direct calls to the shelter and monitor entrances to allow guests to access the shelter.
Make regular rounds inside the shelter to ensure guest safety and maintain a calm and peaceful atmosphere for sleeping guests; call emergency services when appropriate and manage guest behavior throughout the shift.
Use de-escalation and crisis response skills to address behavior issues or conflicts, always maintaining professional boundaries.
Monitor and review security camera footage throughout the shift; document and report incidents accurately.
Work collaboratively with program staff, property management, and facilities teams to support overall site operations.
Serve as the first point of contact for guests, staff, and visitors-offering a warm, professional, and trauma-informed welcome.
Respond to voicemails, emails, and other communications promptly.
Ensure daily program routines and procedures, including meal service, occur at scheduled times.
Perform cleaning and light maintenance tasks as needed and appropriate. Make sure the office and program spaces are kept tidy.
Do laundry throughout the shift.
Support food service, including putting meals out, coordinating the delivery of meals, and supporting volunteers who come onsite to provide food or meals.
Demonstrate appropriate professional boundaries with guests and colleagues.
Conduct shelter guest intakes, upon request.
Facilitate collection and maintenance of required daily shelter documentation including intakes, bed assignments, data collection and input into online databases and logbook entries.
Troubleshoot technical issues with office equipment and phones and reach out to Admin for assistance as needed.
Actively participate in regularly scheduled staff meetings and supervisory one-to-one meetings.
Understand and adhere to mandated reporting responsibilities.
Other job duties as assigned.