Description

Position: Daytime Shelter Assistant

Reports to: Shelter Manager

Accountable to: Shelter Assistants (SA)

About us: Founded in 2000 as a winter-only, overnight shelter for women, The Delores Project has grown to offer low-barrier, housing-focused 24-7 shelter for unaccompanied adult women, transgender and nonbinary people, supportive housing for formerly chronically homeless individuals with a disability, and a robust suite of wrap-around services including on-site behavioral healthcare. The organization also provides community-based aftercare services for clients who have transitioned from homelessness to housing.

At The Delores Project, we believe community and belonging are essential to healing from the trauma of homelessness and this is one way we differentiate ourselves from many other homeless service providers. In addition to a shelter, we are a community that not only meets people’s basic needs and provides access to housing resources, but we also provide clients with a supportive community in a fully therapeutic environment so they can begin to heal from the trauma of homelessness and are more successful in maintaining housing and stability once they graduate from our programs. We are client-centered and strengths-based in our approach and practice of harm-reduction and trauma-informed models of care in all our programs. Our engagement with one another is rooted in our values of hospitality, integrity, collaboration, transparency, accountability, respect, and dignity for each community member, including staff and volunteers. Those who share these values, are passionate about working with people in crisis, and ending homelessness may be a great addition to our diverse and talented team.

About the job: Shelter Shift Supervisors (SSs) collaborate with SA staff, also serving as front-line team members in our 24-7 shelter, managing all day-to-day operations and meeting in-the-moment guest needs. SSs provide on-shift support and supervision to SA staff members and collaborate with the Shelter Manager in hiring, training, and professional development of SA staff. SSs assist in the implementation of program objectives. SS also helps manage facility and maintenance needs and is in the on-call rotation one week a month.

Role responsibilities:

• Directs, coordinates, and monitors shelter operations to achieve program goals;
• Enforces shelter policies and procedures with consistency;
• Helps ensure proper staffing and scheduling during their shifts (day, evening, or overnights);
• Acts in a responsible manner within the shelter to ensure the safety of the community;
• Models good professional boundaries for SA staff and guests;
• Ensures proper intakes, orientations, and discharges are completed for each guest according to procedure;
• Ensures shift duties are consistently and correctly completed;
• Ability to be directive when necessary;
• Ability to uphold hard or unpopular decisions when necessary;
• Ability to deliver constructive feedback to staff when necessary;
• Ability to build positive relationships with all internal and external stakeholders;
• Seek coverage for, or provide coverage for open shifts during on-call weeks;
• Follows models of care and procedures outlined in the shelter operations manual;
• Works with the Shelter Manager to update and/ or create policies and procedures for the shelter;
• Practice Trauma Informed Care;
• Doing phone screens with potential guests and filling beds over the phone;
• Perform intakes and orient new guests;
• Complete shift paperwork and documentation, including the shelter log;
• Conflict resolution, mediation, and de-escalation between guests;
• Ensure the physical and psychological safety of the shelter;
• Perform basic housekeeping duties, including meal preparation and service, supervision of shelter chores, and house laundry;
• Support and provide good customer service to meal service volunteers;
• Coordinate community activities and gatherings for guests;
• Facilitate twice-weekly house meetings;
• Attend required training and mandatory team and all-staff meetings;
• Respond to medical crises, including the use of AED machines, performing CPR and/ or administering Narcan when necessary, and calling for emergency medical response.
• Practice and modeling of healthy professional boundaries with and for guests;
• Work collaboratively with shift partner, making decisions, completing shift duties, and having hard conversations with guests together;
• Delivering verbal or written reminders when guests do not meet community agreements;
• Evicting guests who are engaging in unsafe behavior or violating community agreements;
• Working collaboratively with rehousing and behavioral health staff to best meet the needs of guests;
• Assist Supportive Housing staff with crises and/ or safety and security challenges;
• Continuously monitor guest's belongings and dorm cleanliness and organization;
• Other duties as assigned by supervisors.

This position works with and supports a residential environment including walking, standing, sitting, lifting up to 30 pounds, carrying, pushing, pulling, bending, reaching, balancing, stopping, and kneeling. Work also includes manual dexterity for typing and operating a computer, holding, grasping, and turning objects. Work also requires the ability to speak and use normal or aided vision or hearing. Hazards may involve exposure to common household chemicals, loud noises, and exposure to illness and/ or unsanitary hygiene.

This position is 40 hours per week and may require flexibility—dinner shifts are eligible for a $1 shift differential and overnight shifts are eligible for a $2 shift differential. 

Requirements

Preferred Qualifications:

• Lived experience relevant to, or shared identities, with those The Delores Project serves including Indigenous people, communities of color, LGBTQIAI individuals, those with disabilities, and transgender and nonbinary people;
• The desire to work as part of a team- to make decisions creatively and collaboratively and to act in the best interest of one another and the organization;
• Lived or work experience with people who have been victims of trauma, those with mental health challenges, substance use disorders, those with traumatic brain injuries, and/ or disabilities;
• High emotional intelligence and self-awareness, commitment to assuming the best intent of others;
• Prior training in mental health first aid, de-escalation, vicarious trauma, harm reduction, and crisis intervention;
• Ability to be non-judgmental of other people’s identities and life choices;
• An understanding of professional boundaries and how to model and maintain them with colleagues and people with diverse needs and from diverse backgrounds;
• Ability to positively and professionally represent The Delores Project to a diversity of stakeholders;
• Ability to speak Spanish or American Sign Language fluently;
• Good problem-solving, decision-making, and communication skills, and the ability to take initiative and work independently;
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic and ever-changing work environment, ability to switch priorities and gears as necessary;
• Willingness to engage in continuous learning and conversations around diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging;
• Ability to pass a background check (TDP is a second-chance employer and encourages all interested candidates to apply);
• Schedule flexibility based on the needs of the role/ team/ organization, including some evening and weekend hours when necessary and the ability to attend quarterly all-staff meetings on Saturday mornings.
• Understanding of client-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed, and housing-first models of service and care;
• Work or educational background in human service, social work, and/ or customer service with diverse communities;
• Demonstrated ability to maintain accurate and timely documentation;
• Prior training in harm reduction, mental health first aid, vicarious trauma, de-escalation, crisis management, and conflict resolution;
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously;
• Ability to work with and support volunteers;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to positively engage with staff, clients, volunteers, and donors in person and on the telephone;

Benefits:

The Delores Project offers a generous benefits package including 11 paid holidays, birthday pay, generous Paid Time Off, medical/ dental/ vision/ life/ mental health insurance 90% monthly premium paid by employer, an optional flex-spending account, a free RTD Eco pass, and an optional Simple IRA with a 3% employer match.

We provide the following training: Food safety, De-escalation, CPR and AED, Substance Abuse & Mental Health, DEI, Trauma Informed Care, HMIS Certification, and more.

The Delores Project is an equal-opportunity employer dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants. People with disabilities, BIPOC individuals, Hispanic/ Latinx individuals, Indigenous people, LGBTQIA candidates, and/ or those with lived experience of homelessness and poverty are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applications must be submitted no later than Friday, May 17th, 2024