Emergency shelter roles and requirements

Explore this page to learn more about the various roles we may need people to fill during a severe weather activation and the required training for each. If and when we recruit community members to support a severe weather activation, links to sign up for shifts will be available on the Volunteer at a County emergency shelter page.

Please note Multnomah County is moving to a new volunteer registration and sign-up platform. Learn more about how to register early before an activation.

General Staff Volunteers

Full position descriptions: 
General Staff | General Staff - Shelter Setup Lead | General Staff - Shelter Setup Staff

General Staff are the center of our Disaster Resource Center response. Your responsibilities can range from welcoming guests and monitoring food and beverages, to attending to restrooms and tracking supplies, and a lot more in between. The more people the County can count on to serve as General Staff, the quicker and smoother our activation becomes. This is the role that most community members fill.

*Before volunteering, please review the Emergency Shelter Volunteer Community Agreements.

Logistics Volunteers

Volunteers who support the Logistics Division help ensure that our shelters have everything they need throughout the entire course of a severe weather event: from setup through ongoing operations and demobilization. Tasks and responsibilities will vary from shift to shift, or even within a shift: You might be asked to build pallets with shelter supplies, lay out flooring, transport resources to shelter sites, make phone calls to provide scheduling updates to colleagues, or even go shopping.

Behavioral Health Specialist Volunteers

Full Behavioral Health Specialist Staff position description

Behavioral Health Specialist volunteers help provide a safe and supportive environment for guests and staff at Disaster Resource Centers. People in this role should be well versed in trauma-informed care and de-escalation techniques, and be able to perform tasks and provide guidance in these areas. Behavioral Health Specialist volunteers must meet one of the following credentials, certifications, or licenses:

• Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO) requirement as Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA) or Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP). (Actual registration with MHACBO is not required, staff must meet requirements)
• Be National Certified Peer Specialist OR Certified Community Health Worker
• MHACBO CADC I (Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor)
• Is a member of the Trauma Intervention Program, Northwest (TIPNW)

Please note that this includes anyone with a bachelor's or master’s degree in behavioral health-related studies.

Person-in-Charge (PIC)

Full Person-in-Charge position description

Some people with significant experience in severe weather shelters might also serve in the PIC role.