Advocate

At Unbound Now, it has always been our aim to fight for the protection of the vulnerable, identify the exploited, and advocate for survivors of human trafficking on their path to restoration. We are motivated by our faith in Jesus and work each day as people who are hope driven, service oriented, and excellence focused. To learn more about our values, please read our Statement of Faith. 

Job Status: Full-time, Exempt, Grant-supported (1 year, but plan to apply for continuance)

Job Location: Unbound Now Austin office, on-site

Job Summary: The primary function of the Advocate is to provide individualized crisis response and ongoing case management and support for survivors of human trafficking, using sound professional judgment and best practices to ensure high quality services and maintaining compliance with established program, state, and federal standards.

Compensation: Annual salary

Benefits:  Unbound Now offers a generous benefits package including health insurance for employee and family with premiums covered by employer; employer-paid life insurance for employee; and the option to participate in Unbound Now's retirement plan (with 3% salary match after 90 days with a 1-year vesting period). Dental and Vision are available at employee expense.

Schedule/Availability: 40-50 hrs/wk. Evening, weekend, and holiday call required. Scheduling flexibility needed.

Working conditions: Some work performed in a normal office environment, other service-provider conditions environment, or other professional environment. Some work within the community, in high-vulnerability locations. Work duties may on rare occasions be performed in an environment requiring exposure to weather extremes, fumes, odors, bodily fluids, and noise. 

Travel: This position requires frequent travel within the immediate area and occasional travel in or out of state for client transportation or training.

Job Responsibilities:

• Respond to calls from law enforcement and other referral sources when on call; arrive at survivor’s location within required time frame
• Meet immediate physical needs - clothes, food, toiletries, etc.
• Provide ongoing field-based advocacy, case management, and emotional support
• Independently coordinate referrals, service planning, and documentation of services for assigned caseload
• Conduct comprehensive assessments, develop service plans, and make independent decisions in the field regarding the safety and well-being of assigned clients
• Provide transportation to appointments and services as needed and as feasible
• Meet with each assigned survivor other week if in town; meet with survivors placed out-of-town monthly; maintain communication through other means in between weekly meetings
• In collaboration with client, help create and update safety plans
• Attend CPS case staffings and MDT emergency response meetings and scheduled staffings
• Document all interactions with survivors and partner agencies within 72 hours
• Build and maintain good relationships with organizations that provide services relevant to trafficking survivors
• Alert supervisor when difficult situations arise
• Recognize red flag behavior and report to supervisor
• Convey a service-oriented approach: 
  • Communicate an eagerness to be helpful, starting with every referral, initial contact, and/or initial engagement and continuing through service delivery, with all stakeholders. 
  • Provide those seeking assistance with help, even when they are ineligible for advocate services or are seeking something outside Unbound Now’s scope.
  • When referring someone, offer a warm handoff to others whenever possible. 
  • Balance the limitations of the advocate role with being resourceful, including seeking help from others as needed. 
  • Be consistent, reliable, and flexible. 
  • Collaborate actively in support of partners’ objectives.
  • Ensure case management in collaboration with on-going system and service- or investigation-based case management, continuing case management beyond others’ eligibility parameters. Ensure that case management is carried out in a manner that is relationship-based, trauma-responsive, and survivor-centered.
  • Commit to in-person meetings with your supervisor every other week. Telephonic supervision may occur once in any 30-day period.
  • Participate in Unbound Now’s advocate resilience group
  • Apply specialized training and use professional judgment in determining the best way to serve survivors during crisis and on an ongoing basis
  • Participate in weekly advocacy team meetings/case staffings
  • Participate in all required trainings
  • Submit expense documentation properly and within required timeframes

Working Relationships:

Supervisor: Director of Survivor Advocacy

Works with: Unbound Now local office team, CST care coordinators and MDT partners, other Unbound Now survivor advocacy teams

Supervises: None

Experience and Education

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or related field
• Experience working with victims of human trafficking, victims of child abuse and neglect, or persons experiencing homelessness and/or substance dependence or experience in related field preferred
• Lived experience of trafficking or exploitation preferred 
• Bilingual preferred
• Preferred 2-3 years case management and/or crisis intervention experience
• Trained in trauma-informed care
• Trained in stages of change model and use of motivational interviewing

Job Requirements:

• Mature Christian faith, as evidenced by participation in a local Christian church
• Three references, (supervisor, professional, personal)
• Agree to and pass all required criminal background checks, including DFPS criminal history check and abuse and neglect registry check
• Pass employment eligibility verification
• Complete Unbound Now’s pre-service training for specialized survivor and CSEY advocates
• Fulfill Unbound Now’s annual and ongoing training requirements for specialized survivor advocates
• Abide by all Unbound Now policies and procedures and MDT protocols at all times, including Unbound Now’s Abuse Prevention and Response Policy
• Willingness to serve in rotation for 24-hour on-call response, including evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Willingness to use personal vehicle for work travel; valid driver’s license, reliable vehicle, with valid car insurance

Critical Qualities

• Excellent relational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Good organizational and administrative abilities
• Ability and willingness to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information
• Ability to build trust and good working relationships with others
• Appreciation of need for cultural competency
• High level of emotional maturity and responsibility
• Ability to exercise discretion in caring for survivors in crisis and providing long term support
• Strong work ethic
• Innovative problem solver
• Ability to adapt immediately to changes in the field
• Commitment to excellence and professionalism in services provided
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment and maintain emotional control and professional composure at all times
• Ability to work effectively and without intensive supervision both independently and as a member of a multidisciplinary team
• Commitment to self-care and wellness

Physical Requirements

• Demands frequently require close visual attention
• Demands frequently require prolonged mental concentration
• Demands sometimes require ability to lift loads up to 50 pounds