Job description

Family Advocate

Bilingual Strongly Preferred

Job Description

As an affiliate of an international membership organization, the YWCA Sonoma County has devoted the past 30 years to empowering women and affirming the worth of all people, regardless of gender or race.

At the heart of the YWCA’s programs are our domestic violence services. We provide a wide range of services to victims of domestic violence and their children so they can heal, become self-sufficient, and return productively to the community.

Position:

Family Advocate

Wage:

$21.00 - $25.00

Department:

Domestic Violence Services

Pay Basis:

Hourly

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

Hours/Week:

Position is full-time, 40 hours per week. Work days are Tuesday through Saturday.

Hours are 8:00 am-5:00 pm on Tues./Thurs. and 1:00 pm-10:00 pm Wed./Fri./Sat.

Benefits:

Eligible at 1.0 FTE

Employment Status:

Regular, Full time, 40 hours per week

Position Summary

The Family Advocate primarily serves residential client by providing on-site support in a non-judgmental, trauma-informed manner. Working collaboratively with clients, the Family Advocate assesses immediate client needs and implements methods and resources to meet those needs. This position documents house activities, performs case management, operational and administrative duties, determines appropriateness and safety of client participation in the residential services program in conjunction with supervisor, and if appropriate, provides client transportation. The Family Advocate staffs the crisis line. The Family Advocate must be responsive to crisis line phone calls as needed and available to be on-call on a rotation basis for vacation/Holiday coverage as needed. In addition, the Family Advocate is available for translation services as needed.

Essential Tasks

These are core functions of the job that, if removed, the job would simply not exist. 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 ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

· Advocacy

Performs intake, on-going assessment, and develops individualized, goal-oriented service plans to enhance safety, stability and self-sufficiency for clients and their families. Assists in achieving goals through advocacy, information and referral concerning legal, health, housing, public entitlements, family dynamics, substance abuse and other service needs. Assists in the development and use of personal and community resources; teaches and enhances problem-solving and self-advocacy skills.

Assists in safety planning, coordination of court and/or mediation accompaniment, and general assistance with the law- enforcement aspects of victim services. Provides emotional support & crisis intervention in person and on the hotline.

Provides linkage of clients to appropriate resources in accordance with specified referral procedures. Carries out an increasing role in interpreting the services of the agency to the community and in assisting clients to utilize all available resources. Provides translation services as needed via the phone and in person.

· Reporting

Maintains accurate records and charting to client files both physical and electronic files. Demonstrates the ability to report and document required actions within allotted time frame. Updates and maintains advocate shift notes. Provides regular statistical reporting as required.

· On site duties

Provides security checks to ensure client safety. Ensures that House Rules are understood and followed by residents. Provides support and warnings if needed.

Assists residents with parenting education and support as needed. Provide respite care for children in small increments

Assists with house operating needs such as washing sheets, making beds when necessary. Picks up and organizes donations. Helps with house maintenance and/or clean up.

· Responsible for deep cleaning rooms between clients as well as daily cleaning of shared common areas.

Responding to multiple priorities at once, including but not limited to, client advocacy, client commodities request, distribution of goods.

Assists Safe House Manager with house meetings or events as needed.

Assists with the running of groups for survivors of domestic or family violence to help them learn about/acknowledge abuse and build skills to take appropriate action.

· Community outreach

Assists in outreach and implementation of special projects related to community leadership development, agency advocacy, and/or local/state campaigns to address domestic violence and social justice issues at a more collaborative or macro level.

Maintains professionalism when working with community partners and law enforcement agencies.

· Meetings

Attendsand participates in regular and special staff meetings. Communicates appropriate staff decisions to residents.

· Schedule

On call during assigned holidays and as needed to maintain adequate shelter and crisis hotline coverage.

Is capable of working in fluctuating work conditions, as well as in a team setting or individually.

· Performs other duties as requested.

Organizational Culture:

Commitment to the agency’s mission of the YWCA. Familiarity or experience with issues that impact the lives of people supported by the YWCA. Sensitive to issues of confidentiality and diversity.

Key Behavioral Traits

The consistent display of these behaviors is essential to continued employment:

· Professionalism: Treats others with respect. Accepts feedback without defensiveness. Understands needs of the organization might outweigh personal feelings and still provides diligent and careful work product.

· Good Judgment: Considers impact of personal and professional choices. Consistently makes decisions in keeping with organizational values, supervisor’s direction, and common sense.

· Problem Solving: Able to handle common problems without supervisor intervention while knowing when supervisor participation is warranted. Able to foresee when actions might have consequences to others and communicates appropriately before implementing changes.

Prerequisite Qualifications

The candidate must meet the following criteria in order to be considered for employment in this position:

· Any combination of education, training and experience that would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and abilities above.

· Good to excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills, including ability to relate to diverse clientele and community population via telephone and in person.

· Two years’ work or volunteer experience in a human services setting preferred.

· High school diploma or equivalent.

· Prior to employment, must pass pre-employment physical, and TB Test.

· Prior to employment, must obtain DOJ & FBI fingerprint clearance.

· Prior to employment, must have COVID-19 vaccination and booster.

· Ability to pass agency and requisite law enforcement criminal background checks.

· Valid driver’s license, current auto insurance, ability to transport self to job-related events and education locations.

· Willingness to be “on-call”, work nights, holidays and/or weekends.

Knowledge & Skills:

· Knowledge of or ability to acquire knowledge of basic principles of public safety for domestic violence

· Knowledge of or ability to acquire knowledge of the legal system as it applies to Protection Orders (Emergency Protective and Criminal Protection) and Temporary and Permanent Restraining Orders and enforcement.

· Standard English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation

· Basic arithmetic computation and computer skills

· Universal Precautions and other safe work practices

Post-Hire Requirements

· Successful completion of the YWCA Sonoma County Domestic Violence Training Program. Course requires 40-hours of instruction. Candidates are required to take the first available class and will be scheduled by their supervisor. Exceptions to the ‘first available class’ are available upon supervisor approval, however the next available class must be attended and successfully completed to continue the employment relationship.

Supplemental Qualifications

The candidate who possesses the following skill(s) is preferred over an otherwise equally-qualified candidate:

· Proficiency in another language other than English, specifically, Spanish or other locally significant languages

· Bachelor’s Degree in a related field preferred.

· Experience as group facilitator, crisis intervention and/or social work.

Physical Requirements

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

· Candidate must be able to lift up to 35 pounds

· Movement within office environment including up and down three flights of stairs

· Ability to write by hand and use keyboard to perform general office functions

· Ability to communicate by speech and hearing continuously

· Visual acuity (close, distant, peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus and view accurate color perception) needed for detail work, computer use, reading and to potentially supervise children in a variety of activities

· Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time

· Ability to walk, run, move, squat, stoop, bend, twist, turn, push, pull and reach in interactions with children

Acknowledgment:

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee incumbent in this position. The Employee may be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested.

This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.

YWCA Sonoma County offers a generous benefits package including paid sick leave and vacation time, 16 paid holidays and a retirement plan.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $21.00 - $25.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Santa Rosa, CA 95403: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Language:

• Spanish (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Work Location: In person

laviolettawines.com.au is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, laviolettawines.com.au provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, laviolettawines.com.au is the ideal place to find your next job.