CoRH Peer Support Advocate

Position Overview

Do you believe that knowledge can support change and improve a life? Are you passionate about helping people achieve their goals? Are you a team builder who understands that many hands achieve great things? The YWCA of Greater Portland provides shared housing to domestic violence survivors through our Communities of Restoration and Healing (CoRH). In this role, you will be a certified Peer Support Advocate helping survivors on your caseload with healing, recovery, and self-sufficiency. You will contribute significantly to the YWCA’s mission by using your own experience to walk with program participants as they work to rebuild their lives.

To be a certified Peer Wellness Specialist in Oregon (certification can be obtained upon hire), you must self-identify as:

• At least 18 years of age
• Not listed on the Medicaid provider exclusion list
• One of the following:
  • A current or former mental health services consumer
  • A person in recovery from an addiction disorder who has abstained from alcohol
  • and other drugs for at least two years
  • A person in recovery from problem gambling
  • A family member of a current or former recipient of addictions or mental health
  • services

YWCA is on a Mission

YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. For more than 120 years, YWCA of Greater Portland has invested in our community, supported survivors, and advocated for the most vulnerable among us: women, children, seniors, the unhoused, and the incarcerated. As one of 200 Associations nationwide, we are proud members of YWCA USA, one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the nation.

Key Responsibilities

Strength-based, trauma-informed peer support

• Model wellness and self-determination for all residents based on your own experiences and demonstrated by your peer support specialist training.
• Provide appropriate referrals to resources, accompany to court, training, employment opportunities and mental health appointments as needed.
• Work with residents to identify and obtain specific personal goals including safety planning, stabilization, job placement, healing, and being a part of their community.
• Create Peer-Assisted Wellness Plans tailored to the specific needs of individual CoRH residents.
• Provide strength-based structures to support residents in making progress on their Wellness Plans.

Responsive and strategic housing support

• Develop and facilitate curriculum for monthly CORH Household meetings including topics such as wellness, shared living, successful tenancy, and self-sufficiency.
• Use a “housing-first” approach to support survivors of domestic violence to attain or retain safe housing, frequently in emergency situations.
• Apply knowledge of Fair Housing and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) protections and/or landlord/tenant laws and contextualize the survivor’s experience while maintaining confidentiality.
• Complete all data entry, filing, and eligibility requirement tasks in a timely manner. Such activities require adherence to federal, state, and local laws and contract requirements while working within multiple agency systems.

Participatory teamwork and responsible representation

• Engage consistently in anti-racism practices and approaches with internal and external work based on a deep understanding of historical and present-day structural racism.
• Collaborate with multi-agency InReach teams to coordinate services and discuss programming. *May be collaboratively assigned to the JOIN InReach Team and would work more closely with JOIN managers, meetings, and procedures.
• Develop and maintain positive professional relationships with housing providers in the Greater Portland area, social services agencies, city and government officials, the Survivor Services team, and YWCA as a whole.
• Attend and meaningfully participate in all scheduled meetings with department, agency, and external partner teams.
• Commit to ongoing participation in continuing education including DV and Fair Housing legal changes.
• Uphold the YWCA of Greater Portland’s mission, vision, and values by acting with integrity, accountability, and responsibility toward survivor participants, service partners, fellow employees, volunteers, donors, and everyone the organization engages with.

Skills, Knowledge, and Experience

• Peer Wellness Specialist Certification
• 40-hour Domestic Violence Advocate Training
• Motivational Interviewing Training
• Familiarity with domestic violence programs, community recovery resources (AA, NA, etc.), and treatment programs.
• Ability to build rapport with survivors from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds, maintain and respect confidentiality, and consistently treat others with respect and dignity.
• Experience with group dynamics, facilitation, and conflict resolution.
• Flexibility and responsiveness to prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Independence is valued but you must also strongly identify as part of a team.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Experience with or ability to quickly learn Microsoft Office, Excel, Google Suite, Adobe Acrobat, and Android cell phone.
• Willing to use personal experiences to model healing, recovery, and wellness.
• Flexibility, kindness, discretion, and a sense of humor are essential.

Job Conditions

• Hybrid position in Portland Metro Region that requires in-person meetings with program participants, colleagues, and other partners at varied community locations.
• Standard day is 4 - 6 hours in various CoRH homes, and the remainder of time spent in home office.
• Must be able to provide own transportation to visit multiple Portland Metro sites, mileage or bus pass will be reimbursed.
• Laptop, phone, and other work-from-home equipment as needed will be supplied.

Benefits

• 100% Employer-paid comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage (with a no deductible option).
• Generous paid time off (including 13 paid holidays).
• Employer paid Life, Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance.
• Unlimited access to no-cost Social Justice Trainings (see ywcapdx.org) and additional position-specific professional development.

Application Instructions

This posting is active until 11/12/24. Interviews will be conducted between 11/25/24 – 12/13/24. To apply, please email the following materials to employment@ywcapdx.org:

• Cover letter that highlights what inspires you about our mission and how your personal and / or professional experience will strengthen YWCA and support our growing Survivor Services Department
• Resume
• 3 to 5 references

A single PDF file is preferred. Only complete applications will be considered.

Please review the full job description on our website.