Bahiya House Youth Shelter - Supervisor II

Graceworks Lutheran Services; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 30,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Wisconsin Community Services seeks a Shelter Care Supervisor in Milwaukee to lead daily operations of the Youth Shelter Care Program at Bahiya House, supervise staff, ensure safety and compliance, and maintain a trauma-informed, supportive environment for youth.

Reporting to the VP and collaborating with APD and PD, you will oversee staffing, documentation, incident reporting, and program quality while partnering with county and state agencies to ensure high standards.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2–3 years of experience working with children or adolescents in a 24-hour residential or shelter setting.
• Minimum of 1 year supervisory experience, with 2–3 years preferred.
• High school diploma or GED; associate or bachelor's degree preferred.
• Must meet all WCS, funder, and state licensing requirements, including references, background checks, driving record, and drug screening.

Responsibilities

• Staff leadership, supervision, coaching, and scheduling.
• Youth safety, appropriate staffing ratios, and confidential records.
• Program compliance with agency policies and licensing requirements.
• Oversee daily shelter operations, logs, and census reporting.
• Coordinate youth activities and community programming.
• Maintain communication with youth, families, and partners.
• Review youth files, documentation, and shelter records for accuracy.
• Respond to incidents and emergencies; support corrective actions.
• Assist with recruitment, onboarding, and staff development.
• Provide after-hours coverage and weekend support.
• Support budgeting, purchasing, and annual planning.

Skills

Staff Leadership

Youth Safety

Program Compliance

Shelter Operations

Programming & Engagement

Communication Skills

Documentation & Records

Education

High school diploma or GED

Associate or Bachelor's in human services or related field

Tools

Electronic documentation systems

Microsoft Word

Job description

Wisconsin Community Servicesis an Equal Opportunity Employer (M/F/Disability/Vet).

Job Code: 2026-YS-009

Location: Milwaukee

Department: Shelter Care

FT/PT Status: Full Time

Job Responsibilities:

Pay Range: $22.00/hr - $25.00/hr

Job Summary

The Shelter Care Supervisor is responsible for the dailyleadership, supervision, safety, compliance, and operations of the WCS YouthShelter Care Program at Bahiya House. Reporting to the Vice President andworking closely with the Assistant Program Director (APD) and Program Director(PD), the Supervisor oversees staff and daily shelter operations, ensuresadherence to agency, Milwaukee County, and State of Wisconsin policies andrequirements, and maintains a safe, trauma-informed, and supportive environmentfor youth.

The Shelter Care Supervisor provides leadership, guidance,mentoring, and support to staff and youth; promotes accountability andteamwork; participates in Shelter Care leadership meetings; and collaborateswith the Vice President, APD, and PD to ensure effective program operations andquality service delivery. The Supervisor serves as a positive role model forboth staff and youth and supports the overall success and continuousimprovement of the Youth Shelter Care Program.

Job Qualifications:

Key responsibilities include:

• StaffLeadership & Supervision: Provide reflective supervision,coaching, mentoring, conflict management, performance feedback, staffscheduling, shift coverage, and leadership support.
• YouthSafety & Care: Ensure active supervision, appropriate staffingratios, therapeutic interactions, confidentiality, medication procedures,intake processes, and accurate youth records.
• ProgramCompliance: Ensure adherence to agency policies, Milwaukee Countyrequirements, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families regulations,licensing standards, incident reporting, emergency drills, and requireddocumentation.
• DailyShelter Operations: Oversee shift exchanges, communication logs,visitor check-in, facility safety, supplies, food services, keys,equipment, census reporting, and maintenance requests.
• Programming& Engagement: Coordinate youth activities, educational groups,outings, and community-based programming in collaboration with programleadership.
• Communication& Collaboration: Maintain effective communication with youth,families, staff, county personnel, schools, service providers, and agencyleadership while protecting confidentiality.
• QualityAssurance & Documentation: Review youth files, reports, medicationrecords, shelter documentation, fob reports, and other records foraccuracy and compliance.
• Incident& Emergency Response: Respond to critical and serious incidents,ensure timely reporting, participate in emergency preparedness, andcollaborate with leadership on required corrective actions.
• Hiring& Staff Development: Assist with recruitment, onboarding, staffmeetings, evaluations, performance tracking, and ongoing professionaldevelopment.
• On-Call& Operational Support: Participate in after-hours coverage,weekend responsibilities, unannounced shift drop-ins, and providereasonable shift coverage when needed.
• AdministrativeResponsibilities: Support budgeting-related purchasing needs, food andsupply procurement, scheduling, performance outcomes, annual planning, andother duties that support successful shelter operations.

Overall: This role serves as a key operational leaderat the shelter, ensuring staff accountability, youth safety and well-being,regulatory compliance, quality programming, and effective day-to-day operations.

Required Qualifications

• Minimumof 2–3 years of experience working with children or adolescents of asimilar age in a 24-hour residential or shelter setting.
• Minimumof 1 year of supervisory experience, with 2–3 years preferred.
• Highschool diploma or GED/HSED required; an associate or bachelor’sdegree in human services, social work, psychology, or a related field ispreferred.
• Mustmeet all WCS, funder, and state licensing requirements, includingsatisfactory professional references, criminal and caregiver backgroundchecks, driver’s license verification with an acceptable driving record,and completion of a required drug screening.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Knowledgeof positive child and youth development and the ability to workpatiently and effectively with youth experiencing challenging lifecircumstances.
• Abilityto remain calm, professional, and supportive when interacting withyouth or families during periods of escalation or crisis.
• Abilityto follow oral and written instructions and respond appropriately andeffectively to emergency and crisis situations.
• Strongcommunication, writing, documentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiencywith computers, electronic documentation systems, Microsoft Word, andother technology platforms required for the position.
• Strongorganizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritizeand manage multiple responsibilities effectively.
• Abilityto build and maintain positive, collaborative teams and contribute to asupportive work environment.
• Culturalcompetency and sensitivity to cultural, ethnic, racial, socioeconomic,and disability-related differences and needs.
• Knowledgeof safety practices and procedures applicable to residential youthsettings, including verbal de-escalation and approved physicalintervention techniques, when necessary and permitted by policy andtraining.
• Abilityto exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and demonstrateprofessionalism in all interactions.
• Abilityto complete assigned responsibilities and position functions accurately,efficiently, and within required timeframes.

Other Job Information (if applicable):

Physical Demands

This position requires active engagement with youth and mayinvolve walking, standing, bending, and other physical activity whilemonitoring or interacting with youth in the shelter and community.

• Abilityto lift and carry up to 30 pounds.
• Mustbe capable of responding appropriately to emergency situations.
• Inextremely rare circumstances, and only as a last resort when there isan immediate risk of physical harm, staff may be required to utilizeapproved physical intervention techniques consistent with agency policy,training, and applicable regulations.
• Validdriver’s license and ability to safely operate an agency vehicle arerequired.
• Workis performed in a state-licensed youth shelter care facility andthroughout the surrounding community.
• Positionrequires regular movement throughout the shelter and interaction withyouth, staff, families, service providers, and community partners.
• Localtravel is required to fulfill essential job functions, including safelytransporting youth to school, activities, appointments, and other approveddestinations, as well as assisting with youth pick-ups from detention whenneeded.
• Mustbe available to provide coverage and work varying schedules, includingweekends, as operational needs require.
• Theposition involves working with youth who may have experienced significanttrauma and may express trauma through challenging or disruptive behaviors.The successful candidate must be able to maintain a trauma-informed,patient, consistent, and emotionally safe approach in thesesituations.

Wisconsin Community Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, disability, status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.