Housing Advocate Shift Lead (Day Shift

Housing Advocate Shift Lead

The Housing Advocate Shift Lead plays a key leadership role in fostering a safe, welcoming, and empowering environment for all shelter guests and team members. This position provides day-to-day direction, mentorship, and support to team members to ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery. The Lead Advocate helps maintain a strengths-based, trauma-informed culture that promotes collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning across all shifts.

This role acts as a bridge between direct service staff and program leadership, helping to communicate expectations clearly, encourage professional growth, and model integrity and compassion in every interaction.

• Welcome and engage each client with empathy, compassion, and respect, creating a supportive atmosphere that promotes trust and safety.
• Conduct client intake, orientation, and initial screenings to ensure smooth transitions into shelter services.
• Build positive rapport and encourage client strengths, resilience, and progress toward housing stability.
• Provide crisis support and de-escalation using trauma-informed and person-centered approaches.
• Ensure client access to essential services such as meals, showers, laundry, clothing, and hygiene supplies in a respectful and equitable manner.

• Promote and maintain a clean, safe, and secure shelter environment through regular health and safety checks.
• Conduct weekly room inspections and provide constructive feedback in a supportive and solution-focused way.
• Monitor shelter spaces and respond calmly and effectively to safety concerns or emergencies.
• Support facility organization, cleanliness, and the management of supplies and donations.
• Oversee client belongings stored on-site, maintaining organization and accountability.

Leadership, Team Development & Collaboration

• Serve as an on-site leader and resource for staff, ensuring smooth operations and a unified team approach across shifts.
• Model professionalism, empathy, and accountability in all interactions with clients and colleagues.
• Foster an inclusive, positive, and collaborative work culture that values each team member's contributions.
• Provide guidance, feedback, and informal coaching to staff, helping them develop their confidence and skills.
• Support new team members through on-site orientation, training, and mentorship opportunities.
• Communicate schedule changes, call-offs, and staffing needs to the Program Manager, assisting with coverage when needed.
• Participate actively in team meetings and collaborative problem-solving to strengthen shelter operations.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with colleagues, volunteers, donors, contractors, and partner agencies.

Documentation & Compliance

• Accurately record client interactions, incidents, and shelter activities in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
• Track and report daily census, bed availability, and referral activity.
• Complete timely and objective incident and shift reports.
• Support adherence to agency policies, procedures, and grant compliance requirements.
• Participate in required trainings to enhance professional growth and service quality.

Professional Skills

• Ability to use technology, including Microsoft office, an electronic database.
• Ability to document/communicate effectively verbally, in writing, and via email.
• Ability to work effectively as a team, demonstrating a professional demeanor and maintaining clear lines of communication with teammates and leadership.
• Professionally represent NSO and promote NSO mission and vision statements.
• Promote a harmonious work environment.
• Ensure consumer satisfaction through process of monitoring, improving, and delivering excellence in program services.
• Open to new approaches and taking the steps to increase knowledge, skills and abilities, both from within and outside NSO.
• Model the Pillars and guiding principles of NSO at all times.
• Compassionate, trauma-informed, and client-centered approach
• Strong leadership and team-building skills
• Effective coaching, mentoring, and conflict resolution abilities
• Clear, respectful, and professional communication
• Sound judgment and crisis intervention ability
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and continuous improvement

Candidate Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED
• Experience in customer service, human services or related field preferred but not required.
• Some completion of college coursework in Social Work, Psychology or related field preferred but not required
• Reliable Transportation

Working Conditions and Necessary Capabilities

• Works in a homeless shelter type setting; uses a computer, telephone and other office equipment as needed, to perform duties.
• The noise level in the work environment is variable, due to frequent contact with consumers
• Seeing/vision, talking/speaking and listening/hearing are continuously required.
• Ability to stand for long periods of time, walk long distances, bend, stoop,…