Shelter Coordinator

Schedule

Full‑time position. Days off: Wednesday, Thursday. Shift: Day (7:30 am – 4:00 pm).

Benefits

• Medical insurance (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage)
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Long‑term disability insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• ORCA card subsidy
• Paid Time Off (34 days per year)
• Retirement plan

Union Representation

This position is part of a union and is represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.

About DESC

Recognized nationally as an innovator and leader in developing solutions to homelessness, DESC is a social services organization, supportive housing operator, and licensed behavioral health treatment provider focused on meeting the needs of people experiencing long‑term homelessness and living with complex behavioral health and other medical conditions. Approximately 3,000 people are actively receiving services from DESC at any given point in time. DESC’s vision is a community where all people are shown compassion, treated with dignity, and everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. DESC operates five shelter/emergency housing programs, 19 permanent supportive housing facilities with over 1,750 units, several hundred additional scattered‑site apartments, and a range of behavioral health services including outpatient mental health and substance‑use disorder treatment, residential crisis stabilization, street outreach, mobile crisis response, and treatment for opioid use disorder.

About West Wing Shelter

Since opening in 1979, West Wing Shelter has provided emergency shelter for the most vulnerable men and women experiencing homelessness in the community. The shelter incorporates harm‑reduction principles, ensuring shelter is provided to those most in need rather than those who simply meet program requirements. DESC has partnered with King County to repurpose an unused portion of the King County Jail into a low‑barrier shelter for men and women experiencing homelessness.

Responsibilities

• Maintain order and communicate/enforce agency and site rules and policies.
• Intervene in client crises (medical, mental health, interpersonal).
• Initiate and maintain appropriate social interactions with clients.
• Monitor dorms, bathrooms, and dayrooms to maintain safety and security of clients and premises.
• Consult with other staff and/or outside agencies as needed regarding client issues and needs.
• Provide information on social/health services and procedures (in‑agency and outside) to clients; refer to case manager or program manager when unsure.
• Refer clients needing more extensive services to specialized program staff or outside services, when appropriate.
• Work with and support community volunteers, case managers, mental health providers, and other providers.
• Actively participate in staff meetings and in‑service trainings.
• Assist with preparation, organization, serving, and cleanup of food service scheduled during shift.
• Maintain order and cleanliness of work area, including stocking supplies.
• Recruit and supervise client volunteers for regular volunteer tasks.
• Work scheduled hours at shelter stations and/or milieu coverage and perform all duties of those areas.
• Monitor and ensure the return of all towels, blankets, and other DESC property issued to clients.
• Register clients and document services provided during shift hours, in accordance with established procedures.
• Monitor day‑rest clients.
• Assist with shift transition, ensure shift tasks are complete, and conduct an end‑of‑shift walk‑through.
• Observe client behaviors in the area surrounding the shelter and intervene when necessary to discourage loitering, fighting, use or sale of drugs and alcohol, and other uncivil or illegal behaviors.
• Provide assistance to homeless individuals and others experiencing crises caused by mental illness and/or excessive drug/alcohol consumption.
• Provide information about and referral to other community services for homeless people and others in need.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum qualifications:

• Basic understanding of homelessness and various characteristics of homeless adult populations.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from various backgrounds and disciplines.
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behavior.
• Commitment to a philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs, and of consideration and respect for clients.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with the challenges of mental illness and substance use.

Physical Demands

The employee will be required to sit, communicate with other employees, lift and carry items weighing up to 40 lb, and operate computer hardware systems. Vision requirements include close, distance, color, peripheral, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Pay

Salary: $32.72 – $36.12 per hour.