Advocate - Outpatient Crisis

Position Summary

The Outpatient Crisis Advocate serves as a staff member at will of Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS). The Outpatient Crisis Advocate provides crisis intervention for individuals calling the agency or walking in who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking who need immediate crisis intervention or advocacy services.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

? Priority 1: Equity and Inclusion

• Reflect and understand how identities could give advantages in the workplace—even if they are not asked for or earned—while others might experience disadvantages. Reflect on how our position and power may shift depending on the environment, the people, or the institutions at play. Build the awareness and compassion that is needed and expected to create an equitable and inclusive workplace.
• Create an inclusive environment and behave in a way that ensures that clients and employees feel embraced, no matter what their cultural orientations are, respected and valued, engaged, and connected to the community, and safe from abuse and harassment.

? Priority 2: Advocacy

• Provide crisis intervention and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking who call or walk into the agency.
• Assist law enforcement officers with the lethality questionnaire and connect survivors to DVIS and/or other community agencies.
• Assist with screening survivors who are requesting safe housing/emergency shelter to identify level of risk and lethality.
• Safety plan and provide education to survivors who walk in or call in for help.
• Work with survivors to identify case management needs and link to appropriate resources.

Other Duties/Responsibilities: Support the overall goals of the department and organization. Work closely with the DVIS outpatient counseling team to address survivor needs and collaborate effectively. DVIS retains the right to add or change duties and/or responsibilities at any time.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Budgetary/Fiscal Responsibilities: Acts as a good steward of DVIS’s resources.

Responsibility for Confidentiality: The nature of this work requires safeguarding against the release of confidential and proprietary information of DVIS and its clients.

Contact with Others: This position will interact with managers at all levels and staff members across the organization, in addition to members of external organizations and the public.

Documentation: Maintains up-to-date and accurate files for each client according to agency guidelines and current professional standards.

Meetings and Training: Attend meetings and training as requested by supervisor.

Reports to: Vice President of Clinical Services

Status: Full-Time

Compensation: Hourly - $21.63/hr

Individual Contributor: establishes and promotes a reputation for integrity, diversity, inclusion, honesty, and reliability by demonstrating sound personal and business ethics and values.

The philosophy of our organization is that all people have the right to live without fear, abuse, oppression, and violence. Our advocacy programs embrace the philosophy that people experiencing violence and/or abuse have the potential to control their lives and can be helped in doing so through support, information, and encouragement. We believe that our organization should model behavior that is nonviolent and uses power responsibly for personal and organizational action and growth.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology, counseling, social work, or in a related field, or any equivalent combination of education and/or experience.

Experience: Requires a minimum of one year experience working with victims of crime and/or domestic violence; experience working in a nonprofit, or any equivalent combination of experience, lived experience, and/or special skills.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Proven computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite, are necessary.

Working knowledge of referral resources and processes; ability to assess a variety of personal or family needs; ability to maintain detailed and accurate records and data; ability to maintain confidence.

Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing.

Knowledge of or experience working with social justice issues, specifically intimate partner and gender-based domestic and sexual violence, and racial, class, gender, sexual orientation issues, and intervention/prevention services strongly preferred. Requires dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion, excellent organizational skills, written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize work and tasks. Requires adaptability to produce and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, multi-task, and changing environment, with frequent pressure related to meeting deadlines and scheduling requirements. Must be able to work independently and as part of a team. Requires the ability to embrace, support, and integrate DVIS’s philosophies to promote and demonstrate DVIS’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and anti-racism.

Experience applying an equitable analysis to all duties to achieve organizational goals and demonstrate DVIS’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and anti-racism preferred.

Diplomacy in confronting personal, individual, and internal discrimination requiring sharing and discussing personal identities relative to the work environment is strongly preferred.

Schedule Availability: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Occasional extended workdays.

License/Certifications: Valid driver’s license.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made when requested to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to communicate and understand in English effectively, in person, and in writing. Ability to hear adequately in person and by phone, in personal and group settings, and function with periodic distractions such as people, telephone calls, and noise.

Ability to work with, and process information from, a variety of individuals and media (e.g., computers, projected images, printed materials), and occasional sitting and/or standing for long periods of time.

Mobility is necessary to access various offices and a wide variety of settings. Mobility is necessary to perform a variety of tasks that involve intermittent standing, walking/traversing, sitting, stooping, kneeling, bending, and twisting, occasionally climbing stairs or using an elevator, and possibly reaching chest high and overhead for materials.

Ability to reach for, move, and/or lift up to 25 pounds and the use of hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls, including frequent repetitive movement such as extended periods of keyboarding.