Family Advocate

YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee

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Job Summary

The Family Advocate’s goal is to help every family exit shelter into a safe environment. This role will meet regularly with domestic violence survivors during their stay in the Weaver Domestic Violence Shelter and will focus on conducting assessments, evaluating families’ needs, and making appropriate referrals.

Relationships and Contacts:
Within the organization:  Initiates and maintains professional working relationships with staff throughout the organization including peers, supervisors/managers, directors, and senior and executive management.
Outside the organization:  Initiates and maintains professional working relationships with shelter clients, community clients, volunteers, the general public, and partnering organizations.

Job Responsibilities

• Assist families with goal setting, identify barriers to client success, provide regular sessions to ensure progress, and make appropriate referrals to overcome those barriers.
• Perform Housing Navigator functions; assists and advocates on behalf of shelter families to locate, secure, and retain affordable permanent housing, if applicable.
• Interact closely with community organizations, including those serving homeless populations, to remain current on resources available, in order to disseminate accurate information and make appropriate referrals.
• Serves as family liaison with DV staff, management, and other partnering agencies.
• Provide individual and group support for families living in Weaver Center and community clients.
• Facilitate Parenting classes, in both individual and group settings.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential records for each family, documenting resident behaviors, incidents, interactions, and progress in a consistent and ethical manner.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Conduct exit interviews and safety planning with families departing the shelter.
• When covering the Crisis Office, assume responsibility for residential coverage, as appropriate, which includes: Conducting intake and orientation to shelter responding to crisis calls, and making appropriate referrals.
• Provide transportation for residents as appropriate for case management services.
• Develop an understanding of agency and program policies and procedures, implementing appropriately and interpreting to residents and interns.
• Monitor resident activity throughout the shelter and manage conflict through appropriate intervention.
• Protect the confidentiality of clients and client records at all times.
• Attend program staff meetings, in-service training sessions, YW All Staff, and other meetings as requested.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• The position requires a bachelor’s degree in social work or related field. Case management experience preferred or previous experience in a related field considered. Trauma Informed Care practices, Verbal De-Escalation techniques, Positive Discipline models, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Empowerment service delivery are preferred.

Physical Requirements: 

• Must be fit for travel by automobile and willing to travel independently to reach engagements.
• Ability to carry boxes/materials with various weights up to 25 lbs.
• Ability to move throughout the building as well as sit or remain stationary for extended periods of time.
• Must have the ability to talk, hear, sit, stand, walk, reach, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Manual dexterity required for typing and the use of standard office equipment.
• Ability to speak concisely.
• Tolerant to various noise levels: noise level in the work environment varies – may be very quiet to moderate.

Other Requirements:

• The position requires the incumbent to have a valid driver’s license, vehicle insurance, and a clean driving record.
• Ability to work long and flexible hours, if needed.
• Willingness to support the mission of the YWCA and ability to convey its importance both verbally and in writing.

Skill Competencies:

• Ability to work with children of all ages.
• A thorough understanding of Trauma Informed Care.
• Knowledge of positive youth development principles
• Ability to successfully function under pressure in critical situations.
• Ability to interact with diverse backgrounds and socioeconomic levels.
• Effectively manage conflict and crises.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion.
• Sensitivity to the needs of DV survivors and their children.
• Excellent organizational and time management.
• Successful collaborative skills working with a variety of groups.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Competency with MS Office and willingness to learn database software.
• Understanding and sensitivity of the intersectionality of race and domestic violence.

The YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee reserves the right to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the organization desires.  This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, to be performed by the employee occupying this position.  This job description is not an employment contract, implied or otherwise.  The employment relationship remains “At will.”  The aforementioned job requirements are subject to change to reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities.

Additional Information

Benefits

How to Apply

For faster consideration, please use the link below to apply:

https://apply.appone.com/job/64edfff4973f75aa6b6b710e

Details

• Date Posted: September 8, 2023
• Type: Full-Time
• Job Function: Programs and Service Delivery
• Service Area: Social / Human Services
• Start Date: 09/04/2023
• Salary Range: $40,000
• Working Hours: 40 hrs/wk