SHELTER ASSISTANT
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Skills
About the role
Shelter Assistant
Bethany House Services · Cincinnati, OH
This is not a desk job. This is the front line.
Every night in Cincinnati, families sleep in cars, abandoned buildings, and places no kid should ever have to call home. Bethany House is where that changes. As the largest provider of family homelessness services in Greater Cincinnati, we give families a safe place to land and a real path to housing stability.
And you could be the first face they see when they walk through our doors.
What You’ll Actually Do
Be the welcome. Greet families, show new arrivals around, and answer questions. A family’s first hour here sets the tone for everything after, and you make that hour count.
Be the calm in the storm. People come to us in crisis. You’ll use trauma-informed care, active listening, and de-escalation skills to defuse tense situations without making them bigger.
Be the go-to. Need shampoo? Towels? Bedding? A question answered at 2 a.m.? You’ve got it handled. You’ll distribute supplies, connect families to resources, and pitch in on food service.
Keep it safe. You’ll do room checks, monitor the building, and know when to call the on-call manager or the authorities.
Keep it clean. Sweeping, mopping, disinfecting. A clean shelter is a dignified shelter, and dignity matters here.
Keep the record straight. You’ll write shift notes, incident reports, reasonable suspicion forms, and mandated reporter documentation. Accurate, confidential, every shift.
Hold the line, kindly. You’ll enforce shelter guidelines with patience and respect, without getting pulled into power struggles. Compassionate and firm.
Train the next wave. When new teammates join, you’ll show them the ropes.
You’re Our Person If You...
- Can keep your cool when things get loud
- Know the difference between being a friend and being a professional, and hold that boundary well
- Treat confidentiality as non-negotiable
- Do well in a fast-paced environment where no two shifts look alike
- Want to learn about trauma-informed care and DEI
- Show up reliably, because families are counting on you
- Can find your way around Outlook, Word, and Excel
The Must-Haves
- High school diploma or equivalent
- 1 year of experience in a social service setting
- Valid driver’s license and ability to meet BHS vehicle insurance requirements
- Successful completion of a criminal background check and drug screen
The Physical Side
This job keeps you moving. You’ll stand, walk, bend, kneel, reach, and lift. You may occasionally handle up to 40 lbs and regularly lift up to 10 lbs. The job requires good vision (close, distance, color, peripheral, and depth perception) and clear hearing and communication. You’ll work indoors with a moderate noise level.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.
Why Bethany House?
Since 1983, we’ve grown from two Catholic sisters opening their doors to a full shelter and services center under one roof. You’ll work alongside a team that believes every family deserves a place to call home, and that has spent 40+ years proving it’s possible.
Ready to be the reason a family’s worst week gets a little better?
[Apply now →]
Bethany House Services is an equal opportunity employer.