Casa Myrna is Greater Boston’s foremost provider of solutions to end domestic and dating violence. The agency operates three residential programs in Boston for survivors and children made homeless by domestic violence, a comprehensive range of advocacy and supportive services, and SafeLink, Massachusetts’ statewide 24/7 toll-free domestic violence hotline. Casa Myrna believes that every relationship should be safe and healthy and works to end domestic and dating violence through education, awareness and prevention. Casa Myrna’s residential programs provide a safe, stabilizing home-like environment for survivors and children made homeless by domestic violence. These are goal-oriented programs providing safety and supportive services in cooperation with other programs at the agency and community resources.
The Residential Relief Advocate creates a welcoming environment that incorporates both physical and emotional safety to participants impacted by domestic violence. They provide trauma-informed supportive listening, advocacy, and crisis intervention in a residential setting. The Residential Relief Advocate collaborates as an active team member within the residential program and across other departments and beyond to ensure seamless support for participants, leveraging diverse expertise and resources to meet participant needs. This role reports to the Manager of Residential Programs.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Advocacy
- Collaboratively support participants in developing and implementing individualized Service Plans that prioritize their safety, autonomy, and long-term well-being.
- Facilitate one-on-one advocacy meetings and case reviews, ensuring a non-judgmental, strengths-based approach in all interactions.
- Coordinate participant activities, events, and appointments with sensitivity to their needs. This may include accompanying participants to outside appointments with the direction of Residential Program Manager.
- Empower parent survivors by offering support in developing healthy parenting strategies, always honoring their inherent strengths and capacities.
Residential Program Environment
- Uphold Casa Myrna’s values, mission, and policies, ensuring trauma-informed, participant-centered operations of the residential department.
- Prepare safe, clean, and welcoming living spaces for new participants, ensuring rooms and shared areas promote dignity and a sense of belonging.
- Support participants to feel empowered to adhere to program guidelines and community living expectations to create a better environment for themselves and others.
- Create a harmonious and trauma-sensitive environment that supports healing, resilience, and empowerment for all participants.
- Conduct regular safety and maintenance checks with respect for participants’ privacy and comfort, promoting a secure and stable living environment.
- Assist with maintenance and cleanliness of common spaces shared with colleagues.
Administration
- Conduct participant screenings, intakes, assessments, and referrals in a compassionate, trauma-informed manner, maintaining professionalism and respect for each individual's unique experiences.
- Maintain accurate and confidential paper and electronic records that uphold trauma-informed practices in all documentation.
Additional Responsibilities
- Foster a sense of trust and safety within the program by actively engaging in reflective supervision and team collaboration.
- Participate in ongoing professional development, supervision, and training to stay grounded in trauma-informed care principles and enhance skills that support participant healing. Completing yearly training and outreach goals as established by Casa Myrna.
- Commit to assigned work schedules, ensuring consistency and reliability for participants, in line with the 24-hour staffing policy. Adhere to guidelines and policies of the residential program and Agency.
- Perform other related tasks as assigned by the supervisor, with a focus on fostering empowerment and safety.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Committed to Casa Myrna’s values and mission of ending domestic and dating violence and commercial exploitation, and promoting social justice and social change.
- Demonstrated experience working with survivors of domestic/dating violence, trauma and abuse, and with marginalized communities, particularly communities of color.
- Minimum of 2 years’ demonstrated experience working in counseling or advocacy work, preferably in a residential program.
- Familiarity with Boston-area community agencies and resources, particularly those serving youth, homeless and/or low-income populations.
- Demonstrated ability to utilize appropriate, non-judgmental communication techniques when responding to survivors that illustrates sensitivity to their experiences and needs. Ability to work and advocate in a collaborative style with diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic groups, as well as diversity based on ability/disability, sexual orientation and religion.
- Ability to prioritize and coordinate work at multiple sites; ability to work independently and in a team.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, crisis management, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Promote an atmosphere of respect and cooperation; maintain confidentiality regarding program participants.
- Ability to travel throughout Boston required; access to reliable transportation.
- Must work a minimum of 3 shifts monthly. Ability to work a flexible schedule on weekends and weekends overnight.
- Strong preference for candidates who identify as a member of a marginalized community as Casa Myrna works to be an inclusive and equitable organization.
- Ability to lift 25 pounds; and physically able to navigate several flights of stairs independently at least every hour. Must be physically able to move around, clean rooms, offices, common spaces, demonstrate cleaning to others, organize, pack and store supplies and food donations.
- License/Certification – Must be CPR/SFA, Certified within 30 days of hire. Must complete 35 hour domestic violence training within 90 days of hire.
- Fluency in a language other than English strongly preferred. Preference for Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, or Haitian Creole.
Salary range: $20-$24 hourly based on time in service. Starting rate is $20 hourly
Location: Boston’s South End and Dorchester area neighborhood
Hours: Weekends and weekend overnights
Benefits: Casa Myrna offers retirement savings plan, fitness reimbursement, opportunities for professional development and training, employee perks program, employee assistance program and more to all employees.
Casa Myrna is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity and hiring people with diverse life experiences. Survivors, people who are bilingual/bicultural, persons of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people are strongly encouraged to apply.
The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship. If reasonable accommodations are needed during recruitment process, email [email protected]. 