Disability Advocate

SafeNest; Las Vegas (NV); On-site; USD 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

SafeNest seeks a Disability Advocate to support UNITY statewide accessibility, advocating for survivors with disabilities and coordinating accommodations across programs. The role ensures equitable access to shelter, counseling, and victim services while advising staff on disability-informed service delivery.

You’ll collaborate with disability-service partners, develop accessibility training, and help implement standardized procedures to improve access statewide in Nevada.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in related field or CRC credential.
• Experience with diverse disabilities and disability rights.
• Knowledge of ADA accessibility and accommodations.
• Experience in survivor advocacy and case management.
• Ability to coordinate ASL interpretation and assistive-tech accommodations.
• Strong communication and collaboration with partners.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate accommodations across SafeNest programs.
• Serve as internal disability-access resource for staff and programs.
• Support statewide UNITY protocols development and implementation.
• Assist with training materials and statewide UNITY symposiums.
• Lead survivor listening sessions and incorporate feedback.

Skills

Advocacy

Case management

Accessibility coordination

Communication

Training delivery

Trauma-informed care

Collaboration

Education

Master’s degree in counseling/social work/psychology/rehabilitation

Job description

Do you have the passion, commitment and expertise to support the SafeNest mission to end the epidemic of domestic violence? We are looking for caring knowledgeable people to join our expanding team.

Department: Direct Client Services / Programs

Reports To: Residential Director

FLSA Status: Exempt, Salary

Salary Range: $35,000 - $55,000

Overview of SafeNest

Since 1977, SafeNest has been a leading force in the fight to end domestic and sexual violence. Dedicated to a holistic and innovative approach, SafeNest works tirelessly with survivors, abusive partners, and children impacted by interpersonal violence. With a steadfast commitment to breaking the cycle of abuse, SafeNest serves over 11,000 clients annually, delivering more than 170,000 life-changing services. As Nevada’s largest provider of interpersonal violence services, SafeNest’s impact is driven by its exceptional team of professionals. We recognize that our people are our greatest asset, which is why we offer competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and an empowering work environment. Together, we are building a safer, more compassionate community.

Job Summary

The Disability Advocate is a full-time position supporting SafeNest's UNITY Initiative, a statewide effort designed to improve access to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking services for survivors with disabilities.

The Disability Advocate serves as SafeNest's primary resource for disability-related advocacy, accessibility, accommodations, and disability-informed service delivery. This position works across SafeNest programs to ensure survivors with physical, sensory, intellectual, developmental, cognitive, traumatic brain injury, and mental health-related disabilities have equitable access to shelter, counseling, advocacy, safety planning, and other victim services.

The Disability Advocate will coordinate accommodations, support accessible service delivery, provide consultation to staff, participate in development of statewide accessibility protocols and training, support ADA accessibility initiatives, and serve as a liaison between SafeNest, disability-service organizations, victim-service providers, and community partners.

The position plays a central role in institutionalizing disability expertise within SafeNest and advancing sustainable, disability-informed practices throughout Nevada's victim-service system.

Primary Responsibilities

Survivor Advocacy and Accessibility Coordination

• Coordinate accommodations for survivors with disabilities across SafeNest programs.
• Coordinate requests for qualified ASL interpreters, video interpreting services, assistive technology, and other communication accommodations.
• Work with SafeNest programs to ensure survivors with disabilities have equitable access to shelter, counseling, advocacy, and safety planning.
• Assist programs in identifying and addressing accessibility barriers that may interfere with a survivor's ability to participate fully in services.
• Support accessible shelter placement for survivors with mobility, sensory, intellectual, developmental, cognitive, and other disabilities.
• Provide advocacy and case management support related to disability accommodations and access to victim services.
• Assist staff in developing plain-language, visual, large-print, and other accessible approaches when needed to support survivor participation.
• Promote survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and disability-informed approaches throughout service delivery.

Disability Consultation and Program Support

• Serve as an internal disability-access resource for SafeNest staff and programs.
• Provide consultation regarding reasonable accommodations and disability-related service needs.
• Support staff in identifying appropriate communication methods and accessibility resources.
• Advise programs on disability-informed service delivery and accessibility practices.
• Support development and implementation of standardized accessibility procedures throughout SafeNest.
• Help ensure disability-related accommodations are coordinated consistently across programs.

UNITY Statewide Accessibility Protocols

Support the development, implementation, and dissemination of statewide accessibility protocols, including:

• Rapid procurement procedures for ASL interpreters and video interpreting services.
• Plain-language adaptations of safety plans, educational materials, and other client resources.
• Accessible communication practices for survivors with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Confidentiality guidance when accommodations or interpreters require coordination across multiple organizations.
• Accessibility checklists, templates, resource guides, and other tools for victim-service providers.
• Procedures that strengthen consistent access to accommodations across urban, rural, and frontier communities.

Training and Curriculum Development

• Collaborate with The Arc Nevada and SafeNest leadership in developing disability-informed training modules for the UNITY Initiative.
• Contribute disability advocacy expertise to quarterly statewide UNITY symposiums.
• Assist with curriculum addressing accessibility in shelter operations, identification of abuse involving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, ADA accessibility, communication accommodations, and confidentiality.
• Support development of accessible training materials including plain-language materials, accessibility checklists, visual supports, and other resources.
• Assist with dissemination of accessibility toolkits and training resources statewide.
• Provide or co-facilitate training and technical assistance as appropriate.

Survivor Voice and Engagement

• Lead listening sessions with survivors with disabilities to identify barriers, accommodation needs, and opportunities for improvement.
• Work with SafeNest's survivor advisory structure to incorporate survivor perspectives into UNITY activities.
• Establish mechanisms for obtaining ongoing survivor feedback regarding accessibility and service delivery.
• Incorporate survivor feedback into recommendations for policies, procedures, training, accessibility protocols, and program improvement.
• Support opportunities for survivors with disabilities to participate in training and system-improvement activities.

ADA Accessibility and Facility Improvement

• Participate in planning related to ADA accessibility improvements at SafeNest facilities.
• Provide disability-accessibility input regarding shelter and service environments.
• Collaborate with project leadership and community partners in identifying physical accessibility barriers.
• Assist with development and use of accessibility checklists associated with facility improvements.
• Support documentation and dissemination of accessibility practices that can be shared with victim-service organizations throughout Nevada.

Community Partnerships and Statewide Coordination

• Serve as a disability-related liaison between SafeNest and community partners.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with disability-service organizations, victim-service providers, law enforcement, courts, healthcare providers, first responders, and other UNITY stakeholders.
• Work closely with The Arc Nevada in the development of training, accessibility protocols, accommodations, and statewide resources.
• Participate in quarterly statewide UNITY symposiums and related collaborative activities.
• Support efforts to strengthen coordinated responses between disability services, victim services, and justice-system partners.
• Assist in extending UNITY resources to rural and frontier Nevada communities.

Program Quality, Data, and Grant Deliverables

• Maintain appropriate documentation of accommodations, accessibility activities, referrals, advocacy efforts, training activities, and survivor feedback.
• Support collection of UNITY performance information related to survivors served, accommodations provided, training activities, and accessibility practices.
• Identify recurring accessibility barriers and communicate trends and recommendations to project leadership.
• Participate in continuous program improvement based on survivor feedback, program data, and partner input.

Skills and Qualifications

• Master’s degree in counseling, social work, psychology, rehabilitation counseling, or a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, CRC
• Demonstrated experience working with individuals with diverse disabilities, including physical, sensory, intellectual, developmental, cognitive, traumatic brain injury, and mental health-related disabilities.
• Knowledge of disability rights, ADA accessibility principles, reasonable accommodations, and disability-informed practices.
• Knowledge of victim services and the needs of survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
• Experience in survivor advocacy, case management, accessibility coordination, and identifying barriers to services.
• Ability to coordinate communication accommodations, including ASL interpretation, assistive technology, plain-language materials, and other accessible resources.
• Experience developing or delivering training, educational materials, or technical assistance.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills with survivors, staff, community partners, and multidisciplinary professionals.
• Ability to support trauma-informed, survivor-centered, culturally responsive, and disability-informed service delivery.
• Strong organizational, documentation, and program-tracking skills, with the ability to support grant deliverables and outcome reporting.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will be expected to perform other reasonably relatedjob duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor or other management as required.

Equal Opportunity Employer

SafeNest is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminateon the basis of actual orperceived race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age,disability, sex, marital status, veteran status,gender identity,sexual orientation, geneticinformation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state,or local laws.