Shelter Monitor (Seasonal)

Description

PACEM is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving adults experiencing homelessness in greater Charlottesville. Our low-barrier, overnight-only shelter sites rotate bi-weekly in host spaces from November 2, 2024 – April 18, 2025. We offer a hot meal and warm bed to 35 men and 15 women each night for 24 weeks, and we partner with other organizations to ensure anyone beyond our means or capacity is referred to a similar safe space. Our purpose as an organization is to alleviate the challenges of homelessness through compassionate support, relationship building, and facilitation of services. Learn more about our services online at www.pacemshelter.org.

Shelter Monitors provide essential, aware coverage and supervision of the shelter. Shelter Monitors work under the supervision of a Shelter Director and in close cooperation with PACEM guests, host volunteers, and other PACEM staff. This position is responsible for ensuring the welfare, safety, and comfort of our shelter guests, while also providing them with daily support. Detailed job duties are described below. As a Shelter Monitor, being on time is essential, along with coordination and taking directions from team members and volunteers. Shelter Monitors provide high-quality customer service and care to a highly vulnerable population, and participate in activities such as walking, lifting, and cleaning. Our operations run every night throughout the season, including weekends and holidays.

Effective Shelter Monitors instill compassion, empathy and a genuine desire to help others. In this job you help rebuild the lives of individuals in crisis by reaffirming their humanity and dignity. The ideal candidate is a self-starter with the ability to navigate stressful situations with grace and discernment. Reliable transportation to rotating shelter sites is required. Training in shelter operations, trauma-informed care, inclusion and equity, and other areas is required of all staff.

Job Duties

Intake Monitors: 2.5-hour security shifts from 5:00pm to 7:30pm, and 4.5-hour shifts from 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Intake is when guests arrive, eat, and settle in for the night. Case management and other service or socialization activities also happen during this timeframe. On this shift you can expect to:
• complete supervisory rounds of the site (indoor/outdoor), responding to issues appropriately
• greet guests and complete paperwork, symptom checks, and safety checks
• support Director and Lead Volunteer in providing safety and evening information prior to dinner
• complete bed change-overs and other cleaning tasks
• respond appropriately to guest and volunteer inquiries in person and by phone, as needed
• coordinate with emergency services providers appropriately by phone and in person, as needed
• record shift notes every shift and submit Incident Reports as needed
• transfer duties to Overnight Monitor

Overnight Shelter Monitors: 10-hour shifts from 9:15 p.m. to 7:15 a.m.
Overnight begins slowly, as most guests are asleep or quiet. The shift ends with helping guests leave the site on time and then conducting final safety and cleanliness checks. On this shift you can expect to:
• complete supervisory rounds of the site (indoor/outdoor)
• responding to issues appropriately/proportionately
• maintain appropriate conversation topics and noise levels in site spaces
• greet approved late-coming guests and complete paperwork, symptom checks, and safety checks
• manage stocks of supplies
• complete bed change-overs and other cleaning tasks, as needed
• respond appropriately to guest and volunteer inquiries in person and by phone, as needed
• coordinate with emergency services providers appropriately by phone and in person, as needed
• request assistance from On-Call Director, as needed
• record shift notes every shift and submit incident reports as needed
• assist guests in waking up, preparing themselves, and leaving in a timely manner
• complete essential final safety and cleanliness checks once all guests have vacated the site
• transfer duties to Director team

Skills Required

Not sure if you’re the right match? Here are our minimum and preferred qualifications (it’s alright if you don’t meet them all):
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Oral and written fluency in English
• Technology proficient (iPhone, laptop, internet, walkie-talkie)
• Walk regularly and lift 10-lbs throughout shift; up to 50-lbs on occasion
• CPR certification or willingness to obtain
• Understand and comply with health and safety regulations, to include COVID protocols as recommended by CDC
• Up to date vaccinations strongly preferred (TB, Flu, COVID, etc)

Work Schedule

Evenings, 5pm-7am, from Nov 2, 2024 through April 18, 2025. Includes all holidays and weekends.

Additional Info

Invitation to Apply:
At PACEM, we uphold the values of Respect, Partnership, and Equity. We strive to embody these principles within our shelter and expect the same from our guests and community partners. We are dedicated to providing a living wage of $20 per hour. Our guests and team thrive on diverse perspectives, which include lived experiences of homelessness, safe interactions with the criminal justice system, representation from historically marginalized communities, and a wide range of skills in hospitality, security, and human services. We welcome all applicants.

To apply, send your current resume and a letter of interest to: hiring@pacemshelter.org

Your resume should be an attached PDF or Word document.

The letter of interest can be in the body of the email or an attached document. It should be brief (2-3 paragraphs), highlight your experience (share info not on your resume), and should help us understand:
(1) How your work and/or lived experience make you a great fit to the Shelter Monitor position;
(2) What motivates you to work with PACEM, specifically, and our homeless neighbors, and;
(3) Whether your interest is primarily in the intake shifts or the overnight shifts.