Sexual Assault Advocate

SAAFE House; Coldspring (TX); On-site; USD 30,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

SAAFE House in Texas seeks a dedicated service professional to provide crisis intervention and support for sexual abuse victims, in person or by phone, including 24-hour crisis line responses. The role involves intake assessments, on-call coverage, community education, collaboration with law enforcement and hospitals, and helping clients access medical, legal, and social services.

Candidates should have a high school diploma, relevant experience, and preferably a bachelor’s in social services;

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Two years of relevant work or volunteer experience (minimum 20 hours/week).
• Experience in client services preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in a social service preferred.
• Bilingual preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide access to services in person or via telephone in response to 24-hour crisis line and walk-ins.
• Conduct intake sessions to assess eligibility for services.
• Provide direct service and on-call coverage to ensure 24-hour availability.
• Respond to Sexual Assault Exam calls and support clients through crisis intervention and advocacy.
• Offer information and referrals to access community, medical, legal, employment, clothing, and victim services.

Job description

Position Summary: Responsible for service delivery to victims who have experienced or been affected by 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 and outreach settings. Position requires working with the community to enhance services to sexual abuse victims and to assist the education team in engaging the community in primary prevention strategies.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma/GED
• Two years previous work/volunteer experience, performed at a minimum of 20 hours/week
• Previous experience in client services preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in a social service preferred.
• Bilingual preferred

Duties and Responsibilities

Client Services

• Provide access to services either face to face or through telephone in response to our 24-hour crisis line and walk ins.
• Provide intake sessions assessing individual’s eligibility for services.
• Provide direct service and on call coverage to the agency as needed to ensure 24-hour availability of services.
• Respond to Sexual Assault Exam calls.
• Use crisis intervention, advocacy, and peer support techniques to facilitate recovery from assault and decrease the effects of experienced trauma.
• Provide information and referrals to clients to assist in access to; community, medical, legal, employment, clothing, and assistance in the civil and criminal justice system to include information on obtaining crime victim compensation benefits, protective orders, SAVNS, and victim impact statements and panels.
• Provide personal accompaniment for clients to court, medical exams, and other community resources.

Program Responsibilities

• Maintain client service logs, client intakes and paperwork, and hotline documentation for agency and grant funders. Assist in entering client data into reporting system.
• Create and distribute monthly SANE on-call schedules.
• Attend meetings and training pertinent to job performance.

• Provide information and training to staff, to include accompanying volunteers to hospital to offer support.
• Evaluate and modify service delivery to ensure sexual abuse victims’ needs are being met.
• Participate in the development of specific plans and goals to accomplish service needs and develop written materials, as needed, to enhance client’s knowledge and awareness of Sexual Abuse dynamics.

• Participate in the ongoing case management of Sexual Assault clients to include action planning, evaluating client progress, and working with clients to identify needed resources and/or options to heal from abuse. Identify local resources to better serve sexual abuse survivors.

Community Education and Collaboration:

• Identify unreached populations and develop plans of action to inform them of services and make services available for sexual assault survivors.
• Maintain positive working relationships and open communication with community agencies in all counties.
• Coordinate Sexual Assault Response Teams in counties of work with local law enforcement, judicial agencies, hospitals, and child advocacy center to develop and maintain optimum services for sexual assault survivors.
• Lead trainings with community agencies and individuals to enhance knowledge of sexual assault, as well as the special needs of this client group. Provide training on best practices in service delivery to sexual abuse survivors.
• Develop written materials, as needed, to enhance knowledge and awareness of Sexual Abuse dynamics.

Additional Job Duties

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

Personal Skills:

• Ability to communicate needs and provide input to services related to sexual assault.
• Ability to remain calm and make decisions effectively while coping with crisis situations.
• Ability to understand and comply with confidentiality policies.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize workload.
• Requires good verbal and written communication skills.
• Must have emotional/physical stamina to deal with prolonged crisis situations.
• Ability to work independently without supervision.
• Ability to be flexible and change duties with short notice as needed.
• Adopt and practice the agency model of open, honest, and ethical communication and communicate effectively with clients and other staff members.

• Maintain an understanding of appropriate boundaries and relationships with both clients and staff.
• Must have reliable transportation and current auto insurance as required by the State of Texas.

Physical/Sensory:

• Ability to walk, stand, kneel, push, stoop, reach above the shoulder, bend repeatedly, grasp, pull, hear with aid, see, write, count, read, speak, analyze, alphabetize, lift, and carry under 45 lbs., perceive depth, operate a motor vehicle, and operate motor equipment.
• Conditions include working closely with others, working alone, working while children are playing close by, working protracted or irregular hours.

Supervisor: Client Services Director

Work Schedule: Flexible Monday through Friday and on call duty (some weekends and holidays required)

Schedules are subject to change to meet the needs of the agency

Location: Outreach Facilities in Walker, Polk, and San Jacinto Counties

Status: Non-exempt, Full-time

***This position is made possible fully or in part by existing grant funding; continued employment and salary could be contingent on funding renewal with applicable grants. ***

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as exhaustive of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position.