Specialized Services Advocate

Position Description Specialized Services Advocate

Position Summary:

Responsible for the oversight of service delivery to special population victims who have experienced or been affected by Family Violence or Sexual Abuse including crisis intervention and support services to aid in their recovery from the abuse. These services may be given in either individual or small group settings in both residential or outreach settings. Emphasis in services will be given to clients who speak Spanish and/or from the Hispanic culture.

• High School Diploma and working toward college degree and/or relevant volunteer experience
• Bachelor's degree in a mental health related field and two years' work/volunteer experience preferred
• Must have be able to speak, write and read Spanish fluently
• Must have reliable transportation and current auto insurance as required by the State of Texas
• Ability to work within local Hispanic community to help address needs and work with community leaders
• Fluent Spanish Speaker required

• Evaluate and modify service delivery to ensure special population clients' needs are being met. Special populations include victims underserved because of ethnicity, race, disability, cultural or language diversity, and/or geographic isolation
• Identify local resources to better serve special population victims
• Provide information and training to staff, volunteers, and involved community agencies/organizations on best practices in service delivery to special populations
• Work with staff and volunteers to develop and maintain a 24-hour system for client translation services

• Provide intake sessions assessing individual's eligibility for services and provide information and referrals relevant to each client's situation
• Provide crisis intervention and support services to survivors to include accompaniment, counseling appointments, emergency transportation, emergency medical care, and immediate access to agency residential services
• Facilitate and develop education and support groups
• Provide personal advocacy to clients to include providing access to food, clothing, and personal hygiene items
• Provide legal information and assistance in the civil and criminal justice systems to include information on obtaining crime victim compensation benefits and protective orders and preparing victim impact statements
• Participate in an on-call rotation to provide 24-hour crisis intervention services
• Provide daily documentation of client information, and maintain required statistical and administrative documentation for monthly, quarterly, and annual reports
• Keep current a formalized resource/referral system of community resources
• Attend meetings pertinent to job performance and receive training on specialized victim's services.

• Identify unreached populations and develop plans of action to inform them of services and make services available
• Lead trainings with community agencies and individuals to enhance knowledge of family violence and sexual assault issues, as well as the special needs of bilingual clients
• Develop written materials, as needed, to enhance knowledge and awareness of Family Violence/Sexual Abuse issues
• Provide outreach services to unreached populations to increase community knowledge of available resources and services

• All other duties as assigned
• Data entry as related to position

• Assist in maintenance of agency equipment
• Assist in maintaining building safety

• Ability to understand and comply with confidentiality policies
• Ability to remain calm while coping with crisis situations
• Ability to handle multiple…