Shelter Care Support Team Lead

FAITH FAMILY CHURCH CHRISTIAN FAITH OUTREACH; Ajax; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Christian Faith Outreach Centre - Doors of Compassion (CFOC-DOC) seeks a Shelter Care and Support Team Lead. This role guides frontline shelter operations, ensures compassionate, trauma-informed care, and supports the supervisor and team members to manage a low-barrier shelter.

You will oversee safety, training, and data integrity while coordinating with management. The position requires evening/night shifts, and a commitment to vulnerable populations and equity in service delivery.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in health-related field or closely related area with relevant experience.
• Strong leadership and mentorship abilities, time management, and decision-making skills.
• Able to communicate effectively with peers, management, patrons, and service partners.
• Ability to work under pressure with vulnerable populations.
• Deep knowledge of homelessness, mental illness, and substance use; trauma-informed approaches.
• Strong administrative and computer skills including MS Office and data collection tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to build diverse relationships.
• Self-starter, initiative-driven, and able to prioritize workload both independently and in a team.
• Flexible to work evenings and overnight shifts, with on-call rotation.
• Valid driver's license; second language and knowledge of Durham Region’s sector are assets.
• Current CPR/First Aid, Crisis Prevention and Intervention, Vulnerable Sector Check

Responsibilities

• Assist with oversight of co-ed, low-barrier emergency shelters to provide care for patrons.
• Coordinate with supervisor and team members to ensure smooth operations.
• Monitor inventory and assist with procurement of program supplies.
• Maintain confidential files and comply with PIPEDA and health regulations.
• Lead shift debriefings and facilitate monthly team meetings.
• Support onboarding, training, and development of team members.
• Report safety incidents and ensure proper enforcement of conduct codes.
• Deliver hands-on training and document attendance and task completion.
• Ensure documentation accuracy and timely reporting to supervisors.

Skills

Leadership

Shelter Operations

Team Coordination

Communication

Trauma-informed care

Education

Post-secondary education in health-related field

Job description

Organization:Christian Faith Outreach Centre - Doors of Compassion (CFOC-DOC)

Employment Type:Full-time, permanent
Work Schedule:4 days per week (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday). There would also be a weekly rotation (2:30 pm-10:30 pm and 10:30 pm-6:30 am).

Reports To:Supervisor, Shelter Care & Support Team

About CFOC-Doors of Compassion

CFOC-Doors of Compassion is a low-barrier, trauma-informed Christian-based organization supporting people experiencing homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity. We are an equitable employer, hiring individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and walks of life. CFOC-DOC operates emergency shelters, housing programs, and peer and community support programs. Our work is grounded in compassion, equity, and person-centred care.

CFOC-DOC values are Integrity, Compassion, Agility, Relationships, and Equity. These are not just statements but a way of being. Our Vision is: Transforming Lives, Impacting Communities.

Purpose of the position:The CFOC-DOC Shelter Care and Support Team Lead is an administrative and frontline shelter support person to the CFOC-DOC Shelter Care and Support Team Supervisor, all CFOC-DOC Shelter Care and Support Team Members and patrons. This position is responsible for assisting with the administration and oversight of co‑ed, low‑barrier emergency shelters to provide care for patrons experiencing homelessness.

What You'll Do

Assistance with Oversight

• Available to work evenings and overnights Friday – Monday, with occasional changes in regular schedule to accommodate meetings as required, as well as for emergency and on‑call rotation
• Ensure CFOC-DOC operations are coordinated with respective supervisor/management, collaboration with team members and patrons
• Monitor monthly inventory supply requests and submit to the supervisor.
• Assist with program and supply shopping as needed.
• Maintain files and other confidential information in accordance with PIPEDA guidelines.
• Work within the policies, procedures and regulations as required by CFOC-DOC and under the Ontario Health & Safety Act.
• Ensure all safety guidelines are in compliance with health standards and followed at all times by CFOC-DOC team members and patrons, proper sterilization and hygiene practices, social distancing and masking where required
• Assist with onboarding of new team members, additional training and team development, and follow‑up with minor disciplinary actions.
• Lead team shift change debriefing sessions to address challenges and ensure the team is working in a unified, patron‑focused lens.
• Assist the supervisor with facilitating monthly team meetings (bring forward topics of concern as identified from the frontline shelter team and/or patrons).
• Identify and facilitate areas for ongoing skills development for all CFOC-DOC team members in accordance with the requirements of CFOC-DOC’s SOPs.
• Support CFOC-DOC team members to facilitate challenging situations and ensure proper enforcement of Code(s) of Conduct.
• Appropriately report any disciplinary actions involving team members or patrons to the supervisor in a timely manner.
• Ensure team members are reporting for duty and documenting reasons for absence, late or not arriving for shift and informing the supervisor accordingly.
• Deliver hands‑on, in‑person training for new and ongoing team members.
• Follow up with the comm long and report any flag‑worthy items to the supervisor.
• Facilitate debriefing between shift change

Patron Centered Care

• Ensure all intakes are provided in a non‑judgmental and harm reduction approach to determine immediate and ongoing patron needs, collect, and provide information, make appropriate referrals, and resolve conflict situations.
• Respond to patron inquiries when other resources are not available and refer to community support where needed (crisis counselling, housing support, harm reduction, connection to supports)
• Contact emergency services to support patrons experiencing medical or mental health crisis (911 emergency, non‑emergency, DMHS Crisis)
• Report and record actual or potential patron safety risks or incidents; participate in critical incident reviews as appropriate

Documentation and data integrity

• Support the Supervisor to ensure proper completion of all HIFIS data entries.
• Support CFOC-DOC team members to ensure completion of daily tasks, including appropriate documentation (task sheets, property / medication logs, Comm logs, IR’s, HIFIS etc.)
• Review incident reports to ensure accuracy, proper grammar, and unbiased language, and submit them to the IR Reporting team in a timely manner.
• Effectively communicating with all CFOC-DOC team members and management and reporting necessary details to the appropriate teams
• Appropriately reporting distancing outcomes that may affect all programming.
• Attend all mandatory CFOC-DOC team meetings

What You Bring

Required:

• Completion of post‑secondary education in a health‑related field, such as Social Work/Social Service, Psychology, Mental Health and Addictions, or Human Services with minimum of 2 years of field experience with proven progressive leadership development (this is not an entry‑level position).
• Strong leadership and mentorship abilities, time management and decision‑making skills.
• Able to effectively communicate with peers, management, patrons and service partners.
• Able to work under pressure with the vulnerable sector.
• Deep knowledge and understanding of homelessness, mental illness, and substance use. Experience with trauma‑informed and harm reduction intervention approaches and non‑violent crisis prevention and intervention strategies.
• Strong administrative and computer skills, including proficiency with MS Office Suite of programs, use of data collection programs, Google mail and calendars, time management, and problem‑solving.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to build positive relationships with diverse individuals
• Highly motivated self‑starter who takes initiative, is results‑oriented, able to prioritize workload, works well independently and as part of a multi‑disciplinary team.
• Able to work either Sunday to Thursday or Tuesday to Saturday schedules with flexibility to accommodate evening and overnight hours, including some hours for on‑call rotation.
• Valid drivers license; second language, and knowledge of Durham Region’s Social Service Sector considered an asset.
• Current CPR/First Aid, Crisis Prevention and Intervention, Vulnerable Sector Check

Asset

• Experience in a leadership position
• Experience with tracking metrics for program evaluation and writing reports to summarize findings.
• Experience working in a shelter, group home, or community meal program
• Lived experience of homelessness or housing instability
• Familiarity with Durham Region’s homelessness prevention initiatives, Coordinated Access System, HIFIS and the By‑Name List

This role involves considerable exposure to conflict and crisis situations between patrons, including verbal threats and, at times, threats of violence, requiring sound judgment, composure, and resilience. Work is performed on‑site in a shared, open‑concept shelter environment with variable temperatures and ambient noise that may increase in the evening when patrons are in‑house for the night, along with potential exposure to substance fumes and communicable diseases. The role requires a mix of standing, walking, and sitting throughout the shift, with regular lifting, bending, and manual dexterity to support daily activities. Hours follow an 8‑hour schedule, plus rotating on‑call coverage for after‑hours crisis support.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Christian Faith Outreach Centre (CFOC) is committed to diversity, equity, anti‑oppression and inclusion within its community and organization, and strongly welcomes and encourages applications from people of diverse communities. In accordance with the AODA Act, accommodation will be provided throughout the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities.

4 days per week (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday).
There would also be a weekly rotation (2:30 pm-10:30 pm and 10:30 pm-6:30 am).