Bilingual Victim Advocate-Community Health Worker, Child Abuse

The Amani Center is teaming up with the Lighthouse for Kids to hire a Bilingual (English/Spanish) Victim Advocate/Community Health Worker.

This position enables us to provide support services for child victims of crime and abuse and their families/caregivers and also serves to provide outreach in the community, with the primary goal of outreach and support connecting Latinx/Spanish speaking families with the greater system of care in the community. This work is in addition to providing outreach and support to children and families from other historically marginalized populations and the entire community.

This role will primarily work from the Lighthouse for Kids facility located in Astoria but will be an employee of the Amani Center.

The position:

In this role, you will provide advocacy, support, education, system navigation, and resource referral for victims and their families/caregivers. This includes crisis intervention, safety planning, peer support and needs assessments. You will also address the social determinants of health for the child and their families/caregivers to ensure they have a foundation to begin healing and improve long term health and justice outcomes.

In this position, you will also provide support to the child and family pre, post and during the assessment process. Follow up services are provided as long as the family has need and through the criminal justice process, often this process can take several years, and the relationship built between the Victim Advocate/Community Health Worker can endure years after the initial intervention services are provided. This position also provides assistance to families who request support even if there will not be an Amani Center Forensic Assessment or criminal investigation.

This position will also represent the Lighthouse and the Amani Center at community events or other outreach opportunities, participate in community groups and committees.

Victim Advocate/Community Health Workers are also responsible for identifying and building connections between other organizations and resources that can help support families and providing support and education to community partners.

This position is responsible for:

• Developing and implementing bilingual outreach programs to engage diverse communities, specifically to Latinx communities.
• Building and maintaining relationships with community organizations, stakeholders, and local leaders.
• Identify local community resources that have Bilingual English/Spanish speaking services in order to foster relationships and build referral pathways.
• Conducting workshops and community meetings to educate participants about available Bilingual English/Spanish resources within the community.
• Creating informative materials and campaigns in both languages (English and Spanish) to promote outreach initiatives.
• Gathering feedback from community members to continuously improve outreach strategies through surveys, focus groups, and other meaningful ways.
• Monitoring and reporting on outreach activities and their impact on the Latinx community.
• Collaborating with internal teams to align outreach efforts with organizational goals and the Mission, Vision, and Values of the organization.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in social work, counseling, psychology, sociology, child development or related field and minimum one year of applicable clinical experience, OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience to successfully perform the essential duties of the job.
• Bi-Lingual English/Spanish required.
• Bi-Lingual English/Spanish interpreter course completed within 6 months of hiring.
• Able to pass a comprehensive criminal and child welfare background check.
• Training/Experience in crisis (peer) counseling, child development and cultural diversity required.
• Excellent organizational, writing, listening and communication skills.
• Computer skills such as Microsoft Office Suite.
• Able to respond professionally, effectively and in a compassionate manner during high crisis and/or high stress situations. Able to maintain confidentiality.
• Strong relationship skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, the public, community partners, volunteers, courts, and other agencies.

This position is full-time, hourly non-exempt, with a starting wage of $23.00/hour.

We have 100% employer covered health insurance, long term and short-term disability coverage, and life insurance for all full-time employees. We also have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and participate in the Oregon Saves program.

Agency Overview:

The Amani Center is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization serving Columbia County and dedicated to the intervention and evaluation of child abuse. The Center was established for the purposes of developing and operating a community-based center where child victims of abuse, neglect, and/or witnessing violent crime, could receive a child forensic interview, medical evaluation, and support services in a child-friendly setting. We work collaboratively with law enforcement, medical and mental health providers, and social service agencies through a multidisciplinary team approach. Our agency advocates for social justice while supporting families as they navigate the criminal justice process.

To Apply:

The Amani Center is a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive work environment full of staff that are strong advocates for children. If your passion is helping others, we encourage you to apply, even if you may not think you are a perfect match.

Please send your resume to: recruitment@cascadeemployers.com

Cascade Employers is assisting with this recruitment. Position is open until filled.