Rapid Rehousing Advocate

A WOMAN’S PLACE (AWP)

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Title: Rapid Rehousing Advocate Employment Status: Full- time

Department: Housing Status: Exempt

Purpose of Position: The Rapid Rehousing Advocate is responsible for providing trauma informed counseling, case management, advocacy and supportive services to victims of domestic violence in identifying, obtaining and sustaining affordable housing. Rapid Rehousing is a housing first model where AWP aims to provide housing to survivors first and then work to address and support other need once safely housed.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to the Rapid Rehousing Manager.

Other Relationships: Community and County agencies, staff, volunteers, landlords, community resources. Surrounding county community agencies and landlords as needed.

Essential Functions/Responsibilities:

• Provide services to victims of domestic violence in alliance with the Values, Vision, and Mission statements of the organization.
• Work with individuals to create change in their lives, which supports safety, healthy relationships and self-sufficiency.
• Complete intake paperwork with new housing clients.
• Assess client’s level of need and assign appropriate program assistance.
• Provide advocacy services to survivors of domestic violence that emphasizes improved safety and economic self-sufficiency.
• Provide services that improve immediate safety and prevent reoccurrence of relationship violence, including safety planning, lethality risk assessment, and linkages to specialized legal and therapeutic services.
• Provide services that improve economic self-sufficiency of survivors, including financial education, job searches, interview preparation, assistance with resume preparation and job applications, assistance accessing public benefits, and job placement programs.
• Assist clients on creating housing retention plans and work towards economic stability to build towards self-sufficiency at the end of the RRH program.
• Provide tools, resources and education to assist survivors in maintain housing and prevent re-entry into the homelessness system.
• Coach clients to advocate on their own behalf with creditors and other financial institutions, employers, bill collectors, landlords, public and community-based programs.
• Maintain a comprehensive directory of local resources that are relevant to improving client self-sufficiency.
• Advocate for expedited referral processes to enroll survivors in job training and placement programs.
• Document and maintain records relevant to program services and in compliance with grant requirements.
• Daily data entry in order to maintain accurate statistical databases and ensure grant reporting requirements are met.
• Assist in gathering pantry items for community clients.
• Support clients in locating and obtaining affordable housing including advocacy with local landlords.
• Provide continual case management to work on stable housing and other identified areas of needs and goals. Regularly evaluate progress and adjust goal plans as needed.
• Attend supervision regularly to discuss caseload.

Criteria/Requirements:

• Commitment to AWP’s Values, Mission, and Vision statements.
• Adherence to the Personnel Policies of AWP
• Successful completion of Domestic Violence Direct Service Training course and continuing educational requirements.
• Honesty and trustworthiness in all relationships.
• Excellent and effective written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to make independent decisions and solve complex problems.
• Ability to work independently as well as in a team setting.
• Emotionally resilient and able to withstand pressure on an on-going basis.
• Deal with difficult situations while maintaining quality of services.
• Adapt readily to changing work environments, work priorities, and organizational needs.
• Reliable Transportation

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in a related field and/or

2 years of related work experience

Characteristics:

• Treats all people with respect, values diverse populations, and cultures.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Demonstrated degree of initiative and creativity
• Must be flexible and have the ability to multi task.
• Anticipates problems and seeks resolutions
• Ability to prioritize tasks and requests and work in a confidential setting
• Reliable, personally responsible, and trustworthy
• Willingness to work varied hours including some weekends and evenings
• Data entry skills
• Microsoft Office proficient

JOB DIMENSIONS:

Assignment and Approval of Work:

Rapid Rehousing Advocate is directly supervised and receives direction by the Rapid Rehousing Manager.

Financial Responsibility:

• Prior approval from the Rapid Rehousing Manager for any programmatic expenses.
• Accurate and timely reporting of any expense reports.
• Complete and submit payment requests for qualified Rapid Rehousing client expenses.

Responsibility and Decision-Making:

• Demonstrate initiative
• Assist with decision making regarding the acceptance of new clients into safe house.

Data Reporting:

• Daily, accurate reporting of all data into all necessary databases.

License/Certifications:

• 3/34 clearance
• Valid Pennsylvania Driver’s License
• Valid vehicle registration and insurance

Physical Demands/Environmental Conditions:

• Operation of office equipment
• Occasional travel
• Willingness and ability to work varied hours, including nights and weekends.
• Exposure to cleaning supplies, office chemicals, and insecticides

VISION STATEMENT

A Woman’s Place envisions a society where all individuals are safe in their relationships and can flourish.

MISSION STATEMENT

A Woman’s Place is a community-based social change organization committed to the empowerment of women and to ending intimate and domestic violence for all.

VALUES STATEMENT

To accomplish our vision of a society where all individuals are safe and can flourish, the programs, services, and decision making at all levels of A Woman’s Place are rooted in and guided by the following values:

Courage: A Woman’s Place acts bravely and boldly, notwithstanding fear.

Creativity: A Woman’s Place encourages the creation of meaningful new ideas, interpretations, and rules.

Equality: A Woman’s Place believes each and every one of us must collaborate to create a new society based in equal power and rights.

Integrity: A Woman’s Place is of sound moral character and adheres to ethical principles.

Respect: A Woman’s Place is considerate and honors the worth and dignity of all beings and resources.

Social Justice: A Woman’s Place analyzes structural social inequalities in order to promote justice.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• Case management: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Bensalem, PA 19020

Salary : $40,000