On-Call Site Assistant - ARCHES

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency; Salem (OR); On-site; USD 2,066,000 - 3,168,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

401k plan

Employee Assistance Program

Life Insurance

Health/Dental/Vision Insurance

Continuing education

Job summary

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency seeks an On-call Site Assistant to support ARCHES Project shelter operations in Polk and Marion counties. The role involves cleaning, laundry, client engagement, data entry, and navigation to community resources.

The position is on-call up to 19 hours per week, requires a High School diploma (or GED) and background screening, and offers growth through hands‑on experience within a mission-driven team.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED required.
• Two years of work experience in a public or social services role preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Responsibilities

• Provide program support such as cleaning, site upkeep, laundry and supportive services.
• Engage with clients and assist navigation to resources and services.
• Answer the telephone and monitor client and facility safety.
• Assist with meal preparation and distribution; support computers and guest laundry.
• Perform general data entry and HMIS-related tasks as required.

Skills

Microsoft Office

Data entry

Communication

De-escalation

Interpersonal skills

Education

High School diploma or GED

2 years social services experience

Tools

Microsoft Office (Outlook)

HMIS data entry

Job description

OUR MISSION: MWVCAA invests in people and their futures to reduce the impacts of poverty.

Our Vision: We envision a just future, where our communities are empowered to reach positive outcomes and everyone is respected for their infinite worth.

Working at MWVCAA means becoming part of a mission-driven community dedicated to equity, dignity, and opportunity for all. We offer competitive pay, a rich company culture that values diversity, and an array of benefits - but we consider the best benefit here to be the reward of helping those in our community live better lives. Come find meaningful work and bring your skills as an On-call Site Assistant. This position provides direct support to sheltering services at the ARCHES Project sites in Polk and Marion counties. Responsibilities include supporting daily operations including cleaning and laundry services, clerical duties, data collection & entry, assisting clients with navigation to resources, and other special projects as needed. This position will work exclusively in an on-call capacity and will not receive a regular work assignment. This team offers a lot of growth opportunities and professional development through hands‑on experience.

On-Call, up to 19 hours per week

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• High School diploma or GED.
• Two years of work experience in a public or social services role.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATION

• Driver Qualification Status is not required for this position.
• Candidate must pass a comprehensive MWVCAA background screening prior to employment.
• Basic Life Support/First Aid Certification is required within first 30 days of hire.
• Food Handler's Card or ability to obtain within 30 days.
• Candidate must pass pre-employment and random drug/alcohol screenings.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of/or experience working with the homeless, vulnerable, or at-risk populations is preferred.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office (including Outlook), videoconferencing platforms, and web tools.
• Effective interpersonal communication skills, in both written and oral form.
• Demonstrates tact, diplomacy and empathy when communicating formally and informally with clients, staff and program partners.

WHAT YOU WILL DO TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee will also perform other reasonably related business duties as assigned by immediate supervisor and other management as required.

• Provides program support, such as: cleaning, site upkeep, laundry and supportive services.
• Provides client engagement and assistance, including answering the telephone, monitoring client and facility safety.
• Works with support staff regarding follow-up to services, assisting with meal preparation and distribution;
• Facilitates access to guest laundry and computers;
• Opens and distributes incoming mail, handles outgoing mail.
• Employs de‑escalation techniques and makes quick decisions in response to guest or client incidents.
• Provides support services for the programs offered through the ARCHES Project.
• Assists with program operations including HMIS data entry for clients, follow‑up with clients, assisting clients with navigation to resources, general data entry, and other special projects as needed.
• Attends and engages in required annual trainings.
• Performs cleaning, janitorial, and laundry tasks in support of day‑to‑day sheltering operations.
• Supports nutrition staff as needed by completing various kitchen tasks, including cooking meals.
• Participates in Community Outreach to local organizations, camps, and groups as directed by supervisor.
• Maintains appropriate boundaries with clients and coworkers at all times.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties and responsibilities.

• Specific vision abilities are required of this position. Frequently required to hear and speak.
• Regularly lift and/or move 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Manual dexterity for handling personal items, food, clothing, sacks, carts and use of computers and written in‑take processing.
• Incidental driving tasks may be requested for employees with a personal vehicle and proof of current auto insurance.
• Maintains calm disposition when clients or others may become escalated, applying crisis intervention and de‑escalation techniques for all participants.
• Regulates emotions during interactions with escalated clients and staff.
• Regulates emotions and handles pressure of frequent demands for attention, time and work tasks as outlined by a supervisor.
• Requires multi‑tasking, including the ability to collaborate with staff, volunteers and guests.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Indoor and outdoor work environments with frequent interruptions, demands, and noise.
• Close quarters, often with a public client population experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, and/or severe and persistent mental illness, and/or unpredictable behavior.
• Exposure to trash and potential biohazards.
• This position requires on-site work and is not eligible for remote work.
• Shift options may vary between early morning, evening and nights, including overnight shifts.
• Ability to accept on-call work, frequently with short notice (for example, same day for a call‑out).

WHAT WE OFFER

• 401k contribution after 1 year
• Employee Assistance Program
• Life insurance
• Health, Vision and Dental Insurance
• For some positions, employees may be eligible for company‑sponsored continuing education

MWVCAA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, veterans, and people with disabilities or any other protected category. We welcome all people to join us in achieving our Mission.