Truckee Navigation Center - Lead Community Care Associate

Overview

WHO WE ARE: We are more than a nonprofit organization. We are a ministry of service that includes nearly 400 paid, professional employees dedicated to helping those in need to rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Founded locally in 1911, the Northern California & Northern Nevada affiliate of Volunteers of America (VOA-NCNN) is one of the largest providers of social services in the region, operating more than 40 programs including housing, employment services, substance abuse, and recovery services to families, individuals, veterans, seniors, and youth. In fact, VOA-NCNN provides shelter or housing to over 3,500 men, women, and children every night.

 

OUR MISSION: To change individual lives, instill hope, increase self-worth and facilitate independence through quality housing, employment, and related supportive services. Volunteers of America Northern California & Northern Nevada inspires self-sufficiency, dignity, and hope by providing critical health and human services to thousands of vulnerable individuals and families across Northern California & Northern Nevada.

 

PROGRAM AND LOCATION: VOA-NCNN, a Certified Great Place to Work, is recruiting for a full-time, day/swing shift, Lead Community Care Associate at the Truckee Navigation Center. The Truckee Navigation Center provides year-round, 24-hour shelter and essential services to help participants stabilize and secure permanent housing. The 16-bed shelter provides program participants with daily meals, shower and laundry facilities as well as mail services. In addition participants will have access to case management, housing navigation and other on-site partner services such as health care providers, benefits counselors, and employment services. Full-time employees (working 30 or more hours a week) are eligible for a benefits package that includes paid holidays, vacation, sick pay, health, dental, vision, life, and short-term disability insurance coverage.

 

Responsibilities

POSITION SUMMARY:As a Community Care Associate, you are the heartbeat of our navigation center, the first smile at intake, the calm presence during crisis, and the consistent anchor in participants' daily journey toward stability. This role transcends traditional "support staff" duties by positioning you as an essential architect of community, safety, and hope within our facility.

You'll create and maintain an environment where dignity thrives alongside structure, where participants feel seen as whole people rather than problems to solve. Your work embodies our core values moment by moment: Love through patient redirection and compassionate boundary-setting; Flexibility by jumping in wherever needed while maintaining program integrity; and Passion that transforms routine tasks into opportunities for connection and encouragement.

From de-escalating tensions with trauma-informed approaches to celebrating small daily victories, from maintaining a clean and welcoming space to being that reliable presence during someone's darkest hour—you are often the difference between a participant feeling warehoused or feeling worthy. You'll collaborate seamlessly with Whole Person Care Coordinators and leadership, recognizing that every interaction, every meal served, every conflict resolved, contributes to someone's larger journey toward wholeness. This isn't just maintaining a facility; it's cultivating a sanctuary where transformation becomes possible.OBJECTIVES/ACTIVITIES:

A. Lead Community Care Associate responsibilities include but are not limited to:

1. Serve as the shift lead, providing guidance and real-time support to Community Care Associates2. Ensure consistent application of program standards, safety protocols, and documentation requirements across shifts3. Coordinate shift activities, prioritize tasks, and maintain program flow4. Act as primary point of contact for operational issues during assigned shifts and escalate matters to management as appropriate5. Support onboarding of new staff through shadowing, peer mentoring, and modeling of best practices6. Provide coaching and feedback to team members on trauma-informed approaches, de-escalation techniques, and professional boundaries7. Identify training needs and operational improvements based on day-to-day program activities and communicate these to management

 

B. Case management support responsibilities include:

1. Assist the Whole Person Care Coordinator with participant engagement, follow-ups, and service coordination2. Help participants prepare for case management appointments, housing applications, and benefits appointments3. Support basic documentation, data entry, and progress tracking as assigned4. Reinforce housing plans, goals, and action steps with participants