Bilingual Outreach Advocate

POSITION TITLE: Bilingual Outreach Advocate (Spanish/English)

SUPERVISOR: Director of Client Services

CLASSIFICATION: Salaried, exempt

SCHEDULE: Full-time, 40 hours, Monday through Friday. Four days per week are daytime hours (8a-4p or 9a-5p) and one day per week is afternoon/evening hours (ex: 11a – 7p). 

LOCATION: Onsite at Outreach Center (1415 Sachem Place, Charlottesville VA 22901); onsite at Residential Facility (undisclosed location within Charlottesville area); and travel within Planning District Ten (City of Charlottesville and Counties of Albemarle, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Fluvanna)

ANNUAL SALARY: $59,328 for FY25; $62,500 effective July 1, 2025. The Shelter for Help in Emergency is in the midst of a two-year organization-wide compensation adjustment that includes the implementation of a consistent, transparent, and objective pay bands. As a result, compensation is not negotiable.  

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: This role requires one week of 24/7 on-call service approximately once every six weeks that is compensated at $150 per on-call week (in addition to the regular salary). This role also requires the willingness to transport clients either via your personal vehicle or a taxi or ridesharing service. Milage or cost reimbursement for all travel is provided. Additionally, all Shelter for Help in Emergency Staff are required to pass the organization’s Suitability to Work with Minors Policy which requires fingerprinting and criminal background checks.

POSITION SUMMARY: As a Bilingual Outreach Advocate, you will support clients navigating the challenges of intimate partner violence. Collaborating with our Client Services Team, you will provide holistic services to survivors. Your role involves building trust with clients, assisting them in setting and achieving their personal goals, and offering essential advocacy and direct support to ensure their safety and well-being.

You will maintain confidentiality to protect the safety of survivors and staff while liaising with other social service providers to coordinate comprehensive care. Strong organizational and time management skills are essential, along with the ability to learn new software and databases. A commitment to trauma-informed care and harm reduction principles is crucial for success in this role.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES: 

Consistently embody the values of the Shelter for Help in Emergency when interacting with human beings 

• Practice and promote antiracist, trauma-informed, person-centered, strengths-based, and harm-reductive responses to human beings 
• Communicate assertively, clearly, thoroughly, and with solutions in mind 
• Foster a culture of collaboration, mutual support and respect, creativity, and excellence 
• Maintain impeccable confidentiality of client identities and facility location  
• Promote nonviolent speech and behavior
• Demonstrate ability and willingness to disagree constructively while options are being considered, and to then fully commit to the ultimate decision, even if it isn't the decision you would have made 
• Provide feedback to team members that is truthful, timely, specific, and non- judgmental and receive feedback with curiosity, respect, and a commitment to continuous growth and professional development 

Direct service and advocacy

• Provide information, referral, and support services to clients  
• Complete entry procedures with new clients
• Support clients in defining their own needs and short- to long-range goals 
• Advocate with and on behalf of clients for needs related to housing, food and medical benefits, employment, etc.
• Maintain up to date documentation on clients and services/advocacy provided  
• Facilitate skills, support, or recreation groups for clients 
• Provide operational support at the Residential Facility 
• Provide hotline coverage  
• Provide 24/7 on-call coverage approximately one week out of every six weeks  
• Support clients in completing satisfaction surveys during and after their program participation 

Recordkeeping and data collection 

• Complete database training and maintain up-to-date database skills 
• Update all client documentation within 48 hours of each interaction 
• Maintain client records in accordance with confidentiality standards as well as with the Shelter’s standards of practice 
• Upload and track all client documents in accordance with the Shelter’s standards of practice 

Departmental collaboration

• Provide regular updates and client reports to supervisor, including at weekly check-ins 
• Contribute to the development and refinement of client advocacy procedures and protocols  
• Regularly attend team meetings

Interdepartmental collaboration

• Serve as member of Client Services Team, regularly attending and actively participating in weekly Client Services Team meetings 
• Regularly attend and actively participate in monthly Shelter Manager Team meetings  
• Regularly attend and actively participate in monthly staff meetings 
•  Assist Community Engagement Coordinator in training and supervising direct service volunteers 
• Coordinate with Administrative Team on donation activities and grant reporting/applications

Interagency collaboration

• With Client Services Team, maintain updated referral list for client, staff, and volunteer use 
• With Client Services Team, conduct ongoing outreach to community partners to establish and foster a network of resources, supports, and services relevant to clients 
• With Community Engagement Team, conduct ongoing outreach to community partners to establish and foster a network of resources, supports, and services relevant to clients 
• Stay up to date on community partner programs including eligibility and exclusionary criteria 

Participate in and pursue professional development opportunities 

• Seek out professional development opportunities relevant to role and responsibilities, as well as to the Shelter for Help in Emergency’s mission
• Attend training assigned by supervisor 
• Stay up to date on best practices and trends (harm reduction, trauma-informed care, etc.)

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Spanish language skills: fluency in both written and spoken Spanish
• English language skills: working proficiency in both written and spoken English 
• Compassion for all people, especially those in crisis
• Naturally resourceful and curious 
• Experience working with humans of diverse racial, linguistic, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Ability to constructively provide and receive feedback
• Ability to maintain perspective and exercise wise decision making in novel situations  
• Understanding of boundaries and self-care practices and ability to consistently implement them 
• Ability to improvise and adapt to changing circumstances 
• Comfortable with computers and able to learn new software programs including databases 
• Reliable, punctual, detail-oriented, and organized 
• Access to reliable transportation 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Advocacy experience, especially with and for humans in crisis (in either a paid or volunteer capacity)
• Understanding of the power and control dynamics of intimate partner violence  

TO APPLY:

You can apply by:

1. Submitting a LinkedIn application including your resume and cover letter, OR
2. Emailing your cover letter and resume to smoniz@shelterforhelpinemergency.org.

Applications accepted until filled; applications received by April 4 are guaranteed consideration. 

Due to a high number of applicants, we will not be able to return phone calls from candidates. Communication via email is preferred.