SHELTER ASSISTANT
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Skills
About the role
Shelter Assistant at Bethany House Services
Be the steady, friendly face a family sees on one of their hardest days.
When a family walks through our doors, they’re often exhausted, uncertain, and running on empty. As a Shelter Assistant, you’re the person who says “welcome, you’re safe here,” and then makes it true. You’ll help keep the shelter clean, calm, and secure, connect families to what they need, and show up with patience and kindness when things get hard.
If you’re the kind of person who notices when someone needs a fresh towel or a listening ear, and who stays cool when the room heats up, we’d love to meet you.
What your shift looks like
Welcoming and supporting families
- Greet new families, give them the tour, and answer the hundred questions that come with a fresh start
- Hand out the basics (bedding, towels, hygiene and cleaning supplies, food) and help with whatever comes up
- Share resources and point families in the right direction when they need more support
- Help with meal service when needed
Keeping everyone safe and grounded
- Use a trauma-informed approach to support families and step in during moments of crisis
- De-escalate with calm, respect, and zero power struggles, on your own and alongside the team
- Uphold shelter guidelines fairly and consistently
- Keep an eye on safety and security, and loop in the Shelter Director, On-Call staff, or authorities when needed
Keeping the space clean and cared for
- Complete housekeeping tasks from the SA Task List (sweeping, mopping, disinfecting, and more)
- Do room checks to make sure everything is in good shape
Keeping the team in the loop
- Write shift notes every shift and complete documentation like task checklists, incident reports, reasonable suspicion forms, and mandated reporter reports
- Pass along important client information to shelter staff
- Help new teammates learn the ropes through shadowing
- Join trainings, supervision, and team meetings
- Other duties as assigned
You’ll thrive here if you…
- Lead with compassion but can hold a firm, fair line
- Stay calm and solution-focused in a fast-paced, always-changing environment
- Have experience with crisis intervention and know how to cool a situation down, not heat it up
- Keep strong professional boundaries and protect client confidentiality
- Are organized, communicate clearly, and take accurate notes
- Bring respect for every person you meet and an openness to learning about trauma-informed care and DEI
- Can find your way around Outlook, Word, and Excel
- Show up reliably, because families and teammates count on you
What you’ll need
- High school diploma or equivalent
- At least one year of experience in a social service environment
- Valid driver’s license and the ability to meet BHS vehicle insurance requirements
- Successful completion of BHS criminal background check and drug test
The physical side of the job
This is an active, on-your-feet role. It involves standing, walking, kneeling, crouching, stooping, climbing, balancing, reaching, lifting, pushing, pulling, grasping, and repetitive movements, plus talking, hearing, and fine hand use. You’ll occasionally exert up to 40 lbs of force and regularly up to 10 lbs. The role requires close, distance, color, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Work is indoors with a moderate noise level.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.
Ready to make a difference, one shift at a time?