Life Skills Coach - 3rd Ave Women's Shelter

Life Skills Coach – 3rd Ave Women’s Shelter

Work Location: 3rd Avenue Women’s Shelter, 968 3rd Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11232

Reports To: Assistant Program Director

Hours: Full Time – 35 hours per week, Monday–Friday from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Salary: $44,000 per year

Brooklyn Community Services (BCS) is one of Brooklyn’s first and largest non‑sectarian social services agencies, serving more than 10,000 individuals annually. The 3rd Avenue program is a NYC DHS transitional shelter offering employment assistance and permanent housing for young women ages 18‑25. The program is located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

A Life Skills Coach helps residents develop practical abilities such as money management, communication, and goal‑setting, and supports them in overcoming obstacles to achieve personal and professional goals. The Coach acts as a motivator, accountability partner, and guide through life changes, using action planning and self‑reflection to foster self‑empowerment and success.

• Work directly with residents to enhance daily living skills, including budgeting, grocery shopping, cooking meals independently, apartment organization/maintenance, entitlement support, personal hygiene, safe public transportation use, and scheduling/attending appointments on time.
• Meet each client assigned to the caseload at least once per week, or as instructed by the Program Director.
• Facilitate weekly group sessions on topics such as medication management, substance abuse education, anger management, budgeting, employment preparation, cooking skills, discount shopping, couponing, and recreational activities.
• Coordinate client social events and maintain the monthly calendar.
• Collaborate with case managers to help clients achieve goals identified in their Individualized Treatment Plans.
• Facilitate individual counseling sessions as applicable (e.g., mental health, substance abuse support, ADL skills development, stress management) and document all sessions in progress notes within 24 hours.
• Provide crisis intervention services and complete incident reports in accordance with DOHMH standards.
• Cover case management duties during program vacancies to preserve quality of care for all residents.
• Escort clients to appointments (medical, psychiatric, Social Security Administration, Public Assistance, Emergency Room, etc.).
• Assist residents with court appointments and referrals to legal aid services; help navigate child welfare and criminal justice system involvement.
• Refer and connect residents with community resources to enhance health and social support networks.
• Encourage tenants to participate in community recreational events to increase socialization skills.
• Ensure residents provide documentation needed for apartment unit recertification and collaborate with property management on tenant needs and repairs.
• Aid in coordinating resident move‑ins and move‑outs.
• Attend all meetings, trainings, seminars, workshops, and case conferences as required.
• Provide support to community residents and associated church social programs.
• Complete additional duties as assigned.

• High school diploma or equivalent; at least two years of experience working with homeless youth in supported housing.
• Successful completion of pre‑employment screenings, including a criminal background check as required by OMH.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational, time‑management, and technical skills to help residents progress toward their goals.
• Willingness to learn, persevere, and think creatively.
• Ability to work from a strength‑based, trauma‑informed, youth development perspective.
• Ability to engage youth, provide encouragement, and build collaborative relationships with parents, families, schools, and agency staff.
• Consistency, reliability, commitment to diversity, belief that change is possible, healthy boundary maintenance, and composure under stress.

• Problem‑solving and advocacy skills; ability to navigate obstacles with limited clarity.
• Openness to learning data interpretation for decision‑making.
• Team collaboration and relationship building with external partners.
• Use of trauma‑informed techniques.
• Knowledge of community resources and services.
• Face‑to‑face contact with consumers and the public on a regular basis.

BCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.