Job description

Sojourner House Position Description

Job Title: Residential Advocate

Job Location: Northern RI Safe House

Reports to: Manager of Transitional Programs

Position: Full-time (37.5 hours per week); $21 to $23 an hour, depending on experience, with benefits that include health/dental insurance, paid holidays, accrued vacation/sick/personal time, an Employee Assistance Plan, and a 401(k) plan.

Schedule: Sunday through Thursday, 9 am - 5 pm

ABOUT US: Sojourner House is a comprehensive domestic violence and sexual assault agency that provides residential, educational, and community-based interventions to families and individuals impacted by abuse. We have offices in Providence and Woonsocket; and programs that operate statewide. Our goal is to help our clients rebuild their lives, piece by piece, through a variety of services. All of our programs work from the premise that violence is an unacceptable means of solving interpersonal conflict, and we encourage only non-violent methods of working out conflicts.

BASIC FUNCTION: Responsible for coordinating the different components of Sojourner House’s Safehouse Shelter program in northern Rhode Island. Working with the Housing Team and the larger residential program, the Advocate will provide direct services and programming to shelter clients and transitional housing clients. The Advocate will work alongside other staff of the Residential Program to provide clients with support and empowerment as they seek to rebuild their lives.

PRINCIPAL JOB DUTIES

Provide individual case management services to clients in Sojourner House’s shelters, transitional housing programs, and residential programs. This includes weekly 1:1 meetings, regular phone check-ins, and periodic visits to their apartment. Develop action plans with clients that outline goals related to education, employment, child care and permanent housing. Assist clients in obtaining appropriate substance abuse, mental health, and/or medical services as needed.

Develop and implement programming to benefit clients in the residential housing program, which can include units statewide. At a minimum, the advocate will facilitate 1-2 support groups, meetings and/or programs per week that will benefit clients and other community members. The advocate will regularly assess the needs of Sojourner House’s safehouse clients and offer programs reflective of those needs.

Provide shelter coverage at Sojourner House’s emergency shelter(s), and assist with shelter hotline calls, referrals, and intakes.

Working with the Advocates and the Child & Youth Advocate, coordinate children’s services and make referrals as necessary for housing families with minor children, which may include but are not limited to: enrollment in the local school system, art expressive therapy groups, tutoring sessions, play groups, field trips, after school, recreational and enrichment activities, child care and mental health programs.

Provide outreach and advocacy to domestic violence and sexual assault survivors living in the community of Northern Rhode Island.

Answer phone calls, conduct intakes of new clients, and provide referrals and information to potential clients.

Gaining HIV and Hep C testing certification to test clients in the community, at the safehouse, as requested by the supervisor.

Monitor and implement shelter expectations and ensure that residents follow these guidelines and procedures by creating an environment of trust and community.

Complete data entry and submit necessary reports as required for grant compliance.

Work with the Building & Grounds Manager and Manager of Transitional Programs to address the maintenance needs of the shelter and owned transitional properties.

Stay abreast of RI community issues by building and maintaining relationships with housing and social service agencies in Northern Rhode Island, and throughout the state.

Prepare and deliver community presentations in Northern Rhode Island on issues related to domestic violence, sexual assault and housing when requested.

Support Sojourner House’s philosophy of client empowerment and respect for individual choices.

Work as necessary with other residential advocates and Volunteer Manager to help supervise volunteers.

Perform other duties as requested by the Manager of Transitional Programs and Sojourner House management team.

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree in social work, psychology or a related field or equivalent work experience.

EXPERIENCE AND SPECIAL SKILLS:

A minimum of two to three years experience in human or social services

Proficiency in Spanish, both written and oral, is preferred

Familiarity with domestic violence and/or gender issues

Must be organized and demonstrate superior leadership skills

Computer literacy (Word, Excel, and general Internet skills)

Familiarity working with individuals from different cultures and backgrounds

Experience developing and delivering community presentations

A demonstrated familiarity with LGBTQ+, HIV/AIDS, mental health, and/or substance abuse populations

Access to a vehicle in order to facilitate traveling between the agency’s multiple locations and apartments

Comfort working individually and in teams

Innovative thinking to approaching issues of poverty and service delivery

Familiarity with social service services in Rhode Island

Applicant must pass a background check

Ability to work a flexible schedule, including one weekend day, providing on call support as needed.

COVID POLICY NOTICE: Sojourner House has mandated that its employees obtain a COVID-19 vaccine. Eligible employees may request an exemption from this policy for medical or religious accommodation reasons by working with our Human Resources Department.

To Apply: Please forward a resume, cover letter, and a list of contact info for 3 professional references to resume s@ sojournerri.org including “Residential Advocate” in the subject line. Resumes and cover letters may be mailed to Sojourner House instead of submitted electronically, send to: Sojourner House, Attn: HR Dept/Residential Advocate, 386 Smith St, Providence, RI 02908. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, so early submissions are encouraged. No phone calls, please.

Sojourner House is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. To learn more about Sojourner House, please visit www.sojournerri.org.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $21.00 - $23.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Weekend availability

COVID-19 considerations:
Sojourner House has mandated that its employees obtain a COVID-19 vaccine. Eligible employees may request an exemption from this policy for medical or religious accommodation reasons through our Human Resources Department.

Experience:

• human services or domestic violence advocacy: 1 year (Preferred)

Language:

• Spanish (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Preferred)

Work Location: One location

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