Domestic Violence Advocate - Fh

About Barrier Free Living (BFL)
BFL is dedicated to helping New Yorkers with disabilities live independently in the community. Through its various programs, BFL provides a broad range of residential and non-residential services to disabled survivors of Domestic Violence. Services include case management; housing placements; independent living skills training; occupational therapy; short- and long-term individual counseling; advocacy within the medical, mental health, child welfare, law enforcement, and criminal justice systems; and referrals to outside services.
About Freedom House (FH)
Freedom House, a crisis shelter for Domestic Violence survivors with and without disabilities , provides comprehensive services to families and single individuals to assist them in recovering from their experiences of trauma. Services include individual and group counseling, case management, assistance with housing and government benefits, advocacy, on-site child care, occupational therapy, and medical and psychiatric care. This state-of-the-art facility is the first completely accessible Domestic Violence shelter for individuals with disabilities in the country.
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Role Summary: The Domestic Violence Advocate is responsible for direct service provision with shelter residents who have experienced Domestic Violence with and without disabilities and those who are D/deaf or Hard of Hearing. Direct services include individual and group counseling, hotline screenings, crisis intervention, advocacy, and case management. The Domestic Violence Advocate is part of an interdisciplinary team including housing and entitlements, legal, nursing, childcare, occupational therapy, psychiatrist, maintenance, and residential aid.
Position Overview:

• Conduct phone intake interviews to assess callers for eligibility for shelter;
• Engage residents in initial and ongoing services, through individual and group supportive counseling and safety planning;
• Identify strengths and needs of individuals and families and establish an individualized service plan;
• Ensuring appropriate follow-up activities related to goals;
• Provide comprehensive quality advocacy and case management services;
• Provide crisis intervention and other services required to assist residents;
• Work closely with interdisciplinary teams to provide assistance in seeking housing, employment, child care, financial assistance, legal services and other services needed;
• Regularly assess the safety and well-being of residents;
• Ensure professional relationships with clients to create an atmosphere of empathy, safety, & support;
• Participate in training’s to enhance and develop appropriate skills;
• Attend individual supervision, group supervision, case conferences, and staff meetings;
• Maintain adequate and timely case records utilizing the FamCare case management system.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, or related fields required.
• MSW, MHC, LMSW, or LMHC strongly preferred
• Strong dedication to furthering victim and disability rights
• Demonstrate sensitivity to issues related to Domestic Violence and disability issues
• Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Office applications (including Excel) and skills in database management and record keeping
• Bilingual Spanish/English, ASL knowledge preferred
• Excellent written and verbal skills

Start Date: Immediately
Benefits Package: 100% Employer paid Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Matched Retirement Plan, Paid vacation, Sick days, Personal days, Paid National Holidays, and more.
Annual Salary: 60,000 with License.
Status: Full Time/Exempt
Hours per week: 35
Schedule: Monday through Friday, 9AM to 5PM. 3 days of the week in the office. ​​​​​Until further changes due to COVID-19 Regulations, as of now, remote work is arranged on the rest of the working days including meetings.
Equipment Operated: Computer/Laptop, Printer, Scanner, Phone, Adaptive Dives, etc.
Work Environment:
This is a hybrid position.
Travel:
A minimum of 3 days on-site per week at Freedom House. ​​​​​Until further changes due to COVID-19 Regulations, as of now, remote work is arranged on the rest of the working days including meetings. (Subject to change.)