Outreach Advocate

ABOUT US:

Women's Lunch Place is a safe, welcoming daytime shelter and advocacy center for women experiencing hunger, homelessness, and poverty. We offer a supportive community that provides healthy meals, housing support, wellness programming, and other critical services designed to restore dignity and empowers women to make positive changes in their lives.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Outreach Advocate engages with women at Women’s Lunch Place and other locations in need of services but who do not access traditional advocacy. Their role is to develop trusting relationships with women who are struggling with substance use, housing, immigration, physical and mental illnesses, and other challenges, and to accompany each woman on her path to a healthier and happier life. The advocate works closely with direct care staff, housing advocates, community health workers, and external partners.

WLP advocates are responsive to a diverse and challenging guest community by being flexible to guests’ needs, identifying how best to achieve short and long-term goals, recommending, and offering guests the tools and support to solve their problems, effectively planning the closing of cases and supporting women through this transition, and providing appropriate follow-up assistance. Advocacy staff actively work with staff and volunteers to engage guests and coordinate services according to our integrated model of care, helping vulnerable women gain access to housing, mental health services, substance use disorder treatment, and other critical services.

Exempt Status: Exempt

Position Status: Full Time, 5 days, may include Saturdays

Salary: Minimum $62,000/year

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Outreach Advocacy:

• Establish and cultivate supportive and trusting relationships with guests who do not access traditional advocacy or services that ultimately lead to transitioning long-term homeless individuals into permanent housing and reducing lengths of shelter stays for homeless individuals through diversion, housing and other evidence-based strategies.
• Provide effective care, listen to and assess guests’ needs and strengths, develop personalized action plans, record pertinent information, implement plans in partnership with guests and follow up until needs are met or guests disengage.
• Respond effectively and appropriately to the needs of guests in the shelter and during individual meetings.
• Prioritize early intervention and connecting guest to resources before they fully disengage from services or face crises.
• Provide advocacy and care coordination services: listen to and assess guests’ needs and strengths, record relevant data and information in File Maker.
• Schedule follow-up appointments until guest’s goals are accomplished or her needs are better met by other care providers.
• Provide responsive assistance to solve immediate concerns and needs.
• Assist with guest needs for housing, public benefits, trauma intervention, financial questions, and make referrals for professional help with physical & mental health, addiction and any other needs.
• Provide all responses and interventions in a therapeutic manner, integrating client-centered and trauma-informed techniques and other modalities as necessary (i.e. harm reduction, cognitive behavioral, motivational interviewing).
• Evaluate interventions on an on-going basis.
• Prepare for crises and respond as needed.
• Build and maintain relationships with key service providers, collaborating with shelters, food banks, healthcare providers, and social services to strengthen referral networks.
• Accompany guests when appropriate, to meetings and appointments for housing, court, and medical.
• Attend offsite meetings and workshops, as assigned by supervisor.
• Actively participate in weekly supervision with Advocacy Manager.
• Perform other tasks, as assigned by Advocacy Manager.

Daily Operations:

• Work schedule includes time spent at Community Partner sites, scheduled appointments with guests, and office hours. Also includes training, workshops and WLP commitments.
• Support guests’ needs in accordance with policies and procedures manual, and as directed by Advocacy Manager, Chief Program Officer or Chief Executive Officer.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of client interactions and progress.
• Attend meetings relevant to the position.
• Maintain staff, volunteer, donor and guest confidentiality.
• Participate in WLP community holiday celebrations and events, whenever possible.
• Create a safe and welcoming environment for staff, volunteers and guests.
• May be required to work at satellite locations as assigned to support guest needs and program goals.

Administrative:

• Accurate and timely reporting of all significant guest information including File Maker, incident reporting and all data gathering requirements.
• Accurate and timely reporting of financial data including petty cash, check requests, gift card requests, and credit card purchases.
• Computer literacy. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite preferred.
• Perform other tasks, as assigned by the Advocacy Manager.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully you must be passionate about our mission of helping vulnerable women in need and be able to perform each essential duty/function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.

• High school diploma required. pathway to LICSW, Associate or bachelor’s degree preferred, or commensurate experience with vulnerable individuals struggling with homelessness, poverty, addiction, mental illness, trauma, and abuse.
• Ability to abide by WLP Professional Ethics & Boundaries policy.
• Ability to learn and take initiative in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to set limits in a clear and respectful manner.
• Ability to respond to and prioritize multiple requests for assistance.
• Experience in housing advocacy.
• Experience and or understanding of trauma informed care.
• Knowledge of emergency services available in Boston area.
• Knowledge of resources available for poor and low-income women.
• Familiarity with state and federal legal systems regarding immigration, housing and behavioral health treatment.
• Access to automobile for work related travel preferred.

Language and Communication Skills:

• Bilingual in Cantonese, Haitian Creole, Spanish or Portuguese preferred.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent written, verbal and listening skills.
• Excellent collaboration skills.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Physical and Environmental Requirements:

The physical demands described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical activities include:

The employee primarily sits, but is occasionally required to stand, walk, and use hands to finger, handle or feel controls. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision and hearing abilities required by this job include close vision and distance vision and ability to hear conversations in office and group settings. Attendance at meetings in the community is required.

Work Environment:

The noise level in the shelter is usually high. The employee will be exposed to occasional disruptive behaviors in the shelter and/or community dining room. Women’s Lunch Place is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Please submit resume and cover letter to hr@womenslunchplace.org

Women’s Lunch Place offers a rewarding work environment with competitive salary, generous benefits and a strong commitment to diversity in its workforce and programs. Women’s Lunch Place does not discriminate based on race, color, gender or gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability.