This is a job listing for Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh
Provides direct service, advocacy, safety planning, emotional support,
psychoeducation, case management, and information & referrals to
clients of the WC&S Emergency Shelter and 24-Hour Hotline &
Chat/Text Support.
Responsibilities
Shelter Responsibilities
- Maintains building security at all times and assures confidentiality of residents
- Provides intake interviews with residents to identify individual needs
- Works with residents on meeting basic daily needs
- Facilitates weekly DV educational support groups for residents
- Assists with training new staff, volunteers, and interns for Shelter work
- Provides support to co-workers, volunteers, and interns in Shelter
- Provides individual advocacy and case management for assigned residents, following the Specialized Team Case Management model described below (note that these roles are delineated for ease of service provision; however, each team member will need to perform all roles at some point):
- Economic Empowerment Advocate: Responsible for Housing Advocacy, Career/Education Advocacy, and Advocacy related to Benefits and Income
- Safety Advocate: Responsible for Safety Planning and Goal Planning on an ongoing basis and serving as a liaison to the Legal Advocacy Department
- Specialized Services Advocate: Responsible for Advocacy related to Alcohol and Other Drugs, Health, LGBTQ issues, Cultural/Language issues, and Pet Issues (and any other specialized issues that arise for the resident), and serving as a liaison to the Clinical Supervisor and the CYF IPV Program
Hotline Responsibilities
- Provides crisis counseling, safety planning, and information and referrals to Hotline callers and to users of Chat and Text Support
- Assists with training new staff, volunteers, and interns for Hotline work
- Provides support to co-workers, volunteers, and interns in Hotline
All Advocates have the following combined responsibilities
- Maintains strict confidentiality of clients, residents, and location
- Documents and enters accurate client information and systems advocacy and submits in a timely manner
- Meets regularly with Resident Relations Supervisor to review, receive and prioritize tasks and discuss issues/problems of the Shelter and Hotline departments
- Attends weekly Team Supervision and monthly All Staff Meetings
- Completes Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) training within first 6 months and completes annual continuing education requirements
- Advocates for victims of IPV, using the Justice, Autonomy, Restoration and Safety model (JARS) and the Sanctuary Model
- Performs other duties and assigned by the supervisor
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in social work/social sciences or related field
- 1-3 years in direct service in a human service agency
- Sensitive to domestic violence, trauma, and cultural diversity issues
- Demonstrate an understanding of abusive family dynamics, including intimate partner violence, cycle of abuse, power and control dynamic, and child abuse and neglect
- Ability to multi-task and adapt to change
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
- Effective written and oral communication skills and active listening skills
- Ability to complete paperwork and enter data in a timely and accurate fashion.
- Ability to understand and use the following:
- Confidentiality and safety procedures
- Microsoft Office (Windows, Outlook, Word, Excel)
- Act 33/34 and FBI Clearances required.
Core Competencies
Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability and commitment to:
- Be knowledgeable and skilled in the areas of intimate partner violence, issues that may be co-occurring with intimate partner violence (addiction, mental health, poverty, homelessness, etc.), and trauma.
- Be comfortable meeting new people, building rapport, being in the residential community, and being proactive in building relationships.
- Create and sustain a respectful environment for clients and with co-workers
- Establish healthy boundaries, trust, respect and rapport with clients and other professionals.
- Be able to handle uncomfortable, ambiguous, and conflictual situations ethically, professionally and with skill.
- Be able to follow instructions and guidelines while maintaining flexibility and adaptability.
- Ask questions and seek support as needed for the purpose of best serving our clients and growing as a professional.
- Be able to receive positive and constructive feedback in a professional, improvementfocused manner.
- Be able to lead and follow effectively, when applicable.
- Be motivated to practice self-care, emotional regulation, and emotional intelligence.
- Be resourceful, professional, and have a positive attitude.
- Demonstrate initiative, follow-through, resourcefulness, consistency, and self-awareness.
Benefits
This position is full time and non-exempt.
WC&S offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package, including: generous paid time off; health, vision, and dental insurance; short-term and long-term disability coverage; group life insurance; retirement plan; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; and is a Public Service (Student) Loan Forgiveness eligible employer.
Women’s Center & Shelter is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to ensuring that both applicants and employees are treated without discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity expression, national origin, age, religion, disability status, sexual
orientation/identity, citizenship status, veteran status, marital status or any other protected characteristic.
To Apply
This position will remain open until we find the best candidate for the position. To ensure consideration for an interview, please send a resume and cover letter to the Director of Administration at careers@wcspittsburgh.org by end of business day Friday, July 10, 2020.