Shelter Advocate – 3rd Shift

Job Title: Shelter Advocate

Position: Full–time, 3rd Shift Weekend

Classification: Non-Exempt

Department: Shelter

Reports to: Director Shelter and Transitional Living Services

Location: 505 Building

Job Description:

Mission: Our mission is to provide safety, shelter, and support to empower all impacted by domestic abuse, sexual violence, child abuse, and trafficking.

Summary/ Objective: The primary responsibility of this position is to provide 3rd shift coverage for the shelter, 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.
• 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 every shift.
• Participate in training and orientation of support staff and volunteers.
• Interact positively and appropriately with all clients.
• Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material.
• 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.
• Communicate with other staff to support the needs of
• Adhere to organizational compliance with all local, state, and federal regulatory agencies.
• Ensure compliance with all safety and work rules and regulations.
• Ensure confidentiality of all clients utilizing services.
• Completes other duties as needed and/or requested by supervisor to align with mission and vision of the organization.

Marginal Duties:

• Greet visitors, callers, 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.

*Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

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, social work and/or residential programs.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Knowledge and experience in crisis intervention.
• Computer experience required.
• Ability and willingness to work both individually and as part of a team with other staff in provision of services to residents.
• Experience with a multi-line telephone system.
• 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 and movement between various buildings 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 but may need to go between different buildings.
• 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.

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