Shelter Life Coach

Why work with 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. When you work with YWCA, you make a difference.

We’re women and BIPOC-led, family-centered, and supportive of employees. As a full-time YWCA employee (30+ hours), you’ll enjoy a benefits package including medical insurance, generous vacation, holiday, sick leave plans, and an outstanding retirement plan. Put your passion for racial equity and social justice to work –

As a Shelter Life Coach, you'll work alongside families experiencing homelessness as they take the next steps toward stable housing and greater self sufficiency. You'll provide compassionate, strengths based support while helping participants navigate barriers, connect with resources, and achieve their housing and employment goals.

You’ll serve families staying in emergency shelter, including hotels, motels, and individual shelter units, and provide individualized coaching focused on securing permanent housing as quickly as possible. This includes housing search and placement, landlord engagement, financial coaching, employment support, and connecting participants with community resources that promote long term stability.

Working closely with the Housing Program Manager and an interdisciplinary team, you’ll help implement innovative housing and employment strategies that strengthen the connection between housing stability and living wage employment. Every day offers the opportunity to build meaningful relationships, solve complex challenges, and make a lasting impact for families in our community.

• 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

• 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 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 of basic computer competencies such as emailing, calendaring, entry-level data entry and familiarity with…