Team Lead, Client Advocates

Team Lead, Client Advocates 
Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation – Jessie’s House 
Reports to: Manager, Shelter Operations 
Schedule:?Monday–Friday, 8-5pm with one shift per week from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; participates in on-call rotation 
Compensation: $32-35/hr based on education and experience 
Location:?Jessie’s House 

Summary of Position 
The Team Lead, Client Advocates is an emerging leadership role. This position is responsible for delivering high-quality service and program delivery through team empowerment, risk mitigation, effective scheduling, onboarding, occupancy management, enhanced team communication, case conferencing, and relationship building with external stakeholders.  

The Team Lead will champion a diverse, inclusive, and feminist leadership environment—valuing collaboration, transparency, and the empowerment of both staff and clients. The role requires a strong commitment to trauma-informed, decolonial, harm reduction, and anti-oppressive practices, and the ability to support a diverse working environment from a feminist leadership lens. 

This position is ideal for a candidate who is passionate about feminist leadership, committed to equity and inclusion, and ready to empower both staff and clients while achieving operational excellence in a dynamic shelter environment 

Core Competencies 

• Safety:?Ensures physical and emotional safety for clients, staff, and community. 

• Trustworthiness & Transparency:?Builds trust through clear, consistent, and honest communication. 

• Collaboration & Mutuality:?Engages stakeholders as partners in decision-making and fosters collective action. 

• Empowerment, Voice & Choice:?Focuses on strengths, enables informed decision-making, and supports self-advocacy. 

• Cultural, Historical & Gender Sensitivity:?Recognizes and addresses the influence of cultural, historical, and gender-related factors in trauma and service delivery. 

• Task Orientation & Outcome Achievement:?Demonstrates strong organizational skills, manages competing priorities, and achieves program outcomes in a fast-paced environment. 

• Risk Management & Assessment:?Proactively identifies, assesses, and mitigates risks to clients, staff, and operations. 

• Conflict Resolution & Solution Focus:?Applies effective conflict resolution strategies and maintains a solution-focused approach to challenges. 

• Feminist Leadership:?Models empathy, transparency, accountability, and the promotion of diverse voices and equitable power-sharing within the team. 

• Lead, schedule, and support the Client Advocate team (full-time, part-time, and casual), ensuring adequate shift coverage and mitigating absenteeism risks.
• Provide orientation, ongoing training, and mentorship to new and existing staff, fostering a trauma-informed, decolonial, harm reduction, and anti-oppressive work environment.
• Facilitate regular team meetings and case conferences to enhance communication, collaboration, and consistency in client care.
• Act as the primary point of contact for daily team needs and operational challenges, escalating issues to the Senior Manager as appropriate.

• Develop and implement in-house and group programming, adapting to client feedback and emerging best practices.
• Support the onboarding and integration of practicum students and volunteers, ensuring they understand shelter protocols and service philosophy.

• Responsible for keeping ShelterLink (the centralized phone and tracking system) up to date and accurate, ensuring real-time information on bed availability and program capacity is always current.
• Conduct daily monitoring and prompt updates to ShelterLink to support efficient service delivery and interagency collaboration.

• Coordinate shift scheduling, monitor attendance, and provide coverage as needed to maintain uninterrupted shelter operations.
• Maintain accurate client documentation and case notes in accordance with shelter procedures and privacy standards.
• Prepare and submit occupancy reports, learning to analyze trends and make recommendations for maximizing shelter utilization.
• Approve daily client case notes and timesheets for Client Advocates.
• Assist with Client Relations Manual and ensure compliance with OHS guidelines and best practices
• Register staff for relevant training and support professional development.

• Deliver direct crisis intervention, manage shelter admissions, and conduct risk assessments.
• Create a supportive, non-judgmental environment for clients experiencing family violence, trauma, homelessness, or addiction.
• Empower clients through individualized case planning, life skills development, and advocacy for external resources.
• Address clients’ daily needs (food, toiletries, clothing, medical referrals, etc.).
• Support adaptive coping strategies and harm reduction.

• Build and maintain relationships with external partners, agencies, and stakeholders to support client referrals and collaborative programming.
• Represent Jessie’s House at community meetings and initiatives as assigned, developing professional communication and networking skills.

• Required to participate in the on-call rotation, responding to urgent situations and supporting overnight and weekend operations as needed.
• One scheduled shift per week is required from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to facilitate overlap and communication with overnight staff, ensuring continuity of care and team integration.

• Diploma or degree in Social Work, Human Services, Psychology, or a related field (Bachelor’s preferred). 

• Additional training in trauma-informed care, harm reduction, or feminist leadership is an asset. 

• Minimum 2 years of experience in a frontline capacity within the social services sector, ideally in a shelter, crisis intervention, or related environment. 

• At least 1 year of supervisory, team lead, or administrative experience preferred. 

• Demonstrated experience working with vulnerable and diverse populations, including those experiencing homelessness, family violence, trauma, or addiction. 

• Experience supporting or leading a team in a high-crisis, fast-paced environment. 

• Strong leadership, communication, and team-building skills. 

• Excellent organizational, time management, and problem-solving abilities. 

• Proven conflict resolution and crisis intervention skills. 

• Ability to manage and assess risk, prioritize tasks, and maintain professionalism under pressure. 

• Commitment to trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and culturally safe practices. 

• Ability to support a diverse working environment from a feminist leadership lens, including valuing diverse identities, promoting equity, and fostering inclusive decision-making. 

• Proficiency in documentation, report writing, and use of client management systems. 

• Valid Standard First Aid and Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Certification (or willingness to obtain). 

• Ability to work flexible hours, including participation in on-call rotation and one evening shift per week. 

• Physical ability to perform shelter-related duties (e.g., moving furniture, cleaning). 

• Clear criminal record and vulnerable sector check. 

• Commitment to ongoing professional development and willingness to grow into a management role.