Life Skills Coordinator

The Salvation Army North & Central Illinois Division; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 35,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

The Salvation Army Family Haven Shelter in St. Louis, MO is seeking a Life Skills Coordinator to motivate Veterans and program participants with practical tools for daily living.

This exempt, full-time role focuses on building community relationships to promote housing stability, increased income, and overall well-being. Responsibilities include designing curricula, delivering workshops on housing stability, employment readiness, mental health, and financial literacy; coordinating with multiple

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education, social work, psychology, or a related field.
• Master’s degree in social work or counseling is preferred; veteran status is a plus.
• Experience with marginalized populations and trauma-informed care is required.
• Culturally competent practices and strong relationship-building skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement a life skills curriculum tailored to client needs at Family Haven and Veteran’s Residence.
• Facilitate workshops addressing housing stability, employment readiness, mental health, and financial literacy.
• Engage underserved populations through outreach and partnerships, using trauma-informed approaches.
• Deliver safe, engaging group sessions on various frequencies to support participant development.
• Collaborate with administrators, caseworkers, pastors, counselors, and other departments for holistic support.
• Collect and analyze participant feedback to inform program improvements.
• Coordinate with agencies and volunteers to expand community support and outcomes.
• Identify barriers to participation and re-engage individuals through targeted outreach.
• Support Resident Councils and share recommendations to improve programming.
• Uphold The Salvation Army mission with respectful, dignified service.

Skills

Empathy

Cultural sensitivity

Active listening

Public speaking

Group instruction

Interpersonal skills

Community outreach

Bilingual communication

Problem solving

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor's degree in education, social work, psychology, or related field

Master's degree in social work or counseling

Veteran status (plus)

Job description

The Salvation Army Family Haven Shelter located in St. Louis, MO, is looking for a Life Skills Coordinator. This individual is expected to support the Mission of The Salvation Army by motivating Veterans and other program participants with skills, practical tools and techniques needed to navigate daily life. The Life Skills Education Coordinator handles setting up community relationships that further promote health, education, housing stability, increased income, and well-being. This is a Full-time 40 hours per week, exempt position with salary a of $41,000 annually.

Essential Functions

• Design and implement a comprehensive life skills educational curriculum tailored to the needs of the client population to ensure success with program services (e.g., individuals experiencing homelessness, veterans, youth, families, etc.) at both Family Haven and Veteran’s Residence.
• Facilitate structured workshops and life skills classes that address key topics such as housing stability, employment readiness, mental health awareness, and financial literacy.
• Actively conduct outreach initiatives to engage underserved populations, build partnerships with local organizations, and ensure community members are aware of available support services. Use culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches to foster trust, encourage participation, and promote long-term engagement in supportive programs.
• Design and deliver safe, engaging, and culturally responsive group sessions on an hourly, daily, and weekly basis to support individualized participant development.
• Collaborate with administrator, program director, caseworkers, pastors, counselors, officers, and other departments to ensure holistic, coordinated approach in supporting program participants.
• Collect and analyze participant feedback; report findings to program leadership and interdisciplinary staff, to enhance program effectiveness.
• Serve as a liaison to coordinate collaborative efforts between agencies, service providers, and community stakeholders. Find opportunities for joint initiatives that enhance program outcomes. Recruit, engage, and coordinate volunteers to support program activities, outreach events, and participant needs. Foster a network of community allies and ensure seamless communication and cooperation to maximize available support systems for participants.
• Actively collaborate with case managers and program staff to find barriers to participation and implement targeted outreach efforts to re-engage individuals. Support consistent communication across departments to ensure participants stay connected to services and help prompt follow-up and intervention as needed. Use data to inform outreach planning and promote accountability in participant engagement.
• Help with residential community feedback by supporting Resident Councils and provide insights and recommendations to support continuous improvement of programming good relationships with supervisors, co-workers, supervisees, and program participants.
• Support the mission of The Salvation Army and the St. Louis VHP by treating every client/resident/ participant and colleague with respect and dignity, without discrimination.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education, social work, psychology, or a related field. A master’s degree in social work or counseling and veteran status is a plus.
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Must have prior experience working with marginalized or transitional populations.
• Demonstrated experience in culturally competent practices and the ability to engage effectively with diverse populations.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills with a proven background in community outreach.
• Experience working in trauma-informed care settings and sensitivity to cultural and socio-economic issues is needed.
• Must have a valid driver’s license, pass a TSA MVR (Motor Vehicle Record) check, and have reliable, insured transportation.

Key Competencies And Working Conditions

• Strong empathy, cultural sensitivity, and active listening skills, with a commitment to serving Veterans and other vulnerable or transitional populations.
• Problem-solving ability and adaptability in dynamic environments and across diverse participant needs.
• Confident in public speaking, group instruction, and leading community-based educational sessions.
• Outreach experience and bilingual communication skills are highly valued assets.
• Must be able to perform essential duties in varied settings, including open community spaces, office environments, and program activity areas across two distinct sites.
• Requires regular computer use, phone communication, and documentation tasks.
• Most work will be conducted indoors in a temperature-controlled environment, with travel and outdoor engagement may be needed for outreach or events.