Shelter Life Coach

About the Organization

YWCA Seattle King Snohomish (YWCA SKS) is the region’s largest non-profit organization with a 120+ year legacy, focused on the needs of women, with programs serving 7,000 people each year. The organization is women and BIPOC-led, family-centered, and supportive of employees. As a full-time employee (30+ hours), you’ll contribute to racial equity and social justice while making a tangible difference in the community.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive family assessments, including screening, intake, and placement into emergency shelter, to ensure families are connected with the services that best meet their needs.
• Partner with YWCA Employment Services staff to develop individualized family development plans that support both housing stability and employment goals.
• Meet regularly with assigned families to provide ongoing coaching, coordinate services, help navigate community resources, remove barriers to permanent housing, and celebrate progress toward goals.
• Apply best practices in housing navigation and case management through a culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approach.
• Facilitate life skills classes and educational workshops that equip participants with the knowledge and practical skills needed to achieve housing stability, financial independence, and long-term success.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with partner hotels and motels to support smooth shelter operations and ensure families have a safe, respectful experience.
• Participate actively in supervision, team meetings, case consultations, and ongoing professional development.
• Collaborate with colleagues across YWCA programs, including Children and Youth Services, Gender-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention, Economic Advancement, and Health and Safety, to provide coordinated, holistic support for families.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with schools, healthcare providers, government agencies, landlords, employers, and other community organizations to expand resources and improve outcomes for participants.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and complete case documentation in accordance with agency, funder, and program requirements.
• Contribute to a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable workplace by actively participating in the YWCA's Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) and incorporating equity and anti-racism principles into daily work with participants, colleagues, and community partners.

Requirements

• At least 2 years of direct social service experience, including 1 year working with low-income and/or homeless families and/or victims of domestic violence OR a Bachelor’s Degree with at least 1 year of direct social service experience working with low-income and/or homeless families.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills in basic computer competencies such as emailing, calendaring, entry-level data entry, and familiarity with Microsoft Office products.
• Knowledge of available resources in Seattle-King County for low-income/homeless families.
• Knowledge of mental health, drug, and alcohol issues preferred.
• Experience working with communities of color and people from different cultures than your own.
• Valid Washington State Driver License, personal vehicle, insurance, and an acceptable driving record (no more than 2 moving violations within a year and no accidents within 3 years).
• Ability and willingness to work independently and as part of a team.

Core Competencies

• Initiative
• Collaboration
• Achieving Measurable Results
• Ethics and Integrity
• Problem Solving
• Race & Social Justice Advocacy
• Fostering Diversity

Pay

Hourly starting pay rate: $28.00 per hour.

Schedule

Full-time, 40 hours per week. Non-exempt position under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Generous vacation, holiday, and sick leave plans
• Outstanding retirement plan (eligibility after completing at least 1,000 hours in a 12-month period or over two years; prior YWCA service may count toward eligibility if reemployment occurs within two years).

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities.

• Continuously communicate and exchange information by listening and speaking with participants, agency staff, landlords, employers, and community partners.
• Frequently stand, walk, sit, bend, climb stairs, and move throughout office, shelter, hotel, motel, and community settings.
• Frequently use computers, telephones, and other office equipment to complete documentation and administrative duties.
• Occasionally access participant living spaces, including hotel rooms, shelter units, or apartments that may require climbing stairs.
• Frequently travel throughout King and Snohomish counties using a personal vehicle (travel may account for up to 50% of the work schedule).
• Occasionally lift and carry materials weighing up to 20 pounds.

Definitions: Continuously = Over 80% of the time; Frequently = 20-80% of the time; Occasionally = Under 20% of the time.

Additional Considerations

• This role involves working with individuals who have experienced trauma, including domestic violence, sexual violence, homelessness, unemployment, and financial hardship. Employees may be exposed to secondary trauma and are encouraged to practice self-care and utilize available support resources.
• YWCA values lived expertise—the insights, knowledge, and skills developed by those who have navigated systems and experienced inequity—as a powerful asset in building trust and developing culturally responsive programs.