Resident Counseling Advocate (Full-Time)

A Woman’s Place is seeking a dedicated and passionate individual who embody the agency's values of courage, creativity, equality, integrity, respect and social justice join our Safe House team and the movement of ending intimate and domestic violence for all. The Resident Counseling Advocate works within AWP’s emergency safe house, assisting survivors of domestic violence in achieving safety and self-sufficiency. The open position is full time at 32 hours a week with the following schedule: Tuesday 4pm-12am, Thursday 8am-4pm, Friday 8am-4pm, and Saturday 4pm-12am. If you are looking to make an impact, work within a social justice agency and support those who are experiencing domestic violence, please read the full job description below and submit your resume and cover letter to apply.

Essential Functions/Responsibilities

1. Provide services to victims of domestic violence that support the Values, Vision, and Mission statements of the organization.

2. Work with individuals to create change in their lives, which supports ending gender oppression and violence towards women.

3. Provide services that improve immediate safety and prevent reoccurrence of relationship violence, including safety planning, lethality risk assessment, and linkages to specialized legal and therapeutic services.

4. Provide residents with assistance in meeting identified goals and objectives in a centralized focus of victim safety, well-being and autonomy as identified by the client.

5. Provide services that improve economic self-sufficiency of survivors, including financial education, job searches, interview preparation, assistance with resume preparation and job applications, assistance accessing public benefits, and job placement programs.

6. Assist with facilitating house meetings as needed with a focus on issues identified by the residents, or housing manager

7. Assist survivors with goal setting, planning, follow through, tracking progress, and celebrating success.

8. Coach clients to advocate on their own behalf with creditors and other financial institutions, employers, bill collectors, landlords, public and community-based programs.

9. Maintain a comprehensive directory of local resources that are relevant to improving client self-sufficiency.

10. Advocate for expedited referral processes to enroll survivors in job training and placement programs.

11. Conduct an intake assessment with each new resident identifying their goals, objectives, and needs as identified by the survivor.

12. Provide regular meetings with residents to work on identified areas of need.

13. Incorporate trauma related injuries and education into the information provided to shelter residents, community clients, and hotline callers.

14. Daily data entry in order to maintain accurate statistical databases.

15. Assist with shift coverage as needed.

16. Provide training for new staff and volunteers as needed.

17. Organize and distribute donations.

18. Assist in maintaining a therapeutic environment within the Safe House including preparing rooms for new arriving residents.

Criteria/Requirements:

• Commitment to AWP’s Values, Mission, and Vision statements.
• Adherence to the Personnel Policies of AWP
• Successful completion of Domestic Violence Direct Service Training course and continuing educational requirements.
• Honesty and trustworthiness in all relationships.
• Excellent and effective written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to make independent decisions and solve complex problems.
• Ability to work independently as well as in a team setting.
• Emotionally resilient and able to withstand pressure on an on-going basis.
• Deal with difficult situations while maintaining quality of services.
• Adapt readily to changing work environments, work priorities, and organizational needs.
• Reliable Transportation
• Must be available to work overnights and week-ends.

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in a related field and/or

2 years of related work experience

Characteristics:

1. Commitment to AWP’s Values, Mission, and Vision statements.

2. Adherence to the Personnel Policies of AWP

3. Successful completion of Domestic Violence Direct Service Training course and continuing educational requirements.

4. Honesty and trustworthiness in all relationships.

5. Excellent and effective written and oral communication skills.

6. Ability to make independent decisions and solve complex problems.

7. Ability to work independently as well as in a team setting.

8. Emotionally resilient and able to withstand pressure on an on-going basis.

9. Deal with difficult situations while maintaining quality of services.

10. Adapt readily to changing work environments, work priorities, and organizational needs.

11. Reliable Transportation

12. Must be available to work overnights and weekends.

JOB DIMENSIONS:

Assignment and Approval of Work:

The Resident Counseling Advocate is directly supervised by the housing manager and receives assignments and directions from the housing manager.

Financial Responsibility:

• Prior approval from the housing manager for any programmatic expenses.
• Accurate and timely reporting of any expense reports.
• Accurate accounting of any expenses from Resident’s fund, gift cards, and bus tokens.

Responsibility and Decision-Making:

• Demonstrate initiative
• Assist with decision making regarding the acceptance of new clients into shelter.
• Assist in providing coverage for shelter and Hotline.

Data Reporting:

• Daily, accurate reporting of all data into all necessary databases.

License/Certifications:

• 33/34 clearance
• Valid Pennsylvania Driver’s License
• Valid vehicle registration and insurance

Physical Demands/Environmental Conditions:

• Operation of office equipment
• Occasional travel
• Willingness and ability to work varied hours, including nights and weekends.
• Exposure to cleaning supplies, office chemicals, and insecticides

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $21.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Night shift
• Overnight shift
• Weekends as needed

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Required)
• Night Shift (Required)

Work Location: In person