Child and Youth Advocate

First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence

Harrisonburg, VA

Child and Youth Advocate:

First Step is seeking a highly motivated individual to provide crisis, advocacy, and supportive services to promote safety, health and well-being of the children and youth of survivors receiving services through First Step. The position coordinates individual and group activities for children of survivors. The position also assists the Director of Outreach and Volunteer services in providing community outreach, engagement, and awareness activities.

About our organization:

First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that has served the City of Harrisonburg and County of Rockingham for over 45 years. We provide crisis, advocacy, rapid rehousing, and shelter services to survivors of intimate partner and relationship violence and their children. First Step welcomes and respects all survivors, regardless of race, ethnicity, color, age, gender, disability, national origin, religion, language(s) spoken, language proficiency, citizenship status, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. We are committed to providing free and confidential services to survivors of intimate partner or relationship violence who have experienced economic, physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, and/or verbal abuse and their children.

Our mission:

Empowering survivors to break the cycle of violence and abuse in their lives.

Our vision:

The vision of First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence is a community free of abuse.

Responsibilities:

Child and Youth Advocacy

• Assists with assessing needs of children and youth residing in the shelter.
• Makes referrals to resources in the community appropriate to the needs of children and their parent/caregiver.
• Assists parents/caregivers staying in the shelter with school registration and transportation for their school age children.
• Meets regularly with children/youth and their parents/caregivers to ensure the child/youth’s needs are being met. These meetings may be team meetings with other Advocates and/or the Director of Client Services.
• Works with Director of Outreach and Volunteer Services to recruit, train, and supervise volunteers to assist with children/youth groups/activities and in providing community outreach and awareness activities as needed.
• Coordinates weekly activities groups for children/youth whose parent/caregiver is participating in weekly support groups and/or house meetings. Coordinates activities and homework assistance for children/youth residing in the shelter as needed.
• Completes intakes and assessments with children and youth and their survivor parent/caregiver.
• Completes all other assigned activities.
• Networks with community agencies, schools, other non-profits, faith communities and youth organizations to coordinate public awareness and community education for children and youth in the community, as well as those who teach, support and provide services to them.

Crisis Services

• Answer crisis hotline
• Provides safety planning services, intake, assessment, information and referral, accompaniment, advocacy, and evaluation and follow-up services to survivors of intimate partner violence and their children.
• On-call services
• Complete case notes, forms and data entry
• Assist with shelter management duties
• Attend regular staff meetings, community outreach and training opportunities
• Complete all other assigned activities

Hours

• Full-time salaried position
• Evening, night, and weekend hours required
• Some holiday hours required
• On-call rotation as needed

Salary and Benefits

• Salary -$44,000.00
• Health Insurance on the first day of the month after 60 days of employment, 50% of employee premium paid
• SIMPLE IRA Plan with up to 3% match
• Sentara Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off

Reports to

• Director of Client Services

Qualifications

• Educational Background in Social Work, education or human service-related field
• 3 to 5 years of related experience working with survivors of intimate partner violence, vulnerable populations, and/or families, as well as experience working with children or youth.
• Experience working with immigrant/refugee, and/or Latino/Latinx communities.
• Knowledge, skills and ability to work with survivors of intimate partner of violence
• Experience answering a crisis hotline
• Computer literacy and proficiency in Outlook, Microsoft Office and/or similar business software suites

Skills

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills
• Motivational interviewing skills
• Bilingual/multilingual fluency preferred (e.g., ability to read, write, and speak)
• Time management and flexibility with job duties
• Organized and a self-starter
• Works well in a team setting, as well as independently

Apply by

• Please apply by October 23, 2026

To Apply

• Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references (please no phone calls)

First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug Free Workplace.

We welcome applications for candidates from diverse backgrounds. Although it is not a requirement for this role, candidates who are bilingual/multilingual are encouraged to apply.

Pay: $44,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person

Salary : $44,000