Shelter Advocate – 3rd Shift

Job Title: Shelter Advocate

Position: Full–time, 32 hours, Monday Night -Friday Morning 11pm-7am, some holidays required.

Classification: Non-Exempt

Department: Residential Services – Shelter

Reports to: Director Shelter and Transitional Living Services

Location: 505 Building

Mission:

The mission of The Women’s Center is to provide safety, shelter, and support to empower all impacted by domestic abuse, sexual violence, child abuse, and trafficking.

Summary/ Objective: The primary responsibilities of this position are to provide 3rd shift coverage for the 24-hour hotline and to provide advocacy and support to shelter residents.

Essential duties and responsibilities:

• Provide crisis intervention, advocacy, and support to residents and hotline callers.
• Primary coverage for 24-hour hotline providing information and referral, crisis intervention, and pre-screening of potential residents.
• Assigned shelter shifts include holidays.
• Maintain accurate and complete records and statistics.
• Enter client interactions, hotline calls, and other required data into client database and hard copy client files every shift.
• Interact positively and appropriately with all clients.
• Participate in agency meetings and trainings.
• Keep community resource information current and easily accessible.
• Work with clients and colleagues to ensure the smooth and orderly operation of programs.
• Mediate interpersonal conflicts between residents.
• Make regular rounds to ensure that residents and areas are safe and secure.
• Support a clean and hygienic living and working environment.
• Communicate with other staff to support the needs of clients.
• Adhere to organizational compliance with all local, state, and federal regulatory agencies.
• Ensure confidentiality of all clients utilizing services.
• Greet visitors and donors and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
• Receive, record, and organize donations.
• Order and organize food and other supplies necessary for program operations.
• Arrange transportation for clients as needed.
• Completes other duties as needed and/or requested by supervisor to align with the mission and vision of the organization.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Knowledge, Skills:

• Work and/or volunteer experience related to domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking and/or residential programs.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to comfortably work in situations that may be confrontational.
• Knowledge and experience in crisis intervention.
• Ability to answer and engage with callers on a multi-line telephone system.
• Ability and willingness to work both individually and as part of a team with other staff in the provision of services to residents.
• Verbal and written skills – ability to convey information effectively and as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Active listening – giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension – understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
• Time Management – managing one’s own time.
• Service Orientation – actively looking for ways to help people.
• Coordination – adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
• Critical Thinking – using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Judgment and Decision Making – considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Monitoring – monitoring/assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Education/Experience:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.

Language Skills: Ability to read, write, communicate, and comprehend English. Must demonstrate an ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from clients, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to utilize critical thinking- such as using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Valid Driver’s License

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

• The ability to lift up to 25 lbs.
• Ability to ambulate up and down stairs.
• Walking throughout the shelter residence is required.

Work Environment: The Work environment described here is representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions.

• The employee may be required to perform work-related travel.
• Works predominantly indoors.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

ADA: The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

AAP/EEO: The Women’s Center is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

This Job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change in response to business needs. Essential and marginal job functions are subject to modification.

Digital Fingerprints/Criminal Background Check for TWC Applicants

What information will be requested at the time of the fingerprinting reservation?

1. Full legal name
2. Full current address
3. Date of birth
4. Gender
5. Social Security number
6. Height
7. Weight
8. Hair color
9. Eye color
10. Ethnicity
11. Place of birth
12. Citizenship

Primary ID (photograph and signature, non-expired)

• Government-issued driver’s license
• Learner’s permit (plastic card only with photo and signature)
• National/State/County identification card
• Passport
• Military ID
• Military ID for spouses and dependents
• Alien registration card (Green card, permanent resident visa)

Secondary ID (signature, non-expired)

• Social Security card