Community Advocate Job Cleveland area,Ohio USA,Social Work

Community Advocate

The Community Advocate provides case management, support, safety planning, and advocacy services to victims of domestic violence. This role focuses on empowering clients to increase safety, achieve goals, maintain safe housing, and build self-sufficiency while fostering wellness and healthy relationships. The Community Advocate collaborates with internal teams, external partner agencies and stakeholders. The Community Advocate ensures to deliver trauma-informed case management services to clients.

The services are delivered in accordance with the agency's mission, and best practices.

Essential Job Functions

Manage a caseload of community clients, providing domestic violence education, self-sufficiency coaching, financial literacy and tenancy guidance.

Provide case management, including crisis intervention, safety planning, emotional support, and referrals to appropriate resources.

Maintain accurate documentation in database.

Meet with all assigned clients monthly to review established goals, address concerns, and celebrate successes.

Assist clients in accessing and maintaining entitlements and linkages to community resources including, but not limited to, Social Security Administration, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Division of Children and Family Services, employment, housing, State Victim Assistance Compensation, SNAP, medical coverage, SSI, CHIP, and financial and relocation assistance.

Assess the lethality of a client's situation and provide ongoing safety planning services.

Attend and contribute to all agency meeting, community meetings, and agency trainings as needed.

Build relationships with public and private service providers to advocate for client needs.

Provide support for clients and listen to clients with a non-judgmental attitude

Maintain accurate and timely case records in the agency's database, documenting all services provided in compliance with agency standards.

Explain victim rights under Ohio law, orient victims to criminal justice system, including protection orders.

Assess needs and goals with clients and ensure they are connected to any additional internal services; provide warm hand-offs, and coordinate services with other Journey Center departments to ensure holistic client care.

Collaborate with internal teams to enhance service delivery.

Ensure services are provided to clients with trauma-informed, empowerment-centered practices and in compliance with any relevant funding restrictions and accreditation requirements.

Support Helpline shifts on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

Participate in staff meetings and other meetings as needed

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

Facilitate or co-facilitate support and/or education groups as needed

Respect, understand, and promote Journey Center's mission, values, and goals

Complete agency orientation and all training(s) to maintain compliance and enhance service quality

Assume additional projects and duties as needed to support the team and organization

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience required

Experience working with domestic violence and/or, child abuse, trauma, case management preferred

Must have and maintain a valid Ohio driver's license and appropriate insurance coverage;
Must maintain appropriate driving record

Must be available to work flexible non-traditional work hours;
Have the ability to tailor work hours to the needs of families

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Personal Characteristics

Strong written and verbal communication, and attention to detail

Willingness to work as a team

Computer skills with word processing, database management, e-mail, fax, windows application capabilities

Ability to address crisis situations which require prompt decision and action

Knowledge with respect to safety issues

Knowledge of social, emotional, and personal aspects of domestic violence

Working knowledge of community resources available for survivors of domestic violence

Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of constituents including victims, law enforcement, court personnel, community partners, and volunteers

Experience or willingness to learn and bring trauma informed practice to all aspects of work including internal, client focused, and external partner focused

Working knowledge of community resources available for adult/child victims of domestic violence

Ability to perform job duties with a high degree of initiative and independent judgment

Strong interpersonal communication skills including developing collaborative relationships with colleagues and conflict resolution

Competency in working with diverse cultures and language abilities

Proven commitment to child abuse and domestic violence prevention

Experience in and commitment to building and supporting trauma informed organizations

Maintain a positive attitude

Thorough knowledge of rules, regulations, functions, procedures, organization, and policies governing the operations of Journey Center for Safety and Healing

Ability to incorporate Journey Center's Values…