Since 1999, Mary’s Place has helped thousands of women and families move out of homelessness into more stable situations.

Across five emergency family shelters in King County, we keep families together, inside, and safe when they have no place else to go, providing resources, housing and employment services, community, and hope.

Each day, our housing team works with families to address barriers and empower parents to build family stability, secure housing, and prepare for employment. Kids are connected with schools, participate in fun and enriching activities, and go on outings and adventures in Kids Club. In the evening, families in shelter eat dinner, do homework, spend time together, and prepare for the week ahead. Our families include two-parent families (pregnant or with children), single parents of all genders (pregnant or with children), extended families, and families with pets!

Still, capacity is limited and hundreds of families are outside each night in cars and tents.

Mary’s Place Seattle’s team of mobile outreach specialists work with unsheltered families where they are, bringing supplies and resources to help address barriers. With flexible funding, the team helps families move quickly into stable housing, bypassing a shelter stay.

But keeping families in their homes, preventing homelessness in the first place, reduces trauma, particularly among children, stops the cycle of generational homelessness, and is cost-effective.

Our Women’s Day Center in downtown Seattle provides meals, showers, laundry, access to resources, safety and relationship to over a hundred women each day for more than 20 years.

Our Mission

The Mary’s Place mission is to ensure that no child sleeps outside by centering equity and opportunity for women and families.

Our Values

Love — Love is at the heart of all we do. We are committed to creating a space where all are welcomed, respected, accepted, and loved for who they are.

Collaboration — We collaborate with others to ensure quality services, leverage and expand services across the region, and amplify the voices of women and families experiencing homelessness.

Equity — We are committed to creating an inclusive environment and assuring equitable treatment, access, and opportunity for all regardless of age, ability, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, indigenous heritage, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or life experience.

Stewardship — We carefully steward all that is entrusted to our care: material and financial resources, human resources, and the lives and stories of our guests.

Accountability — Our board, staff, guests, and volunteers are accountable to what we say we will do.

Responsiveness — We recognize and respond to urgent needs in our community by being creative, adaptable, and persistent.

The Youth Services practicum student works in-person to provide engaging activities for youth living in shelter and connect youth to community supports. The Intern may choose to support a specific age group throughout their internship in our Tots Club program (ages 0-5), Kids Club program (K-12), or Teen Club (grades 6+). The Youth Services Intern will run programming and work in collaboration with Mary's Place staff.

The Youth Services practicum student will work with their designated mentor to review the social worker code of ethics and establish desired outcomes, trackable goals, and practicum tasks to further their skills, experience, and knowledge. This work plan will be regularly revisited at 1:1 meetings throughout the practicum.

Assist in facilitation of programming including, but not limited to:
Tots: circle time, snack, movement time, and arts and crafts
Tots: developmental screenings and ScienceXDesign evaluations
School Age: homework focus and assistance, structured and informal educational games and activities, outings, and birthday parties
Teens: homework focus and assistance, Youth Leadership, structured and informal educational games and activities, outings, and birthday parties
Affirm positive behavior and deliver coaching conversations and redirection when needed

Assist in finding sustainable resources for the chosen age group outside of shelter

Ensure our programs are youth-led by supporting in evaluation and improvements including but not limited to:
School Age: YPQI assessments and youth feedback gathering
Teens: Teen Advocacy Group

Ensure confidentiality of membership data, school data, and other member information

Model mature work behaviors to ensure a productive work environment

Evaluate state and federal laws that impact school opportunities for homeless and asylum seeking youth. Learn the history of IEP and school advoacy programs, as well as McKinney Vento federal law. Conduct a literature review on best practices in engaging and supporting homeless youth and families to increase graduation rates.

Experience facilitating activities for the desired age-group

Ability to model and guide youth in strengths-based problem solving, goal setting, and study skills

Demonstrated problem solving, conflict mediation, and crisis management skills

Self-motivated, mature, energetic, and able to maintain clear and healthy boundaries with guests, families, and staff

Strong, age-appropriate communication skills

Exhibits compassion and empathy; works well with families and children from all ethnic, social, economic, and sexual orientation backgrounds

N/A

Please email a resume to jsafley@marysplaceseattle.org