Domestic Violence Hotline Counselor (on-call)

Established in 1902, Lutheran Settlement House (LSH) is a non-profit, community-based organization committed to serving vulnerable children, adults, and families living in Philadelphia. Over the past century, the programs and services offered by LSH have changed in response to the evolving needs of the community. However, the core mission of Lutheran Settlement House —"to empower individuals, families, and communities to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency through an integrated program of social, educational, and advocacy services"— has remained constant.

Scope of Position:

Under the supervision of the Bilingual Domestic Violence Program’s (BDVP) Hotline Manager, the Hotline Counselor (on-call) is primarily responsible for providing hotline counseling and referrals to victims of domestic violence and their families on the Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline (PDVH). The Hotline Counselor ensures the normal ongoing operations of LSH’s hotline phone systems during their shift. In partnership with three other DV organizations, LSH covers the hotline, Monday to Friday, 7am-9pm. The On-call Hotline Counselor serves as a back-up to regularly scheduled counselors in cases of vacations or time-offs. This position is on site at LSH’s main office with opportunities for additional hours as schedule allows.

Functions and Duties:

• Provides as needed in office hotline coverage during evening shift, and as needed on other shifts.
• Provides trauma informed telephone crisis counseling, advocacy and referral services to victims of domestic violence and their families.
• Maintains accurate confidential participant records and documents client contact and related hotline activities in BDVP’s secure database on a regular basis.
• Maintains up-dated and accurate resource and referral system on domestic violence, Protection from Abuse (PFA) court orders, drug and alcohol use, mental health, housing/shelter, and other related issues. Remains current with local, state and federal laws that impact services to domestic violence victims and their families.
• Participates in team/staff meetings, in-service/volunteer trainings, and other LSH-BDVP functions as may be required.
• Meets regularly with Hotline Manager for supervision to review hotline activity, service issues, and other program matters. This includes a routine review of service documentation and other program information to assure compliance with program standards and agency service goals.
• Performs other duties as required.

Qualifications:

• An Associates Degree in the field of human services or a high school diploma (or an equivalent) is preferred.
• Experience in a hotline or other fast-paced environment, crisis counseling, de- escalation, and mental health is a plus.
• The individual is expected to demonstrate understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence, knowledge of community resources, and sensitivity to the needs of domestic violence victims and their families.
• The individual is expected to present good-listening skills; demonstrate effective problem solving skills; be able to work with a diverse group of individuals; and be able to work flexible and evening hours.
• Completion of a state mandated 40-hour domestic violence training and 5 hours of double staffing is required and can be completed upon hiring.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred. Bilingual in other languages is a plus.

We value diversity and aim to have our staff diversity mirror our client population. We strongly encourage BIPOC applicants and other diverse backgrounds to apply.

• Philadelphia Sick Time is accrued at a rate of 1 hour per every 40 hours worked.
• Our 401k retirement savings program offers a 1% match, and we offer pre-tax flexible spending accounts for health, travel, and dependent care.
• We value growth and learning, and offer trainings and conference participation whenever possible. We value the voices of our staff, and we offer mini-grants for staff to pilot new ideas in their work.
• We understand that employees are people first and foremost, and are committed to an overall supportive and flexible organizational culture.
• Our work is critical but we know it’s not easy, so we aim to infuse joy wherever possible. Whether we are offering free yoga and exercise classes, ending all-staff meetings with Karaoke or Bingo, or committing steadfast to a snack-based meeting culture – we aim to balance the weight of our work with laughter and levity as often as we can.

Proficient in English (reading/writing/verbal communication), Bilingual English and Spanish preferred, and compensated commensurately.