Advocate Team Lead

Advocate Team Lead

Haven is the only nonprofit in Gallatin County serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence, sex trafficking, and stalking. Our approach makes us unique — everything we do is deeply and genuinely rooted in empowerment. We connect survivors to available resources and the help they need while trusting they should be the ones to decide what’s best for their own journey.

Haven began serving survivors in 1979. Over the last four decades, Haven has worked to provide safe intervention for survivors of domestic violence, as well as to prevent future violence from occurring. We believe increased awareness through community education can make us all allies in ending domestic violence. At Haven, we keep survivors at the center of everything we do.

Employees are expected to show up each workday ready to work, prioritize tasks effectively, accomplish work efficiently, and follow through on all commitments. Employees are expected to assume best intent when communicating with peers and to lead with curiosity, not judgment.

Haven’s Survivor Advocates are professionals trained to support survivors who have experienced domestic violence sexual assault, stalking, and/or sex trafficking. Advocates offer Haven’s participants emotional support, crisis intervention, information and referrals, assistance connecting with social services agencies, filling out paperwork via in person, over the support line, email, or online messaging. The ideal candidate will have strong interpersonal skills, utilize active listening skills, ability to work independently, and make ethical decisions. They will also be committed to Haven’s mission and be willing to actively help contribute to and maintain a positive, supportive culture at the organization.

Responsibilities:

Personnel Support (15%):

• Supervise assigned team members.
• Provide coaching and guidance to the advocacy team to promote a cohesive team environment and ensure consistent, participant-centered, trauma-informed, empathetic, nonjudgemental, and culturally responsive services.
• Collaborate with team members to ensure that performance indicators are met as defined by multiple funding sources.
• Complete timesheets and credit card purchase approvals bi-weekly.
• Facilitate check-ins with team members to promote wellbeing, provide support, and increase efficacy.
• Onboard and train incoming team members.
• Complete performance evaluations for assigned team members
• Collaborate with the Intervention Manager to ensure full coverage on the support line and at shelter.
• Ensure team members are accurately recording data and surveys.

Survivor Advocacy (40%):

• Provide crisis intervention, follow-up, emotional support, advocacy, information, and referrals to participants.
• Provide information and referrals to community members who call the support line.
• Support participants in developing a safety plan that meets their needs.
• Assess for safety using a lethality assessment tool.
• Screen, approve, and check-in new residents for shelter/hotel.
• Arrange hotel/motel accommodations and emergency transportation.
• Accompany participants to appointments, as appropriate.
• Provide transportation to shelter residents and other participants, as appropriate.
• Answer support line calls, instant messaging, and/or participant emails and record interactions into participant interaction database.
• Develop personalized action plans with participants that address their goals (housing, legal, financial, safety, childcare, support group and/or counseling, etc.) and review participants’ progress through both formal check-in meetings and informally, as requested by participants.
• Assist participants meet their goals by discussing barriers, connecting to resources, and completing appropriate paperwork.
• Mediate and attempt to resolve conflicts between shelter residents.
• Deescalate crises and emergencies with shelter residents.
• Maintain shelter policies.
• Provide backup to the evening and Overnight Advocates during backup rotation.
• Provide back-up support for the Legal Advocate as needed and/or requested by the Intervention Manager.
• Make financial decisions regarding participant need requests.

Data Collection (10%):

• Accurately and consistently collect participant data utilizing various data collection tools (Izzy call reports/participant interactions, shelter screening forms, shelter intake packets, action plans, participant evaluation surveys, and testimonials).
• Maintain data collection forms named above, as well as all printed shelter and advocacy materials.
• Maintain participant files.
• Track utilization of services and resources such as the language line, taxis, hotels, gas cards, etc.
• Compile quarterly data for grant reporting.

Volunteer Management (15%):

• Present at volunteer trainings as requested by the Prevention Coordinator.
• Provide training, roleplay practice, and observation opportunities to direct service interns and volunteers during shadow shifts.
• Provide training, feedback, and guidance to direct service interns and volunteers taking the support line.
• Manage, support, and supervise interns through monthly check ins, providing feedback, and supporting them during/after interactions with participants.
• Ensure interns and volunteers input their participant interaction data (support line calls and in-person participant interactions) after the end of their support line shifts.
• Complete mid-term and end-of-term evaluations for advocacy interns.

Shelter Maintenance (10%):

• Prepare shelter rooms for incoming participants.
• Clean shelter rooms and manage remaining belongings after residents leave shelter.
• Prepare food space in the pantry and fridge for incoming participants.
• Coordinate property and shelter repair/maintenance, and communication needs to the Security and Facilities Manager
• Manage or assist with shelter projects through researching products, maintaining a budget, communicating with project partners, and reporting updates to appropriate staff members.
• Maintain supply of non-perishable emergency food items for shelter residents through food assistance programs and shelter food budget.
• Purchase and maintain cleaning and medical supplies for shelter and residents.
• Maintain a list of shelter supply needs for purchase or donation.
• Coordinate, organize and store donations.

Other (10%):

• Organize and manage local resource lists within Izzy for staff and interns/volunteers.
• Attend interagency meetings, trainings and workshops pertinent to advocacy services as directed by Intervention Manager or Advocate Team Leads.
• Maintain receipts/invoices for participants, shelter, and survivor advocacy program expenses.
• Provide support at fundraising activities, as needed.
• Other duties as requested by the Advocate Team Leads, Intervention Manager or Programs Director.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 2 years of experience with crisis intervention and trauma-informed advocacy or similarly related fields.
• Knowledge in the fields of domestic violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, harassment and stalking.
• Proficient in MS Office Suite and G Suite.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Driver’s license and reliable transportation.
• Highly organized, accurate, flexible, innovative, and positive attitude.
• Ability to make ethical decisions independently under high-stress conditions.
• Ability to empathize with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Ability to adapt and cope with high-stress situations.
• Ability to mediate and resolve conflicts while providing support to shelter residents.
• Must have integrity and self-initiative.
• Understanding of mental health, trauma, diversity, co-occurring issues, and cultural humility.
• Must be able to work assigned shifts Wednesday - Sunday from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm and occasionally need to be available outside of scheduled hours for meetings or trainings, not to exceed 40 hours per work week unless approved by the Intervention Manager.
• Available to respond to emergency shelter situations outside of business hours at night and on the weekends. Provide back-up support to the advocacy team approximately 3 times every 15 weeks from Monday - Sunday 4:00 pm - 7:00 am. Providing support line coverage when support line coverage is unavailable during back-up support shifts.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• Experience with coordination of local, state and nationwide referrals.
• Knowledge of Montana laws for domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.

Training that is provided:

• Haven Volunteer Advocacy training.
• Domestic violence and sexual assault training programs as requested by Intervention Manager.
• CPR/First Aid training as requested by the Intervention Manager.
• ASIST suicide intervention training as requested by the Intervention Manager.
• Other training/shadow shifts as requested by the Intervention Manager.

Physical Demand and Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment described there are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. 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 frequently required to sit and talk or hear; use hands and fingers to handle, feel or operate objects, tools or controls; and reach with hands and arms. Position requires walking, climbing stairs and lifting at least 25 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the environment is usually quiet.

Responsible to:

Intervention Manager

Hours of Work:

This is a full-time, non-exempt hourly position with a 36-hour work week.

Compensation:

Haven uses a compensation equity calculator to set pay at the organization. Depending on the final calculator score for the successful candidate, pay will range from $33.34 - $35.15 an hour. Calculator scores are determined by responsibilities, professional and personal experience, and physical and emotional labor required to successfully meet the job requirements.

Additionally, Haven offers generous benefits including health coverage per our company policy, and an additional opt-in vision and dental plan at the employee’s expense; 160 hours of annual paid time off (PTO) during the first three years of employment and 200 hours of annual PTO thereafter; 10 paid holidays annually; one week of sick leave annually; accrue up to 10 weeks of paid parental leave fully available after 12 months of employment; wellness reimbursement of up to $80 per month; an employee matching SIMPLE IRA available January 1; and a monthly cell phone stipend of $40 per month.

Probation Period:

12 months