Direct Service Advocate-HYPP-2nd -FT

YWCA of Western Massachusetts; Holyoke (MA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

The Direct Service Advocate (DSA) supports residents in YWCA’s residential programs, providing advocacy, role modeling, and trauma-informed care within a multi-site setting in Massachusetts. The role focuses on empowering adults, teens and children through consistent, compassionate service.

You will work as part of a team with peers, supervisors, clinicians, and community partners to promote safety, healthy parenting, and engagement in daily activities.

Qualifications

• At least one year of counseling and direct service experience.
• Experience in a domestic violence setting.
• Experience with survivors of gender-based violence and exploitation.
• Reliable transportation, safe driving record, and valid driver's license required.
• Must be able to life 40 lbs.

Responsibilities

• Nurture and support a participant-guided, trauma-informed milieu with on-site engagement of all individuals and families.
• Promote life skills, parenting, and family engagement through 1:1 or group formats.
• Follow daily schedules and support individualized participant plans.
• Provide continuous direct service with face-to-face contact during shifts.
• Ensure safety procedures and 100% safety sweeps per shift.
• Provide orientation and emotional support to new participants on arrival.
• Welcoming new families and preparing rooms within 1–2 shifts of exit.
• Complete AWARDS logs and all required documentation before shift end.
• Shadow and learn routine job duties during orientation.
• Engage with residents at meals and maintain dining/kitchen areas and inter-shift communication.

Skills

Counseling experience

Direct service experience

Domestic violence awareness

Survivors of gender-based violence

Driver's license

Education

A.A. or equivalent education or experience in a human service field

Job description

Direct Service Advocate_HYPP-2nd Shift Full Time Springfield, MA, US

Requisition ID: 1980 Salary Range: $21.00 To $21.00 Hourly Department:

Holyoke Youth Parent Program Reports To: Program Director FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt Schedule: Full-time, 75 hours/bi-weekly; 3pm-11pm. The YWCA of Western MA is dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women. The YW provides a safe place for survivors of domestic violence and/or sexual assault. Our programs and services include crisis shelter and transitional housing for survivors and their families, counseling, SAFEPLAN court advocacy, community education, supervised visitation, and vocational training for youth ages of 17-24. The YWCA provides services at several sites, including Holyoke, Northampton, Westfield, and our primary Springfield campus.

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 ensure that participants clean up the dining area prior to leaving as well as kitchen prior to cooking; Ensure thorough communication of staff from shift to shift

Qualifications

• A.A. or equivalent education or experience in a human service field, preferred
• At least one year of counseling and direct service experience
• Experience in a domestic violence setting
• Experience with survivors of gender-based violence and exploitation
• Experience addressing the impacts of decisions and actions on multiple communities
• Reliable transportation, safe driving record, and valid driver's license required
• Must be able to be covered by the agency's insurance policy
• Must be able to life 40 lbs.