Community Support Associate Jobs in Des Plaines, IL

Join a mission-driven team supporting individuals in transitional housing and shelter programs by helping maintain a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for residents and staff.

Position Summary

The Shelter Support Associate (Residential Monitor) is a frontline position at responsible for maintaining the safety, security, and overall well-being of participants across the organization's transitional and overnight shelter programs. Monitors rotate across three core stations—the front desk, parking gate, and residential floors—and are expected to perform all duties with professionalism, consistency, and a trauma-informed approach. This role serves as one of the first and most frequent points of contact for participants, visitors, volunteers, and staff. The Residential Monitor sets the tone for the building and plays a critical part in creating a supportive, dignified, and safe environment.

Rotating shifts including evenings, overnights, weekends, and holidays

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Front Desk Operations

• Greet all residents, staff, visitors, and volunteers with warmth and professionalism.
  
• Verify identification for all visitors and maintain accurate visitor logs including name, time, and purpose of visit.
  
• Conduct standardized bag screenings using a metal detection wand for all residents returning from movement, following established protocols.
  
• Monitor security cameras and maintain awareness of activity in the lobby, courtyard, and entry areas.
  
• Answer phones, relay messages, and direct inquiries to appropriate staff or departments.
  
• Notify relevant staff when visitors or deliveries arrive and coordinate access.
  
• Enforce access control policies and ensure no unauthorized individuals enter restricted areas.
  

Parking Gate Operations

• Open, close, and secure the parking gate for authorized vehicles. Greet all guests and employees at the gate.
  
• Check driver identification to validate entry and direct vehicles to appropriate parking areas.
  
• Monitor security cameras and conduct periodic courtyard walkthroughs, paying attention to restricted areas.
  
• Notify the front desk of all visitors entering the courtyard, including their name and who they are meeting.
  
• Coordinate with maintenance and landscaping teams regarding weather-related needs (shoveling, salting, repairs).
  

Residential Floor Operations

• Conduct a minimum of two floor safety checks per shift, documenting observations on the Floor Safety Check Shift Report.
  
• Perform room walkthroughs by knocking and announcing before entry, scanning for visible safety concerns, and noting conditions.
  
• Distribute medications on the floors according to established schedules and protocols, verifying participant identity and documenting each distribution.
  
• Enforce program rules including the no-food-on-the-floors policy using calm, consistent, and trauma-informed redirection.
  
• Oversee meal periods by maintaining a visible presence in the dining area, monitoring for conflicts, and ensuring food is not carried to the floors.
  
• Provide physical escorts for participants to behavioral health appointments, medical visits, internal transfers, and other internal needs, completing warm handoffs to receiving staff.
  
• Monitor staff presence and engagement on the floors during walkthroughs and provide verbal correction when necessary.
  

De-Escalation & Conflict Resolution

• Intervene early in resident conflicts using de-escalation techniques: regulate yourself first, use a calm tone, validate emotions, reduce stimulation, and support participant choice.
  
• Separate parties involved in disputes and speak with each person individually without taking sides.
  
• Escalate conflicts that cannot be resolved through verbal redirection to the shift supervisor or program manager.
  

Crisis Response

• Respond to suicide risk situations by maintaining eyes-on supervision, immediately notifying the supervisor and behavioral health team, and completing same-day documentation.
  
• Support the Traumatic Event Response protocol by ensuring immediate safety, alerting behavioral health leadership, and participating in post-incident staff support.
  
• Follow ICE Response Guidelines by contacting leadership immediately and managing access and information per established procedures.
  
• Call 911 when there is imminent danger to life or a medical emergency requiring immediate transport.
  

Documentation

• Document all incidents, conflicts, bag screening findings, floor walkthrough observations, medication distributions, escorts, crisis events, and visitor logs.
  
• Use the DAP (Data, Assessment, Plan) model for progress notes on meaningful contacts.
  
• Complete an end-of-shift summary noting top issues, actions taken, and follow-ups needed for the next shift.
  
• Use neutral, strength-based, trauma-informed language in all written documentation.
  

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
  
• Minimum of one (1) year of experience in a residential, shelter, social services, security, or customer-facing environment.
• Rotating shifts including evenings, overnights, weekends, and holidays
• Ability to remain calm, professional, and solution-oriented in high-stress and crisis situations.
  
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
  
• Ability to work rotating shifts, including evenings, overnights, weekends, and holidays.
  
• Ability to work effectively with individuals experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, mental health challenges, and trauma.
  
• Basic computer skills sufficient for documentation, email, and electronic reporting.
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a shelter, transitional housing, or behavioral health setting.
  
• Training or certification in de-escalation, trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, or crisis intervention.
  
• CPR/First Aid and Narcan (naloxone) administration certification.
  
• CRSS (Certified Recovery Support Specialist) or CPRS credential.
  
• Bilingual in English and Spanish strongly preferred.
  

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, and move throughout the facility for extended periods during a full shift (8–12 hours).
  
• Ability to push/pull the parking gate (up to 50 lbs of force).
  
• Ability to climb stairs and move between floors multiple times per shift.
  
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 lbs (supplies, bins, equipment).
  
• Ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions when assigned to the parking gate.
  
• Sufficient vision and hearing to monitor security cameras, observe activity, and communicate effectively.
  

Work Environment

• This position operates in a congregate shelter environment serving adults experiencing homelessness.
• The work environment may involve exposure to challenging behaviors, emotional distress, substance use, mental health crises, and traumatic events.

#IND