Language Outreach Advocate
To apply send cover letter & resume to jobs@safehousecenter.org with “Language Outreach Advocate” in the Subject Line
Position Highlights:
– Full time (40 hrs/week): Monday-Friday during business hours with flexibility for evenings and weekends due to 24 hr. Response duties.
– Due to Response Team duties, applicants must be able to respond to area hospitals ( St. Joes and UofM) and the Washtenaw County Jail within 30 minutes.
– Due to grant restrictions, the starting pay is non-negotiable
– Provide individual counseling for sexual assault and domestic violence survivors
– Group facilitation
-Fluency in Mandarin Chinese, or Arabic preferred
-People of color and LGBTQ identified persons are encouraged to apply
Job Description
JOB TITLE: Language Outreach Advocate
DEPARTMENT: Survivor Services
PAY RANGE: $13.86 hour (non-exempt employee)
HOURS: 40 hours per week
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Counseling and Advocacy Coordinator
MOST RECENTLY REVISED: August 2015
JOB QUALIFICATIONS
Mandatory:
Education/Training: One year of experience in a relevant social justice or human services field
Experience/Abilities/Skills:
- Excellent writing and interpersonal communication skills;
- Fluent in English and Spanish, or Arabic, or Mandarin Chinese language skills, both written and oral;
- strong leadership and teamwork skills;
- computer proficiency, including with Microsoft Office, including Word & Excel and email and internet functions;
- Understanding of and sensitivity to the unique circumstances of underserved populations and to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault
Other Valued Education, Training, Experience, Abilities or Skills:
- Fluency in language(s) other than English
- Experience working with survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault
- Supervisory experience
- Public speaking experience
- A degree in a relevant social justice or human services field
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Program Responsibilities
- Provide services in accordance with the organization’s personnel policies, mission and goals.
- This position does not supervise other staff
- At the direction of the CAS Coordinator provide individual and group supportive services to Limited English speaking survivors of domestic violence and/or sexual assault, including but not limited to:
- Individual counseling
- Advocacy
- Facilitate support groups for Spanish or other limited English speaking survivors
- Maintain flexible schedule to accommodate the needs of survivors during non traditional hours.
- Work collaboratively with each survivor to determine both their strengths, supports, challenges and goals in order to promote their autonomy.
- Assess health care needs and insurance status and provide assistance in these areas.
- Program Development and Implementation
- Develop outreach program with community health care clinics to assist their limited English speaking clientele with domestic violence and/or sexual assault issues. Produce materials geared toward Limited English speaking domestic violence and sexual assault survivors
- Distribute materials to the clinics and other agencies for use with their Limited English speaking populations on domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with the staff in the health care clinics in the community, beginning with Community Family Health Care and Packard Community Health Care.
- Provide in-service training on domestic violence/sexual assault for staff at clinics and other community agencies
- At the direction of the CAS Coordinator develop and maintain effective working relationships with staff at local social service organizations, Universities and Colleges, Medical Facilities, Law Enforcement, Legal System and other relevant organizations to provide education, information and consultation regarding domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
- Evaluation
- Advocate will collect data on # of encounters, and needs related to DV/SA advocacy which are unique to LEP populations. Evaluation will also include next steps and recommendations for moving forward with outreach advocacy in community systems, clinics and agencies as identified.
- Record Keeping
- Maintain case/call records and statistics as necessary and submit accurate data by stated deadlines.
- Maintain records of service participant contacts.
- Maintain records of all contacts related to service delivery (authorized phone calls to third parties, court contacts, etc.).
- Enter data into client database when necessary.
- Update case files regularly and thoroughly, following organizational procedures about file management.
- Provide individual and group supportive services including but not limited to:
- Individual counseling
- Advocacy
- Facilitate support groups for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
- Maintain flexible schedule to accommodate the needs of domestic violence and sexual assault survivors during non traditional hours.
- Work collaboratively with each survivor to determine both their strengths, supports, challenges and goals in order to promote their autonomy.
- Provide assistance in the areas of transportation, housing, employment, child care, credit, parenting, etc.
- Assist shelter staff with case management for Limited English Speaking survivors in the agency
- Identify resources for survivors to assist with interpretation and translation needs
- Work with staff to ensure a smooth transition from shelter to the Counseling and Advocacy Program for service participants where needed
- Provide leadership to recruit, train and pair volunteer translators and interpreters with staff who are working with survivors in need of such services
- Participation on Domestic and Sexual Response Team (RT) Day and weekend pager rotation schedule to provide coverage for the 24 hour RT program.
- At the direction of the CAS Coordinator develop and maintain effective working relationships with local social service organizations to provide education, information and consultation regarding domestic violence and sexual assault
- Outreach
- Development and Implementation of Materials in English and other languages
▪Staff Responsibilities
- Attend team and staff meetings.
- Participate in regular supervision with the Counseling and Advocacy supervisor
Other Duties and Responsibilities
- Greet and assist people when they enter the public lobby.
- Participate in conferences, classes and workshops to enhance professional knowledge and skill.
- Sign up for some holiday shifts during popular holiday times (most notably – but not necessarily limited to – the time around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s). Some limited holiday shifts will be required of all staff in order to keep our essential crisis intervention functions operational at all times throughout the year.
- Sign up for the required number of community education presentations, information tables or other outreach opportunities.
- Assist with special events when appropriate.
- Help to keep shared spaces orderly and take part in office-related light cleaning chores as assigned.
- Other tasks as assigned.
- Limited travel may be required.
