The Shelter Team Lead plays a vital role in advancing The Mustard Seed’s mission by fostering a professional, respectful, and welcoming environment for all who enter the space and live in the neighborhood. Reporting to the Shelter Manager, this position is responsible for overseeing daily building operations and shift activities. The Shelter Team Lead provides leadership and mentorship to a team of Housing Focused Shelter Workers, ensuring the smooth execution of shelter services and person-centered support for shelter participants. This role requires strong crisis intervention and conflict resolution skills, as well as the ability to coach and guide staff, ensuring a safe, supportive, and well-managed space for both shelter participants and employees.
About Us: The Mustard Seed is a certified humanitarian organization whose vision is to build community, grow hope and support change. The Mustard Seed combats the root causes of poverty across Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, striving to create lasting, positive impacts in the lives of those we serve. In addition to providing essential services—such as food, clothing, and shelter—we are expanding our support offerings to include health & wellness centers, education programs, employment coaching, and permanent supportive housing to those living in poverty within Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.
Position Type: Full time position - Monday to Friday 11:00pm to 7:00am
Reporting to: Shelter Manager
Location: The Mustard Seed Shelter, Saskatoon, SK
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide supportive and proactive leadership to the Housing Focused Shelter Workers, ensuring their tasks and responsibilities are completed effectively.
- Lead shift teams, offer mentorship, and oversee employees and volunteers during shifts.
- Provide regular feedback, guidance, and encouragement to Housing Focused Shelter Workers, fostering a positive team environment.
- Collaborate with the Shelter Manager on staffing and operational needs.
- Conduct intakes, assessments, and referrals for individuals using shelter services.
- Work closely with Housing Focused Shelter Workers on case management, offering guidance and training when needed.
- Serve as the primary contact for Housing Focused Shelter Workers when managing shift coverage and coordinating absences using the provided company cell phone.
- Respond promptly to messages and calls directed to the team lead phone, ensuring clear and timely communication.
- Carry a caseload of 7-8 clients, helping participants set and achieve short- and long-term housing goals.
- Ensure the shelter remains a warm, safe, and clean environment for participants.
- Build trusting relationships with vulnerable individuals, providing person-centered care and support.
- Engage in spiritual conversations with shelter participants and staff comfortably and appropriately.
- Enforce shelter rules and expectations, handling conflicts and providing crisis intervention when necessary.
- Partner with the Restoration Committee to facilitate re-entry and reconciliation conversations with suspended shelter participants.
- Follow health and safety protocols, ensuring all emergency systems are operational.
- Make decisions to support staff and shelter participants in emergency situations.
- Maintain accurate records, complete daily reports, and ensure proper data collection.
- Respect and maintain appropriate boundaries with shelter participants.
- Facilitate team debriefs and daily pre-shift briefings.
- Ensure client records are kept confidential and updated in client database system using FDARP.
- Participate in all staff training, meetings, and one-on-one sessions.
- Ensure compliance with health and safety policies, promptly submitting incident reports when necessary.
Qualifications and Skills
- Diploma and/or certificate in Human Services, Social Work, or relevant fields is an asset.
- Strong desire to work with vulnerable populations, particularly those experiencing homelessness.
- Minimum 2 years of experience working in a frontline capacity within the social services sector.
- Knowledge and experience working with mental health issues and addictions.
- Cultural sensitivity and respect for client individuality and self-determination.
- A broad knowledge of and experience working with Indigenous communities is an asset.
- Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) and conflict resolution abilities.
- Effective problem-solving skills.
- Proven leadership capabilities and the ability to provide both positive and critical feedback.
- Self-starter with the ability to work independently and collaboratively in a cross-functional team.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build strong relationships.
- High degree of professionalism, integrity, discretion, and tact in dealing with confidential matters.
- Valid Standard First Aid and Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Certification.
- Proficiency in MS Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Working Conditions
- This position involves working in a challenging and potentially volatile environment where you may encounter racial slurs, name-calling, and derogatory comments from community members. It requires resilience, conflict resolution skills, and the ability to maintain professionalism and composure in the face of adversity. Training and support will be provided to ensure your safety and well-being.
- This role demands varied mental and emotional effort. The team lead must effectively respond to intense situations, provide conflict resolution, and work directly with clients at risk.
- The position is often fast-paced and requires a moderate level of mental effort to analyze information, solve problems, and process documents and data.
- Successful execution of essential job functions involves responding appropriately to intense situations (including traumatic incidents), resolving conflicts, working directly with at-risk clients, and providing necessary information.
- The working environment for this position requires moderate amounts of walking, climbing, standing, sitting, lifting, carrying, and daily interactions with colleagues and shelter participants.
- This position requires training in usage of a two-way radio communications; MS Office based computer programming, as well as client database systems, FDARP, FOIP, First aid, NVCI, and SafeTALK.
Additional Requirements:
- An Employment Background Check is required for all positions at The Mustard Seed.
- As The Mustard Seed is a Christian ministry, we require our employees to agree to respect and not detract from The Mustard Seed’s Employment Values during their employment at The Mustard Seed.
- Must have legal authorization to work in Canada on a full-time basis for anyone other than current employer.
Compensation & Benefits
- The Mustard Seed offers a competitive compensation package including 100% employer paid extended health and dental benefits for staff and dependents.
- All The Mustard Seed employees have access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program, which provides support for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, addressing mental health concerns, and focusing on personal development in various areas.
- An overnight premium is provided for all overnight shifts to recognize and compensate for the unique demands of working during these hours.
NOTE
- Your privacy is important to us. The information we collect is used solely for consideration for employment.
- We thank all candidates for their interest, however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. The Mustard Seed reserves the right to amend job advertisements. No phone calls please.
- Please visit our careers (https://theseed.easyapply.co/) page to see more job opportunities.
