On-Call Shelter Advocate

Who We Are

Asian Women United of Minnesota (AWUM) is a community-based, nonprofit organization committed to ending domestic violence by promoting safe and healthy relationships within the Asian Pacific Islander community. We are a leader in eliminating violence in the Asian-Pacific Islander community, and share the expertise of our best practices with others. Using the strengths of the API community, AWUM will uphold an environment free of violence, promote self-sufficiency for women, and foster nurtured and healthy children and families. Our intention is to fill in a gap by providing domestic violence shelter and support to Asian women, including those of Hmong, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Filipina, Chinese, Lao, South Asian, Korean and Thai descent. While AWUM employs staff who are specially equipped to serve the unique needs of these populations, our domestic violence shelter is open to all women.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

Asian Women United of Minnesota (AWUM) relies on compassionate, diverse, and talented individuals to ensure that we provide the best services possible to every woman and child who seeks our help. Whether you’re looking for a career, part-time job, or internship, working at AWUM is a deeply rewarding experience. Everyone who is involved with our mission is a part of changing lives, not just for one woman or one child, but for the entire community. We truly are changing the world, one person at a time.

Wage

$20 per hour

Benefits

Paid Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST); AWUM sponsors a retirement plan with 4% employer match plus a 2% employer contribution after one year of service and immediate vesting.

Because AWUM is a member with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) who partners with St. Mary’s University, AWUM employees and their spouses are also eligible for the following benefits at St. Mary’s University:

• Discounted tuition for Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate programs
• Professional development opportunities
• Access to advancement (internships, job placement, field practice)

Schedule

The On-Call Shelter Advocate does not work a set schedule and plays a vital role in the functioning of the shelter by filling in open shifts, which may be during the day, afternoons/evenings, awake overnights, weekends, or on the holidays. The hours for this role will vary week to week and may include between 8 – 24 weekly hours. AWUM is currently looking for candidates to be available to work the evening and overnight shifts 11pm-7am and 3pm-11 pm on weekends, holidays and if needed on weeknights.

AWUM is seeking an On-Call Shelter Advocate to provide trauma-informed support to residents at a 24/7/365 domestic violence shelter. This position ensures the safety and confidentiality of the shelter and its residents, acts as a point of contact for residents during their shifts, and assists the Shelter Advocates in meeting the needs of the residents. Responsibilities will include the following:

• Provide staffing support for the shelter and ensure residents’ needs are met.
• Answer crisis calls and ensure the shelter is locked and safe at all times.
• Assist shelter residents with their daily needs, referring them to their assigned Shelter Advocate as needed for case management.
• Maintain complete record of child and woman's current situation and progress — updating house log, change over, and night count.
• Consult with Shelter Advocates and leadership as needed to triage crisis situations or new intakes.
• Keep Shelter Director informed of all progress and situations that may affect the progress of the families.
• Ensure the safety and confidentiality of the shelter and its residents.
• Provide facilities coverage as needed or directed by the Shelter Director.

Who You Are

• Preferably, you have a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, sociology, criminal justice, or a related field—or equivalent knowledge gained through education and lived experience (degree not required).
• You are fluent or conversational in Hmong, Vietnamese, Chinese, Tagalog, or Karen (highly preferred).
• You understand trauma-informed care and how to support individuals affected by domestic violence.
• You remain composed and effective in crisis situations and work respectfully across diverse cultures, communities, and languages.
• You communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• You are dependable and timely, ensuring consistent attendance for all scheduled shifts.

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of AWUM. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements. Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, age, marital status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, criminal history (justice-impacted status), housing or homelessness status, height, or weight.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

AWUM participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. See E-Verify’s official poster at See E-Verify’s Right to Work poster at

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.