Lee Conlee House
Job Summary
Job Title: Shelter Advocate (Overnight Shift)
Location: Shelter Location – undisclosed
Position reports directly to: Program Director
Overtime Eligibility: Eligible for Overtime
Qualifications
High school diploma or GED
Valid Drivers License
Level 2 Background Check
Principal Job Duties
- Conduct interviews and crisis intervention on an ongoing basis with survivors entering the shelter in order to determine their individual needs and to explore safe options.
- Accept new arrivals into shelter in a welcoming manner; ensuring that immediate needs are addressed such as: food, shower, sleep, contacting support systems or loved ones, medical treatment.
- Ensure that you meet new residents when arriving for your shift – introducing self and welcoming them.
- Obtain basic information to include: name, race, sex, age and the names, age, race and sex of dependents or children.
- If immediate needs are requested advocates shall prepare food and drink for new resident, provide them hygiene items and show them to a shower, provide them a phone to make initial calls to support systems or loved ones and arrange transportation to hospital or doctor.
- Safety plan within the first 24 hours of entry and reassess safety plan for effectiveness daily.
- Conduct ongoing trauma informed counseling, advocacy, lethality assessments, safety planning, goal setting and service planning.
- Assist with IFP, divorces, family law cases as needed providing information and referral and advocacy. Secure releases for possible criminal cases pending, family law cases and dependency cases if needed (Conversation regarding these possibilities shall be explored with family)
- Ensure child assessments are completed in 24 hours and all identified needs are provided.
- Provide victims compensation application and information including follow through with all applications including ACP and Relocation.
- Provide needed and requested referrals and have proper releases signed with participant consent.
- Provide advocacy to ensure participant’s needs are met and all rights and remedies are secured.
- Provide a walk-through with participant familiarizing them with laundry room, where resources are located, shelter food and supplies, security system, resident phone, playground, smoking area and relaxation areas.
- Provide a copy of the resident handbook and review important information within the first 72 hours of their stay.
- Provide ongoing trauma informed support and counseling on the 24 hour hotline.
- Ensure the caller is safe.
- Determine if caller is in need of safe shelter.
- If the caller is safe, conduct a full assessment ensuring they are qualified for services.
- Ensure all calls are answered timely and callers are not placed on hold for more than two minutes.
- Follow all policy and procedures for organization and ensure shelter operating procedures are followed through.
- Maintain OSNIUM and document all services provided daily.
- Ensure full intakes are completed and entered in OSNIUM within 72 hours for adults and 24 hours for children.
- Provide services to all residents as outlined in policies and procedures.
- Ensure all grant deliverables are met and guidelines maintained per DCF standards and administrative rule.
- Ensure the facility is safe, clean and free of hazards.
- Review the shelter for any repairs needed or concerns.
- Remove broken furniture.
- Notify administration if repair services are needed.
- Clean rooms, lockers, wash sheets, towels, etc. when a resident leaves.
- Move abandoned items to storage or discard as per policy.
- Ensure trash is taken out daily/ weekly.
- Conduct monthly maintenance and repair checklist.
- Advise supervisor of any maintenance and repair concerns.
- Ensure that all administrative responsibilities are carried out.
- Make copies of needed file items.
- Review files for quality assurance.
- Maintain a clean and organized working area.
- Maintain a professional demeanor and appropriate dress at all times.
- Ensure that training hours are maintained each year and reported appropriately to supervisors for documentation in employee files.
- Complete any other assignments at the direction of the Executive Director and/or Program Director.
Responsibilities to Survivors
Employees of the Lee Conlee House will:
- Treat all participants with consideration, respect, and full recognition of their human dignity and individuality;
- Provide care, and services that are adequate, appropriate, and in compliance with relevant state, local, and federal laws and regulations;
- Ensure that survivors are notified and involved in all decisions that impact them, their legal cases, that status within services, and their families.
- Ensure survivors are involved in all goal setting and plan to meet their individual needs;
- Not share survivor information with anyone without their expressed written consent;
- Maintain strict confidentiality regarding the survivor's situation and ensure survivors have the right to deny the release of information to anyone for any reason at any time;
- Provide survivors with an explanation of services in accordance with the goals and actions plans;
- Ensure survivors have the right and opportunity to object to, or terminate, any goals or actions;
- Treat survivors in a manner that is ethical and free from abuse, mistreatment, exploitation, and/or physical restraint;
- Not discriminate based on race, creed, color, age gender, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, disabilities, and any other classification prohibited under state or federal law including the American with Disabilities Act, 28 CFR 35, and the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. – 3604;
- Provide survivors information on any center guidelines that apply to them;
- Provide that all reasonable requests are responded to promptly and adequately within the capacity of the center, and provide access to the centers' grievance procedure.
Agency Requirements * Continuously uphold and support the agency's survivor focused, empowerment-based philosophy by providing equal opportunity for individual choice and by making educational information available to all survivors.
- Will act as an advocate to survivors when communicating or partnering with other service organizations by providing education and reducing the incidents of judgments, blame or any other unethical communication or practice.
- Maintaining appropriate and healthy boundaries with survivors and co-workers.
- Continually challenge yourself and your co-workers to improve services and act in the best interest of survivors.
- Continually strive to maintain cultural competence;
- Recognize that societal oppressions such as racism, sexism, and homophobia occur daily and strive to eliminate the negative impacts of these oppressions on survivors
- Maintaining a professional demeanor reflecting positively upon the Lee Conlee House and the participants we serve at all times.
- Dress professionally and appropriately representing the Lee Conlee House and the participants we serve with integrity.
- Strive to continually educate yourself and maintain current knowledge of the dynamics of domestic violence and sexual assault and the impacts on survivors and children.
- Provide feedback to the Lee Conlee House that seeks to improve services and increase the accessibility of our services.
- Reflect positively on the Lee Conlee House and personally support the positive reputation of the organization in the community.
Required Skills Include professional presentation, excellent verbal communication and writing skills, public speaking skills, ethical communication skills, good judgment, desire to advocate on behalf of survivors, ability to perform calmly in crisis situations, and a valid Florida driver’s license, insurance, a safe driving record, and reliable transportation. Computer skills including working knowledge of Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher, public speaking skills, training facilitation, and the ability to develop programs.
Physical requirements: Mobility and ability to bend and reach during an 8-12 hour day, able to lift minimum of 30 pounds. Visual and auditory acuity sufficient to evaluate, intervene, treat, and record participant needs. Fine motor skills for legible and accurate documentation, daily correspondence, and presentation, either manually or orally. Work endurance ability to work 8-12 hour shifts with a meal break, as possible. Routine 8-12 hour shifts. Hours and days off may vary. Extra hours may be required. Work assignment locations may vary.
All Employees of Lee Conlee House are expected to demonstrate a commitment to:
- promoting diversity and equality
- professional ethics and standards
- flexibility and teamwork
- protection of confidentiality
- I pledge my commitment to the Lee Conlee House values of Advocacy, Choice, Compassion, Empathy, Empowerment, Honesty, Mentoring, Peace, and Respect.
- I will strive to practice these principles daily in my work in order to create an atmosphere where survivors are heard and responded to appropriately.
- I agree to be personally responsible and accountable for my actions and behaviors in order to create a responsible environment.
- I recognize that providing and supporting quality survivor services is the priority and my actions, attitude, and involvement should positively impact every survivor’s experience.
Pay: $16.00 - $17.00 per hour
Benefits:
Education:
- High school or equivalent (Preferred)
License/Certification:
- Driver's License (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
