The Emergency Shelter Worker completes resident intake and monitors and attends to the well being and safety of residents during their shift. Maintains a comfortable, clean, and safe environment. This is a benefited position upon successful completion of the probation or trial period.
All Emergency Housing Services program staff are employees of Nelson CARES Society. The philosophy of Nelson CARES Society is to work collaboratively and cooperatively internally and in the community. Organizational values are based on personal independence, social justice, safety, dignity, respect for diversity, and equity. Activities are carried out within an anti-poverty, anti-oppressive and anti-violence context.
Reporting to the Front-Line Supervisor, the Emergency Shelter Worker completes resident intake and monitors and attends to the well being and safety of residents during their shift. Maintains a comfortable, clean, and safe environment. This position requires union membership with CUPE.
Job description is available upon request.
Job Posting #: 8_2026_ESW 4
Classification: Temporary Part-Time (ESW4)
Shift Details:
Schedule A: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday from 11:00pm to 7:00am
Schedule B: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday from 11:00pm to 7:00am
Job Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to use intervention processes that are sensitive to age, income, gender, racial, and ethnic cultural issues.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, to work independently with minimal direction, to take initiative, to organize, prioritize and meet deadlines.
- Ability to establish rapport with residents.
- Demonstrated ability to establish/maintain satisfactory work relationships with the public, co-workers, and other agency staff.
- Experience/willingness to learn how to work with individuals who have a disability and/or substance use and/or mental health issue.
- Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
- Demonstrated ability and competency in computer literacy.
- Ability to carry out the physical and mental demands of the position.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Completes resident intakes and monitors residents through the shift and attends to any safety and behavioral needs that arise during the shift.
- Notifies supervisor of any major problems or emergencies. Responds to emergencies in accordance with established policy and procedures.
- Ensure the residents follow shelter rules.
- Ensures that logbooks, resident records, and other documentation such as incident reports and HIFIS data entry are complete as per established policies and procedures.
- Prepares, cooks, serves and/or delivers meals and snacks, including those for special dietary needs and special occasions, in accordance with food safe standards and following the established menu plan.
- Performs housekeeping duties such as general cleaning, sweeping, vacuuming, washing floors, dusting, emptying garbage, cleaning, and laundry. Performs minor building maintenance such as changing light bulbs. Reports maintenance needs to the supervisor.
- Is courteous to Mental Health Substance Use, Case Managers, Community Health, Transition Support and Street Outreach staff as well as other relevant community workers and professionals when they are on site to work with a resident such as police and ambulance services.
- Works in a respectful manner with co-workers and other Nelson CARES staff.
- Ensure the office is kept organized and clean.
- Maintains health and safety standards.
- Secures the building, ensure alarms are set and doors and windows are locked.
- Performs other related duties as assigned by the Manager.
Education, Training and Experience:
- A minimum of grade 12 is required. Post-secondary certificate in human services or related field or the equivalent experience and education is preferred.
- Minimum of 6 months experience working with homeless or at risk of homeless populations or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- Understanding and knowledge of working with vulnerable populations, including those with disabilities, substance use issues, and mental health issues is highly recommended.
Specific Qualifications:
To be completed upon hire and before the probation period is completed
1. Valid WorkSafe BC Basic First Aid equivalent (Formerly known as Emergency First Aid/CPR-A)
2. Food Safe Certificate
3. Tuberculosis skin test
4. Satisfactory Criminal Record Check (application to be completed by Nelson CARES upon hiring)
5. Naloxone training (to be trained when hired)
6. Valid Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training Certification (to be trained when hired)
7. WHMIS 2015 Training (to be trained when hired) 8. Bullying and Harassment training (to be trained when hired)
*In-house Training provided by Nelson CARES
Start Date: Mutually agreed upon by employee/union/management
How to Apply:
Please e-mail a cover letter and current resume to:
Joanne Motta
Housing Director – Nelson CARES Society
Email: [email protected]
(Please indicate position and job posting number on the subject line)
Nelson CARES Society is an equal opportunity employer. Only short-listed external candidates will be contacted. All internal applicants will be contacted as to the status of their applications.
Position will be filled through a competition/selection process.
This position requires the candidate to be a CUPE member.
Pay: $24.97 per hour
Application question(s):
- Do you have a minimum of 6 month's experience working with homeless or at-risk of homeless population, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience? Please explain.
Education:
- Secondary School (required)
Work Location: In person
