Life Coach

About the Role

Life Coaches will work with clients in the 24/7 Emergency Housing facility operated by the YWCA of Seattle, King, and Snohomish County. Their primary goal is to support clients’ transition from homelessness to permanent housing through comprehensive intake and individualized services such as housing navigation and employment support. Life Coaches help clients overcome barriers to stability, build essential life skills, and maintain long‑term housing and self‑sufficiency.

• Provide high‑quality, structured, culturally responsive, trauma‑informed case management, resource coordination, and stability planning.
• Utilize the principles of Motivational Interviewing, Housing First, and Harm Reduction to assist clients in developing a Housing Stability Action Plan.
• Conduct periodic room inspections to ensure client rooms and bathrooms remain clean, neat, and free of damage.
• Help prepare and distribute daily cold‑prepared meals to clients.
• Incorporate the YWCA Social Justice Initiative by understanding how racism, sexism, classism, and other oppress ions intersect within institutions.
• Treat all visitors, clients, staff, and volunteers with respect and dignity regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic background.

• Maintain working knowledge of fire, safety, and disaster plans related to emergency situations.
• Maintain client, visitor, and staff confidentiality, sharing information only with supervisor approval.
• De‑escalate conflicts or crises and direct them to appropriate staff for next steps.

• Maintain accurate client records, including case notes, assessments, and progress reports.
• Follow all policies outlined in the EDNSC Staff Handbook and YWCA policies and procedures.

Other duties may be assigned as needed.

• Experience with case management, motivational interviewing, mental health, chemical dependency, and domestic violence.
• Bachelor’s degree in a social services related field and at least two years of case management experience with low‑income, homeless, or chronically homeless households. Preference for chemical dependency and/or mental health background.
• Associate’s degree in a social services related field and at least five years of case management experience with low‑income or chronically homeless clients, or any combination of skills that demonstrate the ability to perform this job effectively.
• Comprehensive understanding of homelessness, poverty, and trauma issues, especially as they affect veterans, families, the elderly, disabled, people with chronic mental illness, youth, LGBTQI individuals, immigrants, refugees, and people of color.
• Knowledge or experience providing crisis intervention, domestic violence support, child abuse, substance abuse, mental health, welfare rights, case management, sexual assault, employment services, child development, or positive parenting skills.
• Familiarity with services available in Snohomish County and the greater Puget Sound region for low‑income or homeless individuals.
• Strong organizational, time‑management, and prioritization skills; ability to manage multiple clients and tasks simultaneously.
• Attention to detail, oral and written communication skills, initiative, collaboration, ethics, and integrity.
• Basic computer literacy, including Outlook, Microsoft Word, Excel, and SharePoint.
• Ability to respond appropriately in emergency situations, including de‑escalation, crisis response, and safety protocols.
• Experience working with culturally diverse populations, including BIPOC, LGBTQI, immigrants, refugees, and differently abled individuals.
• Ability to listen and respond to client needs and concerns.
• Maintain professional client/staff boundaries per YWCA policy.
• Maintain a calm, caring, and professional demeanor, especially in stressful situations.

• Hourly Rate: $28.00
• Hours:
  
  40 hours per week
• Benefits include medical insurance, retirement plan, generous vacation, holiday, and sick leave plans. Employees may enroll voluntarily in the Fidelity 403b Plan and can participate in the YWCA retirement fund after two years of employment.