What are the responsibilities and job description for the Client and Family Advocate position at Shelter for Help in Emergency?
POSITION SUMMARY: As a Client and Family Advocate, you will coordinate and provide specialized services to clients and their dependents in the emergency shelter program (also referred to as “Residential”) and support them in navigating the challenges of intimate partner violence. Collaborating with our Client Services Team, including Legal Advocates and fellow Client and Family Advocates, you will provide holistic services to survivors of intimate partner violence and their children. Your role will involve building trust with clients and their children, assisting them in setting and achieving their own goals and offering advocacy and direct support to promote their safety, well-being, and cultivation of healthy relationships.
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.
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.
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-judgemental and receive feedback with curiosity, respect, and a commitment to continuous growth and professional development
- Provide direct support to clients at the Residential Facility
● Adhere to a voluntary, client-led model of service provision
● Balance the preservation of physical safety and psychological security in the Residential Facility with individual client autonomy and self-determination
● Provide information, referral, and support services to clients, including connecting and accompanying them to community-based resources when the client desires that level of support
● Support clients in defining their own needs and short-, mid-, and long-range goals and creation of individualized service and action plans
● Meet one-on-one with each client weekly to check in about goals, progress, and additional support needed
● Accompany and/or transport clients to appointments, resources, and other services as needed or requested by client
● Advocate with and on behalf of clients for issues related to housing, food and medical benefits, employment, etc.
● Communicate important client-related information to incoming staff at shift change through “Update Binder”
● Complete safety checks of clients throughout shift
● With fellow Client and Family Advocate, lead social and skill development groups for adult clients with appropriate frequency and structure to support client growth and engagement
● Provide conflict resolution support when conflicts arise between guests
● Monitor and respond to building buzzer system
● Complete VADATA data collection accurately and comprehensively for all guests
● Maintain up-to-date documentation on clients and services/advocacy provided
● Provide 24/7 on-call hotline coverage approximately one week out of every six weeks outside of regular business hours
● Support clients in completing satisfaction surveys during and after their program participation
- Develop and implement specialized service plans with clients with dependents at the Residential Facility
● Adhere to a voluntary, client-led model of service provision, recognizing parent clients as the primary, healthy authority in their dependents’ lives
● With parent, provide orientation to children and conduct child-centered assessment upon arrival at Residential to identify concerns related to trauma exposure and/or physical or developmental needs, including administering ACES screening
● Complete Advocacy Packets for clients and dependents and advocate on their behalf with community service providers
● Assist with identifying and accessing relevant local resources and support services and make referrals as needed
● Provide resources to parents developed specifically for strengthening the parent-child relationship
● With option for parent to participate, provide weekly support session for each child with their and their parent’s consent, with a focus on identifying healthy adults and building healthy relationship skills
● With fellow Client and Family Advocates, lead weekly group support and skills development sessions for parents with appropriate frequency and structure to support their growth and engagement
● With fellow Client and Family Advocates, lead a weekly child and parent activity group with parent consent and consensus, as well as coordinate and lead monthly family-friendly event or field trip to support family well-being and engagement
● Help parents enroll their children in school and access community childcare and recreation resources
● Conduct exit interviews with clients and their dependents when departing Residential
- Support with management of Residential Facility
● With rest of Client Services Team, support Shelter Manager Team Lead with the preparation of weekly “House Meeting” agenda
● Complete safety checks of facility throughout shift
● Answer Residential Office phone line
● Support Shelter Managers with maintaining the organization and stocking of shared spaces, including resource room and play area
● Other facilities management support as needed
- Hotline operations
● Answer hotline, either directly or via Action Alliance support
● Provide information, referral, and safety planning to hotline callers
● Using Residential Clearance Policy, screen eligible callers for entrance to Residential Program
● Coordinate safe arrival to Residential Facility for callers cleared for the shelter program
● Complete Hotline Form in VADATA accurately and comprehensively for all hotline calls
- Team and organizational collaboration collaboration
● Attend and actively participate in regular one-on-one, team, and organization-wide meetings as assigned
● Coordinate with Administrative Team on donation activities and grant reporting/applications
● With Shelter Managers, create donation request list for circulation by Administrative Team
● Submit timesheets accurately and promptly
- Interagency collaboration
● With rest of Client Services Team, maintain updated parenting- and child-specific referral lists for client, staff, and volunteer use
● Stay up to date on community partner programs including eligibility and exclusionary criteria
● Support Community Engagement Coordinator on ongoing outreach to community partners to establish and foster a network of resources, support, and services relevant to clients and their families
- Pursue and participate in 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 as assigned by supervisor
● Stay up to date on best practices and trends (harm reduction, trauma-informed care, etc.)
REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
● 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
● Fluency in Spanish strongly preferred ($2,500 salary differential)
TO APPLY:
Please email your cover letter and resume to careers@shelterforhelpinemergency.org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Salary : $2,500