Child Engagement Specialist

The Ion Center for Violence Prevention; Newport (KY); On-site; USD 23,419 - 31,684; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous time‑off

Medical benefits (including FSA/HSA)

Dental and vision benefits

Life insurance

403(b)

Employee assistance program

Discounted pet insurance

Paid parental leave

Job summary

The Ion Center for Violence Prevention is a nonprofit serving 13 Kentucky counties, seeking a compassionate Child Engagement Specialist to support child victims at the Northern Kentucky shelter. You will provide case management, goal setting for families, and lead age-appropriate groups.

Under site supervision, you’ll handle intake, counseling, advocacy, and coordination with schools, law enforcement, and social services to ensure trauma‑informed care.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a social service‑related field or 1–2 years related experience.
• Strong empathy and listening skills essential.
• Excellent oral and written communication; high confidentiality.
• Ability to work under highly stressful, crisis‑oriented situations.

Responsibilities

• Provide crisis intervention and case management for primary and secondary survivors, focusing on child victims.
• Intake, assessment, safety planning, and connection to community resources.
• Counseling (individual/family/group) and education on topics related to partner/sexual violence and stalking.
• Advocacy support through court processes and collaboration with partners and agencies.
• Coordinate children’s activities, school enrollment, transportation, and program logistics.
• Maintain files, attend trainings, and report statistics to funders.

Skills

Empathy

Active listening

Oral and written communication

Confidentiality

Crisis intervention

Independent work

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social service field

Job description

The Ion Center for Violence Prevention is a non‑profit agency serving 13 Kentucky counties with an important mission: providing the best care of people who have been impacted by power‑based personal violence and measurably reducing the number of people who have been hurt by it. The Ion Center's identity shines in everything we do such as preventION, compassION, protectION, interventION, collaboratION, and transformatION. All services provided to victim‑survivors are free and confidential.

The Ion Center is looking for a compassionate individual that will support and serve victim‑survivors, with a special focus on child victims of partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking victims, residing in our Northern Kentucky shelter, ensuring that we are providing the best care and most welcome environment for them. The Child Engagement Specialist works with children of all ages alongside their parent by providing case management and goal setting for both parents and children, leading group sessions with age‑appropriate topics, maintaining facility cleanliness, answering hotline calls, and addressing other needs for victim‑survivors residing at The Ion Center as they arise. If you want to positively impact young minds that have experienced trauma, enjoy direct service work, and are excited to make a difference, this is the role for you!

The Child Engagement Specialist works 4 days each week from either 12pm‑10pm or 1pm‑11pm. The scheduled days would either be Sunday‑Wednesday or Wednesday‑Saturday, based on the needs of the agency.

JOB SUMMARY

Under the supervision of site management, provides full range of crisis intervention and case management services to primary and secondary survivors of crime with a special focus on child victims of partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking to assist victims to work towards safety and self‑sufficiency.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Applies ZeroV Victim Service Standards and the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs (KASAP) Standards for survivors of rape.

Intake and Assessment

• Maintain client confidentiality
• Field crisis hotline calls, texts, and chat.
• Assess and identify client needs.
• Provide and connect clients with community resources.
• Assist clients with completing agency paperwork.
• Aide clients in developing safety plans.

Counseling and Case Management

• Provide trauma informed individual/family and or group counseling.
• Educate survivors on topics relevant to partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking.
• Identifying client individual goals relevant to benefits, childcare, education, budget, and housing needs.
• Transport clients to meet goals.
• Assist parents with enrolling children in school/daycare and arranging transportation.
• Assist children with educational needs (e.g., tutoring, IEP, and homework).

Advocacy

• Provide support for clients as they navigate the legal system, including accompanying clients to court, educating on legal system, assisting clients on filing protection orders.
• Support Ion Center in providing essential services to victims, including hospital advocacy on call, hotline, and emergency shelter.
• Collaborate with community partners, law enforcement, medical staff, and social service agencies.
• Assist clients with crime victim compensation.

Children’s Program Responsibilities

• Facilitate supportive parenting groups, teen groups, and school‑age children’s groups.
• Coordinate field trips and recreational activities for families.
• Organize children’s birthday parties and assist with planning holiday parties.
• Oversee organization and cleanliness of children’s program storage areas and playroom.
• Receive and distribute children’s program donations.

Communication, teamwork, and administration duties

• Maintain client files and documentation.
• Attend related meetings and trainings.
• Report stats for funders.
• Accept and disseminate donations.
• Contribute to a clean, healthy, and trauma informed work environment.
• Collaborate as a team across agency sites.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

1. Knowledge and skills at a level typically acquired through obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in a social service‑related field and or one to two years related experience.
2. Knowledge of the developmental stages of childhood.
3. Ability to work under highly stressful, crisis‑oriented situations.
4. Ability to handle sensitive information and maintain high level of confidentiality.
5. Outstanding empathetic and listening skills.
6. Professional oral and written communication skills.
7. Ability to work independently.
8. Excellent problem solving and decision‑making skills.

MENTAL/PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES WHICH OCCUR REGULARLY IN PERFORMING THE JOB

Speaking, seeing, hearing, standing, writing, walking, including climbing steps, carry, pull, lift, stoop, kneel. Using related office equipment keyboard and monitor, camera, copier, fax, phones, etc. This position may involve exposure to infectious diseases and stressful situations.

The Ion Center offers generous time‑off, medical benefits (including FSA/HSA), dental, and vision benefits, life insurance, 403(b), employee assistance program, discounted pet insurance, paid parental leave, and more! This is an hourly position with a pay starting at $20.00/hour.

It is the policy of The Ion Center for Violence Prevention to provide Equal Employment Opportunity and individual growth opportunities to all applicants and employees in accordance with all applicable Federal and State laws and executive orders. State law requires a criminal record check as a condition of employment for all positions. This organization participates in E‑Verify.