Advocate - Head Start (Part Time)

Since 1903, YWCA Spokane has been helping women and children overcome social, economic, and personal barriers in order to accomplish their goals and achieve healthier and more fulfilling lives. Today, areas of focus include supporting victims of intimate partner domestic violence, promoting early childhood education, and fostering the economic advancement of women. In addition to providing free, confidential, and trauma‑informed programs and services to approximately 14,000 in and around Spokane, YWCA is focused on confronting racial and social justice issues impacting our clients and our community. Position Shelter Advocate - AUG 2026

Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time

Hours Per Week Work Status: Full-time, hourly, non-exempt; Schedule: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Shift Swing

Benefits and Compensation Base Pay Range: $21.77-$26.12 per hour, depending on experience

Base Pay Range: $21.77-$26.12 per hour, depending on experience

Night Shift Differential — $5 per hour shift differential for all applicable night shift hours worked

Bilingual Pay Differential — additional $3 per hour pay premium for employees who utilize a qualifying second language in the workplace, applicable to all hours worked

Work Status: Full-time, hourly, non-exempt

Schedule: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM; Medical, dental and vision insurance

Employer Paid Life Insurance

12 Paid Holidays

Employee Assistance Program

Employer funded retirement plan & 401K options

Ongoing training and development

Flexible Spending & Dependent Care Account Options

*YWCA Spokane is looking to hire a Shelter Advocate. The Shelter Advocate’s primary function is to provide support to survivors of domestic violence in our safe shelter and 24/7 helpline. Offering compassionate listening, safety planning, and advocacy. Assisting with intake safety planning, crisis intervention, and ongoing emotional support, ensuring survivors' needs are met and YWCA services are safe and supportive.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Collaborating with survivors to create personalized safety plans, ensuring their immediate needs are met.

Offering resources, conducting screenings into shelter, and providing advocacy‑based support, particularly during high‑demand periods, including LAP (Lethality Assessment Protocol) support with law enforcement.

Triaging and referring eligible crisis line callers for CE assessment in partnership with housing programs.

Direct Services to Shelter Residents

Providing ongoing safety planning, domestic violence education, crisis intervention, and emotional support to residents.

Conducting intake for new shelter residents, including

Ensuring residents’ basic needs are met, such as support with medical aid, bedding, clothing, hygiene items, and food with a focus on comfort and safety.

Fostering an atmosphere of empowerment, safety, and dignity within the shelter, checking in regularly with residents and offering support as needed.

Providing ongoing advocacy and emotional support throughout a resident’s stay, assessing their changing needs.

Supporting quality assurance checks to evaluate service effectiveness and make necessary adjustments to ensure survivors' needs are met in a trauma‑informed manner.

Adhering to confidentiality standards and ensuring privileged communication in all interactions with residents.

Providing ongoing support for residents' safety planning and connecting them with necessary services such as legal aid, housing, healthcare, and community resources.

Documentation and Compliance

Maintaining detailed and accurate resident files in accordance with YWCA standards and requirements set by funding agencies.

Shelter Operations Support

Ensuring appropriate stock levels of essential supplies (food, hygiene items, etc.) to meet the needs of residents.

Assisting with room turnover, ensuring resident belongings are safely packed, and rooms are cleaned according to the room turnover checklist.

Completing and signing off on the nightly shelter maintenance checklist when working overnight to ensure a clean, safe environment for all residents.

Sorting and storing donations, ensuring they are distributed equitably based on residents' preferences and needs. Ensuring that items given to residents are safe, clean, and in good repair. Reporting low or out‑of‑stock items using the shelter’s order request form. For non‑urgent maintenance issues, following the shelter’s maintenance request process.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Bachelor’s degree in a social sciences or related field OR equivalent combination of education and experience required.

Experience in the domestic violence-related field is preferred.

Minimum of 1 year of experience working in direct services, preferably with survivors of domestic violence or in a shelter environment.

Experience providing crisis intervention, safety planning, and resource referrals is highly preferred.

Experience working with diverse populations, particularly those from marginalized or underserved communities.

Must meet the requirements of YWCA Spokane’s Driver Policy for transportation between the agency and shelter locations.

Must have active personal auto insurance

Must maintain 20 hours of ongoing training on domestic violence issues annually.

Commitment to Equity and Inclusion - Strive to create fair and just conditions for all, while recognizing systemic inequities. Foster a sense of belonging that promotes diversity, works to address barriers, and ensures that everyone, across all backgrounds and identities, has access to the same opportunities and resources.

Adapt to the current situation by contributing solution‑oriented ideas while advocating for the support needed to reset and achieve set goals.

Problem Solving and Critical Thinking - Help identify potential solutions to challenges proactively. Contribute ideas, perspectives, and strategies that contribute toward informed decisions that align with the agency’s mission and values while helping to achieve set goals.

Human‑Centered Approach - Prioritize providing compassionate, respectful service that aims to create solutions that are not only functional and effective but also meaningful and engaging for clients, staff, and our community.

Effective Interpersonal Skills - Be supportive, kind, empathetic, and patient with colleagues, administrators, clients, and community partners. YWCA Spokane values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBT individuals, and people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, veterans, and survivors of domestic violence to apply.

*Applications that do not include both a resume and cover letter may not be accepted.

Additional Requirements Must meet the requirements of YWCA Spokane's Driver Policy for transportation between the agency and shelter locations.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

This position is currently accepting applications.

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