Direct Service Advocate_HYPP_2nd Shift_FT

Direct Service Advocate

Department:
Holyoke Young Parent Program

Reports to:

Program Director

Schedule:

Full-time, 75 hours/bi-weekly; 3pm-11pm

FLSA Status:
Non-Exempt

Starting Rate: $21

The YWCA of Western MA is dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering survivors. We provide a safe place for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Our programs and services include crisis shelter and transitional housing for survivors and their families, counseling, SAFEPLAN court advocacy, community education, supervised visitation, and violence prevention education. The YWCA provides services at several sites, including Holyoke, Northampton, Westfield, and our primary Springfield campus.

Expectations of all employees

In the performance of essential and general job responsibilities, all YWCA employees are expected to:

• Demonstrate commitment to the YWCA's mission and principles of trauma-informed work.
• Represent the YWCA in a professional and competent manner to participants, community members, organizational partners, and other stakeholders.
• Support policies, practices, and decisions that demonstrate our shared accountability for racial equity.
• Foster a positive working environment.
• Coordinate efforts across teams, programs, and partner organizations.
• Maintain professional behavior and strict confidentiality.

Position Purpose

The Direct Service Advocate (DSA) is responsible for providing support, advocacy and role modeling to adult, teen and child program participants living in the YWCA's residential programs. DSA's are part of a team model working with peers, supervisors, clinicians and outside connections to best serve program participants. DSA's support the agency mission and trauma informed service model in order to provide safe, consistent and quality services to vulnerable populations.

Essential Responsibilities

• Nurture and support a milieu approach that is participant-guided, family-driven, strengths-based, and trauma-informed; and embraces a framework of empowerment and encouragement, engaging with 100% of individuals and families that are on-site each shift;
• Encourage and support the development of life skills, positive parenting and improved parent-child interaction- 1:1 or group format to include recreational, educational, and cultural or those that promote family engagement;
• Follow and encourage the programs daily schedule and facilitate resident participation and community responsibilities, taking into account individualized plans for each participant;
• Ongoing individual resident support with 85% of time on shift in direct service role providing face to face contact and interaction with participant's and their children in order to support;
• Ensure program procedures, rules, regulations and policies are followed to ensure a safe and supportive living environment including completion of 100% of all required safety sweeps (minimum of four times) each shift to ensure premises including alarms, doors, windows, appliances and bedrooms are all safe;
• To facilitate integration into the program, provide orientation and emotional support to participants upon arrival ;
• To ensure participants are properly welcomed to the program, prepares rooms for new families within 1-2 shifts from previous exit;
• Provide daily information as it relates to data collection and outcome measurements through the completion of 100% of AWARDS logs prior to end of shift;
• Required documentation and daily program communication including case notes, resident files and communication logs, completing 100% of all documentation prior to the end of shift;
• Perform regular job duties to be observed by new staff during the job shadowing portion of program orientation;
• Engage with residents at 100% of all meal times and…